My male rat.

Question
My rat is 2 yrs old and has been treated frequently for respiratory issues. Baytril doesn't seem to work, so we tried PMS-Azithromycin that works great while he's on it. Any way, just before starting that antibiotic treatment (Dec.30/08) I had noticed some blood in his urine. I mentioned it to the vet but our primary concern was his pneumonia. My hope was that the PMS-Azithromycin would help with that as well. No Luck. He was on that antibiotic for a month. Now I have been treating him orally with injectable Baytril (diluted 1:10) for 3-4 weeks for the bloody urine with no signs of improvement, but the wheezing is back full force. I have been using Medi-Cal Feline reduced protein canned food to mix his meds with, BID. Could that still be too much protein for him and be making things worse? Also, how do I deal with the respiratory issues and bloody urine at the same time without overloading his system any more. He gets gerbil/rat mixtures with rat blocks (sometimes trail mix)for his "dry food", as well as fresh carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, cantaloupe and honeydew melon (in various combinations) for his fresh veggies/fruits. this is all done fresh daily. He is still very active and curious but has lost a lot of weight, even though he still seems to have a good appetite. He also lost his buddy about Oct./08. I hope this is enough information to enable you to give some helpful suggestions. Thanks,
Kelly

Answer
Hi Kelly

My question is this: Was a test done on the urine to see if there is a bacterial infection going on, and if so, what bacteria is it?

Without this test there is no way of knowing if this is a urinary tract infection or not.

It may be unrelated to infection which is why he is not responding to antibiotics. Are you sure its blood?  Porphyrin is found in the female genitals but it can also come in the urinary tract too.  It would be a darker color, not bright red.  What color is the blood in the urine? Does it urinate alot?  Is he drinking alot of water?

I would ask for the urinalysis to be done ....but if not, you can do this:  Put him back on the PMS-zithromax and have the vet prescribe cefa drops OR amoxil. Either drug is good but wont do a thing for mycoplasmosis. These two drugs are good for urinary tract infections, and cover a broad spectrum of bacteria AND can be used with the zithromax with no interactions.

You can try this first and save money on the urine test but if he doesnt respond in a few days, I would suggest the urinalysis.

It could be stones or crystals too or even polyps...I wont go on and say it could be kidney related or tumor related, so we will think positive first and hope its either a stubborn bacteria and the drugs being used are not the right ones to use for this type of infection.
The weight loss concerns me and you say he is eating well and still losing weight, which is a concern too. Of course with the trouble he is having with his respiratory infections this could cause problems with weight loss too...but so can kidney disease which is a concern in the back of my mind.  

Is he on anything to help his breathing such as albuterol?