Baytril Tablets

Question
Hi Sandra.

Petmeds offers the Baytril tablets in all the doses except the one you suggested.  I looked around at other websites and they sell injectable Baytril, but a prescription is needed.  I have an appointment on Thursday with Dr. Dielo to talk about Rat-O, and I am also bringing in my other two ratties due to the sneezing.  How concerned should I be about the sneezing?  They have already been doing it for a few days, is it safe to wait until Thursday or do I need to try to get an appoinment sooner?  I know that if left untreated constant sneezing can lead to much more serious respiratory problems, but how long does that take to happen?  And one last question, sorry I am asking so many.  I few years back I had a female rat (from a petstore, I only had her for about four months) that was completely fine one day, and the next morning I found her curled up into a lifeless ball.  I tried to arose her but she was quite unresponsive, although still alive.  I had no idea what was wrong (at the time I was too young to drive, and I needed to wait for my mom to get home to take her to the vet).  Shortly after that she began breathing through her mouth, basically gasping for air, and moving about the cage in a panic. She passed away soon after.  It all happened in less than a span of a day, it was extremely sudden.  One minute she was completely fine (no respiratory issues), and the next she was dying. Her three cagemates never got ill.  Do you know what could cause a seemingly healthy rat to get ill and pass away so suddenly? Thank you so much Sandra!

-Natalie

Answer
Oh wow, MY BAD!  I thought I answered you about this!!!!!!  Well slap me silly!!   


How is everyone with a tail and cute ears doing today?

As for your girl that passed away several years back: sounds like strep pneumonia.  This is a fast moving and deadly infection of the lungs caused by strep.  It can kill in less than 24 hours and no matter how aggressive the treatment is, its usually hard to save the rat once they get this.
Her panic attacks were due to lack of oxygen. I hate to see rats do this. It is so upsetting and we feel so helpless when they do it....all we can do is race to the vet and get them in oxygen or....if they need put down, get them put under anesthesia ASAP.   It has been said to be very contagious, but from my experience with it, unless the rat has a weak immune system, usually its isolated to one rat.   In the rat community, one person decided to pass on some very inaccurate info and linked Strep pneumonia to strep throat, saying if people have strep throat, we will pass it to our rats and give them the strep pneumonia.  Just for the record, these are two different pathogens and the type of strep that causes strep throat is actually Non pathogenic (incapable of causing disease) to rats and they cannot catch it just like we cant catch mycoplasmosis from them.

Just thought you should know this and again, so sorry for not answering this right off. This is not like me.....I feel like DUH!   :)