Lilys Head Tilt

Question
QUESTION: Hello Sandra

You have given me some wonderful advise in the past and thought you could help me with this too.
My little girl Lily (2 years,3months)started to get a head tilt to the right side in the last 3 days. She is not exhibiting any weird behaviour such as circling etc, but she just has this slight tilt to the side. She is still eating properly and able to stand on her hind legs to wash etc. She isn't wobbly as such, but is walking a bit slower like she is taking more care. I don't think she is as stable in her balance as she should be.

My girls live in a 3 story converted bookcase type house and they climb up and down levels through holes in each level via a nesting box underneath. Lily has no problems climbing up, but seems very hesitant to climb down through the hole to the next level. She has started climbing down via the mesh on the doors. That is the only real difference in her behaviour other than maybe being a bit quieter than usual.

I began to give her Baytril 2 days ago but then after careful reading of my Rat Health guide and doing plenty of research started to give her Amoxycillin as well. (I had Amoxycillin prescribed last week for another girl with respitory problems that didnt clear with baytril).So the last few days she has been on Baytril .1ml twice per day and Amoxycillin 2ml once per day.
After more reading your site, I noticed that for inner ear infections she would need an anti inflammatory.

I went to the vet tonight, my usual one was away unfortunately. This vet didn't have much of a clue, so pretty much I told her what I wanted. I understand it could be a pituatiry tumour, but the treatment would be the same anyway?

So what I have Lily on as from this evening is:
.1ml Baytril once per day
2ml Amoxycillin (clavulox) twice per day
.3ml Prednisolone one per day for 5-7 days.

Lily is 315 grams in weight.

I would really appreciate if you could advise me if these meds are okay for Lily and if the quantities are correct.
I always second guess the vets because we have no true exotics here and my regular vet is very open to suggestions and helpful, but the one I saw tonight didn't know much at all.
She actually told me that inner ear infections are rare in rats!!

Thanks for you help Sandra, it is much appreciated. My little Lily is a very special little girl to me and I want to give her the best chance to recover.

Kind regards

Shane  - Australia

ANSWER: As you know, inner ear infections  (Otitis media) are very common in pet rats mainly because mycoplasma bacteria lives in the rats nasal passages which of course connect into the ears...so its common for this bacteria to travel to the inner(middle ear)and cause infection.


The dosages given seem ok, but again, I dont know the mgs. of the medications used etc... I am glad Lily is getting steroids, though, as this should help alot.

Can she hold her food and feed herself, that is my next question.

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

QUESTION: Hello Sandra

She can hold her food okay, there does not seem a problem with that. I am not sure that she is eating as much as usual I dont see her around her foodbowl as much but whenever I offer her something she eats it.

Lily has been on her meds for 4 days now but I am not seeing any improvement. I think her wobbling may be getting a little worse. There is no stiffness in her limbs or curled hands or anything. She seems pretty bright in herself. I feel she may be a bit more anxious though.

I was wondering how long it would take with her medication before I would notice an improvement if it is going to happen? Is it safe to give her amoxycillin and prednisolone for a month or more?

Many thanks again

Your help is much appreciated

kind regards

Shane

Answer
I would feel better if she was on another antibiotic.  Rule of thumb is, if there is no response in 3 days, time to switch.  It only takes 12 hrs for antibiotics to get into the blood stream and another 12 to start to do the trick on killing the bacteria. After that, relief usually starts to show, so all in all, if by 3 days there is no improvement or the rat seems worse, time to change.

Now...the amoxil?  Its not a super broad spectrum antibiotic.  I am not sure why vets bother using it.  It is deadly if given to rabbits, wonder how many vets know this to be true?
Its not the greatest when treating ear infection mainly because mycoplasmosis is usually the culprit with otitis media and since myco has no cell wall for the amoxil to destroy, he has to be put on an antibiotic that will  destroy the cell since the myco organism lacks a cell wall. The most common drug for this would be baytril.  I would try  her on this for a  few days to see if there is improvement.

If not, it may be a pituitary adenoma, which I am hoping that is not the case. You can read more about it on Sandyscrittercity.com and refer to the page on pituitary tumors.