Indigestion? Esophagitis?

Question
QUESTION: Hi Sandra, I'm not sure what's happening to my four month old Ginny.  She's on her fifth day of baytril and doxycycline (we went to the vet last saturday for sneezing and loud wheezing).  She had been fine and seemed to be recovering quite well; last night, she started gasping and coughing and it sounded like she had something in her lungs.  It started like a hiccup and over a couple of hours got really, really bad.  After panicking for a while and trying some steam, I rushed her to the ER.  Of course, once we got there, she was fine and the vets said her lungs sounded clear, etc. and suggested maybe it was food related. This morning she was fine.  This evening, a few minutes after I gave her dinner, she started the hiccuping again.  She's now curled up in the corner of her cage.  I just read someone's question to you that mentioned esophagitis, and after looking it up, I think that could be it (or maybe some other stomach distress).  Is there something I can do for her?  Should I stop the antibiotics?  Her vet is on vacation for the next couple of days, and the other vet in the office didn't know of any side effects.  Any suggestions for further research or suggestions to make more comfortable would be appreciated.

ANSWER: Hi Tania

I am not real sure that I brought up esophagitis, but I believe a reader/writer that wrote in to me brought it up.  Either way, I do not think this is what is going on with Ginny.  I do think she needs another antibiotic.  Usually the rule of thumb with antibiotics is three days. If they are not showing improvement its time to move on.
I think she would do better with baytril and cefadrops. If there is a secondary infection involved, baytril and doxy aren't always the best choice and adding something more active in destroying strep is a good idea.  Also, I would give her some yogurt to replace any "good" bacteria that is being lost.  Now, rats do get hiccups but what you describe sounds more like she was in some respiratory distress and having possibly an asthma attack.   Was she in a panic? Was she stretching her neck out? Was she laying down and hanging her head over the shelves or ledges? Does her sides seem to sink in when she breathes?  Is she breathing faster than normal?    Is she eating and drinking?  Sorry for so many questions, but the more I know the easier it will be for me to make suggestions.

Now, rats DO hiccup, and its a normal response, esp if they swallow alot of air if they have respiratory distress, say, from gasping or open mouth breathing.  A normal hiccuping rat would look like the rat is standing still yet having a type of spasm, like a spasmodic motion, just like when we hiccup.   It lasts for a few seconds to a few minutes and they often ignore them and will even eat when they do it. Can you describe to me what your rat does when you think she has the hiccups?

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

QUESTION: No, some else brought up esophagitis, not you.  She did seem to be getting better, which makes me think this is something totally different.  It started just like hiccups in humans and then progressed to something more like a cluck or bark.  She'd curl up in the corner for a while, then get up, trot a little bit in her wheel, then putter around and lie back down a bit. She was definitely stretching her neck and opening her mouth widely (definitely not a yawn).  I thought it might be asthma too, actually.  The funny thing is, she was drinking and eating while this was happening, but she was clearly uncomfortable.  That was the first time
Last night was the second time.  She curled up and looked really uncomfortable, but it was nowhere near as bad as the night before and there was no gasping this time or neck stretching.  I took her out and rocked her and walked around with her, thinking the movement would help.  (I thought maybe the car ride to the hospital had helped.)  I think it did help.  She ate fine but unless i was holding her, she'd just get in the hammock and hang her head down--she was definitely not interested in playing with my other rat.  Again, this morning she was totally fine!
I don't know what to do.

Answer
Rats cough, which she could have been doing when you heard the cluck or bark.  Sometimes they can get food lodged in their throat and they work it up on their own in a few hours to even a day or two. There is usually a bit of drooling noted though, which I dont recall you had mentioned. Ack! Its so hard to get an visual on the internet. I almost want to say she may have had something stuck in her throat but it happens at night and she is fine the next day, which doesnt seem to jive to well. Do you notice if her feet are bluish during these times? Sometimes the tail and muzzle are even blue to purple if they are having a time with breathing.   
What do YOU think it is?   Since you witness it, does it seem like she is in distress and cant breathe? Does it seem she could have possibly had something stuck in her throat? Baytril and doxy are two antibioitcs that do not cause major problems with the GI tract like other meds can. They cause other problems such as loss of appetite,  diarrhea, urinary crystals (not common) itching and of course, the infamous "baytril burn" that I warn people about that is often seen when a Vet gives the rat an injection of baytril.  It is so caustic that when given under the skin (SubQ) it coagulates and causes terrible ulcers. Some ulcers have led to dangerous infections and one person told me she knows of a rat that bled to death from it so I always advise readers not to allow their vet to ever inject baytril, ever.
Other than that, I am not aware of any problems it can cause with their tummies. Even if they have an upset stomach, they often drag their face on the floor of the cage etc.....or eat strange, sometimes inedible (is that a word? LOL!) things which is known as PICA. They will eat cardboard or even their litter in an attempt to rid their stomach of that nasty sick feeling since they cannot vomit.

Do you think she would perhaps benefit from albuterol, which helps open the airways so she can breathe easier?