breathing

Question
QUESTION: hi Sandra,
my rat mickey came off baytril a week ago which was prescribed by the vet to treat a large absys which was successfully lanced and then had a injection of antibiotics followed by ten days of 0.1 of baytril 2x  daily. now he is having problems breathing and squeaking all the time. his breathing is laboured.
he is very much a lap rat and is even more cuddly than usual. shall i carry on with the baytril i have left?
i have read your page on myco is baytril the correct antibiotic. it is the only one vets seem to prescribe here for everything?
         many thanks
ps. he will be two years old in november. lorna



ANSWER: Hi

Sorry for the delay. Sometimes it takes a few days for this to get to me for some reason!

In the UK, there are a handful of drugs approved to be used on rats. One of them is   baytril which is why it seems that every vet in the UK prescribes this drug.  Few others are approved for use in rats even though there are hundreds of drugs that are safely and successfully used in rats for many ailments.

Is her breathing still labored?   


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

QUESTION: hi Sandra,
i have taken mickey to the vets since i mailed you last.
she gave him a injection of antibiotics and prescribed 0.2 mls of baytril twice a day. that was two days ago. he is losing wieght and really struggling to breath very laboured breathing and is really struggling. i dont know what else to do and am so scared he isnt going to get through this. thinking i will go back to vets tomorrow and get zithromax as she said she could get this in liquid form in 24 hours. or shall i try for something stronger? i dont think we can get cefa drops or amoxil in liquid form.
please get back to me as soon as possible. thankyou

ANSWER: He needs kept at the vets and put in oxygen while he is put on new medication.  He needs given steroids, possibly lasix if there is fluid in his lungs, and also he should be given injections of amakacin.  These meds can be given in a nebulizer too and they will get to the lungs faster.  He is suffering this way. Are his feet blue or purple?  Is he eating?

Is there a vet open 24 hours near you, even a bit of a drive from you?

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

QUESTION: thankyou for getting back to me so quickly. i am so upset the vet does not seem to be taking this seriously. i cant stand seeing mickey suffering like this. i called the vet this morning they said they could see him at 6 o clock i read them your advice over the phone he said could get lasix but had not heard of amakacin. i know this is precious time. his feet were a blue purple colour yesterday. and he has stopped eating and drinking. the vets here are making me so cross.

Answer
The blue feet means lack of oxygen.   I am hoping your vet can put him in oxygen and keep him there for a few days while they use different medications.  As the vet for gentocin if he has never heard of amakacin.

Also, albuterol helps open air ways.  Ask the vet about this as well.