nebulizing rats

Question
QUESTION: Hi Sandra, I am back with more questions, hah.  My 3 rats have been having respiratory issues (sneezing, noising breathing) and have been to the vet 3 times in the last 6 months.  The first and second times they were there the vet had them on doxycycline and baytril.  After the round of medicine stops the sneezing starts all over again.  So the third time I brought them to the vet (last Tuesday) I saw Dr. Greenburg and she proposed some alternate treatments...which I am having some trouble with.  

First she prescribed "Orenda Immune" to boost their immune systems.  She told me to mix 1 tablet in a 1/4 box of jello, and let the jello set in an ice cube tray, and give each rat one cube a day.  Well the rats don't really eat the jello.  They take their piece and run away, eat a little, hide the rest, leaving me not knowing who ate what and who actually got enough medicine.  Can I mix this medicine with something else?  I have had success in the past with putting meds in yogurt, jelly, baby food, etc.

The second issue is that Dr. Greenburg suggested I nebulize the rats for 10 minutes twice a day.  She gave me saline and Ipratropium Bromide, and I ordered a nebulizer online.  She told me to get a big plastic tub (something airtight) with a lid, cut a small whole for the nebulizer mouth piece, and shut the rats in there while the machine runs.  So I have everything I need to help my rats, but when I shut them in the plastic tub they FREAK OUT.  It's a 71 quart tub, plenty of room for them...but they panic so badly trying to get out that I am afraid they are going to give themselves heart attacks. Is that possible?  I don't know if it's being shut in the tub, the loud noise of the nebulizer, or the smoke/mist that's freaking them out so badly. I have tried twice yesterday and once today to nebulize them and I just can't stand to see them panic like that, it makes me scared.  I don't know what to do.  I was planning on calling Dr. Greenburg tomorrow, but I am afraid the vet will be closed because of the holiday, and you are the only other person I know that can help me and the rats.  I am so upset, I know that everyday I don't treat them they are getting worse.  I just want to help them get well.  What should I do?  Thank you Sandra!

-Natalie

ANSWER: Yep, go for the baby food, yogurt, heck, even ice cream if you must, but anything....as long as they eat it!

As for the nebulizer, what you can do is let them explore this tub on their own. Turn it over on its side if you can and let them go in it to explore. Put a few treats in there....something they never get very often like a bit of graham cracker or a piece of cereal they never have, even if its something all sugary like captain crunch..who cares...as long as they go in there.  Let them get used to it.  Putting rats into something they have never seen before is scary for them, pondering their possible demise perhaps? Who knows what they think....little bugs...but they are smart and know its something new and not that pleasant...wheres the treats and the fun, they ask!!!  

In the mean time, put the nebulizer machine on a towel so it doesn't vibrate so loud as long as no vents on the equipment are blocked. Hold one rat at a time and let him lick some baby food from your fingers while you hold the nebulizer hose near him allowing the medicine laced mist to go toward his face. This is not the most effective method but better than nothing. DO this for as long as prescribed as long as the vapor is going toward him, he will probably end up sniffing the air on his own.  Do they have a carrier they are used to being in?  My rats are used to their cat carrier and I would cover the side and back holes with foil and put a towel down the front of the carrier along with the nozzle to the nebulizer going through the holes. It was still good enough to put alot of the mist in the carrier and they didn't fuss about it since they were not scared of their carrier. . Still, not the best method but it did work. My other rats were so good about it they let me hold them and I would hold the nozzle just inches from their face and they would sniff the vapor in, sneeze, wipe their face (it would get damp!) and do it again.  Worked great for them that way!
Anyhow,  once the rats are used to the plastic tub, try it again by enclosing them in it. You should let them hear the machine too, as long as they are not trapped where they cant escape the noise.  Let them explore it too by walking on it etc....first while its turned off and after that, while its turned on.  Think of your rats as little children that need to explore things first so they understand what its all about later and this will ease their fears about it once its familiar.  If you just put them in an enclosure they never saw before and turn on this loud buzzing machine, they will freak out.....most animals would.   Let me know if this helps!

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

QUESTION: Hi Sandra, thanks for your quick response.  Yes they have a carrier they are used to being in for vet visits.  They usually do not get to upset in there as it has several air holes all along the sides and the top that they can stick their noses out and sniff. Last time I took them to the vet they didn't even poop in there, haha.  So I guess I could try putting them in there, even with the holes they wouldn't manage to breathe some vapor.  I'll try your other suggestions with getting them used to the sound of the machine and let you know how everything goes.  As for mixing the medicine with something else, I am not sure how much to use.  I guess the amount of yogurt that would be the same serving as a 1/4 box of jello, and give each rat a spoonful? Also, if a rat gets really frightened, can they give themselves a heart attack? Thank you so much for your help!

-Natalie

Answer
Can they give themselves a heart attack?  Good question.  Yes...and no. If the rat has a weak heart, say, a congenital defect, its possible. If they are also unhealthy and have heart disease, its also possible. Is it common?  No its not common. Rats are big scaredy cats by nature anyhow so they pretty much are programmed to be freaked out easily. Remember, rats do not trust people or other animals unless they are introduced to them very early on in life. Anything new to them is an enemy until the get used to it and realize it isnt going to hurt them in any way.