baby rat and antibiotics

Question
QUESTION: Hi,
My husband and I purchased a baby hairless rat the other day from Petsmart and she seems to be sneezing quite a bit and sounds like she's having some trouble keeping her nasal passages clear.  We bought her last Sunday, and took her to a local vet on Tuesday, who prescribed doxycycline at a .1 ml dose twice daily.  It's now Sunday (a week from when we got her) and to me it doesn't seem that she is sounding much better.  She seems basically the same as when we got her, which isn't horrible, but isn't good either.  We don't know how old she is, the store didn't know either, but she is very tiny.  We'd guess maybe anywhere between 4-8 weeks.  She's very energetic and seems to eating and drinking well.     She doesn't always sound bad with her breathing, but every so often she does get a bad sneezing fit, and sometimes (seems often during the night while we're trying to sleep or after she's been running around playing with us or has used her wheel) she sounds like her nose is a bit stuffy. She does make funny breathing noises sometimes and sounds like she's trying to clear her nose by sneezing.  My husband thinks that she is doing better, but I'm skeptical and am ready to take to the vet again.  I've read that if there isn't a noticeable difference after 3 days then the antibiotics probably aren't working.  I was wondering what your advice would be, especially since I've read that Baytril isn't healthy for very young rats either.  Are there any other options?  Am I overreacting and is she probably okay?  What else would be okay for her to take medicine wise?  She is a very sweet and sociable girl and is already responding to her name "Gretel".  We really don't want to lose her, although we know that hairless rats need a little more care than the others.  We want to do the best we can with her.  Any suggestions would help.  

Sorry if this post is long, but just for background info, she was kept in Carefresh bedding when we got her, and once we got her home we put Yesterday News in her cage.  Also, she is alone for now (though my husband and I try to keep her company when we can.)  We have two other healthy female rats and want to make sure that the new one is okay before we introduce them.

ANSWER: Hi Allene

Not sure if you have read my critter city site but I also discuss the three day rule of thumb if the rat isnt better move on to the next antibiotic and also that baytril is not for young rats unless the benefits out weigh the risks. Some sites will state doxy is not for immature rats either but it is OK to use, it is the other tetracyclines that should not be used.  In young rats, zithromax is good to use along with doxycycline but the three day rule applies still, and finally, baytril would need to be used in order to get the rat better. Also I need to ask you if the vet is an exotic vet experienced with rat care and up to par on rat ailments.  With mycoplasmosis, it needs treated for at least a full 30 days to prevent relapse. With each new attack, more damage is done such as damage to the lungs in the form of scarring and even blistering.   Is your vet an exotic vet?

Also, good job at not putting the new rat with the existing rats. So many people do not realize its best to quarantine at least for 3 weeks (this is how long it takes to incubate several common viruses that are found in pet shop rats) I have a page all about proper quarantine on my website too but it seems to be overlooked more than anything else.

Please check out info on mycoplasmosis. This may help you too for when yo see the vet, you will know what questions to fire off at him as far as treatment goes.  I wouldn't settle for anything less than 30 days for treatment. I have seen to many rats end up with chronic lung disease from myco and would hate for this to happen to your new rat because the doctor wasn't up to par on myco.

Here is the URL

http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/mycoplasmosispage.htm

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

QUESTION: Thanks for all of the useful info on mycoplasma!  I am calling the vet first thing tomorrow to get her back in.  So, it sounds like Zithromax is my next best option.  I will also ask him about keeping her on it for 30 days.  Hopefully this will work for her.  

Also, in the last post you asked if the vet was an exotic vet, and I believe he is.  I can't remember which rat site I got the info from, but he was one of the few known vets in AZ to work with rats (Tom Ardelt from Arrowhead Animal Hopital.)

Thanks again for pointing me toward your web site, I learned a few things I didn't realize before (such as quarantining for 3 weeks, not 2.)

Answer
Actually, there are 13 exotic vets in AZ, and Tom Ardelt is not one of them.  Its really hard to explain.  He has what is called a "special interest" in exotics but he is not certified.  To be certified, you must take more years in school in exotics and take a  specialty board test to become a board certified exotic vets. Many vets dont do this and instead they study on their own. They can legally not call themselves avian and exotic vets since they did not earn that title.  Speical interest vets cannot ever open a pracice that is just for exotics like some places do where they see only avia and exotic and not dogs and cats.  This doesnt mean your vet is not good, however, so dont get me wrong. I looked his site up and he  seems to have alot of training which is excellent. I am in the same boat in a way. I get phone calls from vets that are not up to par on rat care and they call to ask me questons and when they really finally realize that despite my extensive experience and knowledge in rat care I have no certifications on my wall, that doesnt mean I dont know what I am talking about. I simply dont have a diploma in veterinary medicine on my wall.

Anyhow, here is a prime example of an exotic vet:
http://www.griffinexotics.com/about/staff.php

AGain that doesnt mean your vet is NOT a good vet with exotics. Its just easy for folks to be confused and alot of people read these messages so I didnt want others to get the wrong impression about these titles though.

You can check out the 13 vets in AZ. These vets are also members of the association of exotic mammal veterinarians.

http://www.aemv.org/vetlist.cfm

As for quarantine: 2 weeks is for parasites, both endo and ecto parasites like lice, mites and fleas, and the endoparasites include worms such as round worm.  3 weeks is the time it takes to incubate viruses such as SDA and Sendai. It could be sooner fot that, but this is a guideline as if the rat were exposed the day he was first put in quarantine.

Anyhow, I am confident that after reading the info on your vet that he will be willing to read up on my article about myco. I have studied this nasty organism extensively since this is the top ailment that causes our rats illnesses, from respiratory problems, urinary tract infections all the way to ear infections. Its a real problem and if we can hold it at bay hopefully some day we can eradicate it completely. Dream on huh?

Please let me know how it goes!  Also ignore all typos and misspells. I stink at this kind of stuff.