Upper Resp. Baby rat

Question
QUESTION: Hello Sandra,
It's Friday night in Denton, TX and there are no exotic vets able to take a look at my little one. I got her last week from a pet store (I know, "boo!")brought her home and immediately noticed the sneezing. Called the vet, the vet was out of town for the holiday.
I used to work at a vet clinic, and have had rats for a time so I weighed her with kitchen scales and started her on Doxycycline, even though it can be dangerous in young rats for their developing bones. I heard Baytril can be worse. The infection seemed to clear for a day, then it seemed to get worse. The rasping attacks started with the running around the cage in fear thing. Listened to her with my stethoscope, it's definitely in the right lung. So I added baytril against my better judgement hoping to help her. Decided that it was either medication or death without it. I've steamed her, kept her out of drafts, keeping her seperate from the others, washing hands, etc. Lots of cuddles.
Snot bubbles started yesterday. I wish their was something that I could do besides pumping her full of poisons that dont seem to be working. She weighed three ounces when we started so I put her on .05 doxy, then added .08 baytril a couple of days ago.
Do you think clavamox would be the better bet here?
She doesn't have the porphyrin, though I am sure she is myco infected b/c of her origins and not being bred in a lab environment.
She is eating, drinking, and gaining weight. Has gained an ounce in the last week. I can see growth in length and circumference. I just pity her suffering. If you know of something that can be done for this evening to relieve her suffering until I can get her into the vet tomorrow (possibly if the vet still isn't on vacation) that would be great.
Thanks for any help you can offer.

ANSWER: Dont worry about the baytril and doxycycline hindering the development of cartilage in immature rats.  The benefits of these two medications outweigh the risks at this point.

She is pretty young for a major myco outbreak, though.  I am thinking more along the lines of a secondary infection like pneumonia.  I would give clavamox and baytril, drop the doxy.  Is she still having the panic attacks?  I hate those most.

I think right now your doing all you can for her unless you tell me you have access to a nebulizer, albuterol and prednisone, which would help tremendously.

What vet do you use, btw?  
Here are two emergency clinics that see rats, but I was told to call first.  I just got off the phone with another ER clinic that is located in Carrolton but the exotic vet is leaving at midnight.


These vets are about a 30 to 35 min. drive from your area to their areas, but its worth it if she is in distress.  I fear with the panic attacks she is going to end up hypoxic.  Are her extremities blue or purple or are they nice and pink? Is she gasping?
Anyhow, here are the two places that are open 24 hours and will see exotics.

Metro plex vet center
Irving texas
972 438 7113   
http://www.vcahospitals.com/metroplex/services/animals-seen.html

________________________

Animal ER of north texas
Grapevine Texas
817 410 2273

http://www.aehnt.com/index.htm


Please keep me posted.

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

QUESTION: No, she's not hypoxic by any means, or I would have her on the way to somewhere, anywhere... I had a hypoxic ferret several years back and I took her to the fire department and they were kind enough to give her oxygen and she perked right up.
She isn't gasping. The panic isn't happening consistently. I just haven't had a little one in a while and it makes me sad to see her suffering at all. I do have access to a nebulizer, albuterol and prednisone. I live in the Dallas area and most of us are asthmatics because of the pollution and extreme heat here. The only thing is, I read somewhere that a human nebulizer doesn't allow the medication to saturate a rat due to the larger size of the particles. Have you heard this? I told me vet and she bought a nebulizer just for small animals.
These places are pretty close by! Thanks for letting me know about them. Irving and Grapevine are more like a 45 minute to an hour drive with the traffic, construction, etc. Carrolton is the closest. I don't think it's severe enough to warrant an emergency visit. I have a tendency to be one of those over protective, neurotic types.
I use the most wonderful vet in Corinth, I have gone to her for years. She is excellent! Her name is Dr. Carol Eddy, so if you ever have anyone from my area consult you and you need a recommend a great exotic vet, she's the one I would suggest, hands down. Just wish she had an on call thing happening!
Thanks so much for your help. I'm gonna try to hit her with some albuterol and see if it helps any.
-Megan

Answer

I have never heard about special nebulizers and every time I have used mine on my rats, the treatments were successful so the nebulzier must have worked just fine on them.  

I am glad your rat is not as bad as I first imagined.  I am overly paranoid because a friend of mine lost her girl last weekend after having a few panic attacks and a few days of fast respiration's and to be honest, because I answer sometimes up to 20 questions per day with many of the questions sounding the same, and sadly, the outcome is often negative, I have found myself more paranoid than ever which is not good.  I never used to be this way and working as a rat care adviser previously, I should know better than to get all freaked out.  Hearing about a baby rat already having  signs of respiratory problems really scares me though.  Your rat is lucky to have you.

Btw, my mother in law lives in Plano and when we visit, I bring my babies with me, so its good to know if I should ever need a vet when we are in Plano, I know where to go.

As for not having a baby in a while, that makes two of us.  I lost my 4 year old boy in May and my other boy who was pushing 3 just left me a few weeks ago.  I just bought three baby boys two weeks ago and they just turned 6 weeks.  These babies fly, run, leap, jump, climb all over the place....they are totally fearless and use me as a totem pole during play time.  I am so rusty I called the Rat lady, Debbie D, and asked her a question about them that I knew the answer to, but felt a bit insecure with my own knowledge and wanted to double check with someone else just to be sure I was right and everything was ok.  She just laughed at me and said not to worry, they will be growing up fast and wont seem so fragile and slippery before I know it!