Administering oral medication

Question
QUESTION: I am very sorry to bother you, but feel as though I am getting to the end of my resources.  I have a 20 month old female, called Pickle.  I noticed she had a very swollen foot a couple of days ago, using the information from your site, I guessed it was acute pododermatitis.  I copied some of the information and took it to the vet with me, I'm not sure he totally agreed, but did give me an antibiotic Trimethoprim Suspension 100ml 50mg/m.  I also noticed he kept hold of the information and asked me the address of your site!

My problem is I am having an awful problem giving Pickle the medicine.  I tried using a syringe and putting it in her mouth, but she squirms so much I cannot keep hold of her, resorted to mopping, up what ended up over me, with bread and then mashing it in to banana.  Have tried mashing it in to cat food this morning.  This evening I had help from someone and I also tried wrapping her in a towel.  I managed to get half of it in her mouth, but she squeaked and wet herself and it was awful, so ended up giving her the rest in chocolate sauce, which I would not normally feed her.

She will just about eat the food, but takes about 40 minutes for me to get her to eat it all.  It is as though she does not like the feel of it in her mouth and will rub her jaw against me or the chair she is sitting on.  The vet said to give her 1ml and we have to go through this trauma twice a day, and from what your site says, I'm guessing for 10-14 days.  We are only on our second day!

I would be extremely grateful if you have any suggestions.

The vet also gave me metacam, which I am not happy about and did tell him this.  He said I should give her 10 drops.  I gave her five the first night, then having done further research, two yesterday and am now only giving her one drop.  The foot seems to be improving and she is now walking on it again.

I also found a tiny lump today, just forward of her right back leg.  I don't want to think about it!

I have been making some enquiries to see if I can find another vet I feel happier with.  He was very nice, but being advised to give her 10 drops of metacam, even after ringing and querying it when I got home, freaked me a bit.

I also wanted to say thank you for the time you give to this site and your own site.  They are invaluable and my main reference points when I have a query.  I always feel grateful towards you when I use them to look something up, as I guess do many others.

With many thanks

Linda

ANSWER: Hi Linda

No bother at all to ask me questions. I am happy to help.  I would stop the metacam if the foot is improving. However, if the rat is taking the antibiotic in chocolate sauce, thats ok too. Chocolate is not bad for rat like it is for dogs. I have no real magic remedy to get a stubborn rat to take meds.  My rats LOVED that stuff, but we mixed it here at the vets with yummy orange flavoring.  Seems this wasnt mixed to be palatable to the rats liking. Many vets dont bother but a good vet will try his or her best to really make it yummy for them knowing how hard it can be and stressful for the rat, to force it to be medicated. She is wiping her little face on your because it tastes bitter and this is how rats act when something tastes nasty to them. They may also drag their face or chin on the floor of the cage when they have a bad taste in their mouth or feel sick to their stomach since they cannot vomit.  Did your vet say why he did not agree with me about what is wrong with your rats foot? Did he assume it was a sprain or break rather than an infection? If so, this is so common with vets that are not really well read on rat ailments. This type of infection of their foot is very misdiagnosed which is why I have it on my website because so many people write to me and tell me their rat broke their foot but they dont know how, and its getting worse and not improving.  I ask for a photo and lo and behold, its an infection that the vet didnt recognize.  A few days on the right medication and the rat is improving and once the vet sees it is getting better on antibiotics they end up learning a thing or two about rats feet and how common infection is.  After all, they step in their own urine and feces. All it takes is a break in the skin and infection can set in, sometimes causing the foot to swell up huge.  Many vets think right off its a sprain but never try to figure out how it could have occurred esp if they live in a single story cage. Truth is, its not that easy to sprain their legs if they live in a single story cage but they can get toes stuck in wire floors which would cause the toe to swell NOT the entire foot.

I am so glad you found my site. DO NOT give your rat any more than one tiny drop of metacam but again, if she is getting better, stop it totally. I hate that stuff. Its not safe to use, esp for more than a few doses.  It is very hard on the rats kidneys, more than any other drug used for inflammation.  I have upset vets about these claims but this is why I have links on the page I discuss the dangers of metacam, because the proof came from VETS not me.

Keep me posted as to how she is doing and I would suggest a really good vet to remove any masses your rat has.  I have a rat with a mass the size of an egg and am a nervous wreck about the surgery because I am using a new vet. This is the part of owning rats I dont like!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi again Sandra, thank you so very much for your quick reply to my question.  It was a great support to be able to correspond with someone who knows what they are talking about, when I was feeling so anxious about what was wrong and what was the right thing to do for Pickle.  I thought I would wait a bit then let you know what was happening, rather than bombard you with loads of emails!

As far as the vet goes, I think he agreed that it was an infection, but he seemed to think it was in the bone and very serious.  He said there was a problem with the joint, because it did not move properly.  I did point out that It would not move properly anyway because of the swelling.  He also said that she may be left with a limp.  I don't think either Pickle or I were worried particularly about a limp, just as long as she is pain-free and happy again!

As far as medication goes, I finally had to resort to pinning her down and force feeding her with the antibiotics, after she just refused to eat any of the food stuffs that I put it in.  At one point we ended up with a concoction of pilchard, banana and chocolate sauce!  This seemed to work, until she realised that it left a bad taste in her mouth.  I have only given her one more dose, of one drop, of metacam a couple of days after you suggested I stop it, because the foot was more swollen.

I thought she would hate me, I am covered in scratches, but she has not even tried to bite me, bless her, and she still seems to quite like me!  It has got a little easier as the week goes on, but has been quite traumatic for both of us.

I have just given her the first dose of day 10, but only have a maximum of two and a half days worth left, after having to throw some away in uneaten food and lost some of it trying to get it in to her.  As far as her foot goes, it is much better, she is walking on it, and with her claws spade, rather than bunched up as she was initially.  There looks as if there may still be a very small amount of swelling in the heel, however, I would probably not have noticed it unless I had been looking for it.  Do you think the antibiotics will be sufficient to do the job?

In herself she seems a little subdued, not as active when she is out as she is normally, but I am wondering if she is just feeling off because of the antibiotics, as we sometimes do?  She is eating and drinking as normal.

As for Pickle's lump, I keep checking it and it seems to have got smaller, which I was not expecting.  Would the antibiotics have anything to do with this do you think?

I very much hope that the surgery on your rat has/will go well and you have found yourself a vet you feel able to trust.

Thanks once again for your help and support.

Best wishes

Linda

Answer
Hi Linda

Sounds as though she is doing well. If her infection was in the bone, which it could have been, it would take a bit longer to heal.  Thanks for keeping me posted.

As for my rat that needed surgery....I am sad to say that he died last month due to a mass in his lungs.  Not only that, I lost his brother one week ago as of yesterday due to the same thing.  We believe it was hereditary and needless to say, I am absolutely devastated.  I have no rats to love and it seems absolutely un-natural for me to not have them here. I have two newborn rat pups on hold for me as we speak but wont be able to get them for at least four more weeks. It has been very difficult for me emotionally having to put my boys to sleep so close together, it seems so unfair as they were both just turning only two years old and never had problems with their health otherwise.

At any rate, at least your news sounds promising. I hope she continues to heal and feel better each day.