Pasteurella

Question
Hi again, thanks much for answering all my questions. It seems I had to start a new question to continue our conversation, as I had asked to many follow up questions! :P

Just to clarify - I should try using steriods AND  gentocin AND baytril AND albuterol, AND valium as the combination for the nebulizer? Or do you mean steriods AND gentocin OR baytril OR albuterol AND/OR valium? Sorry if I'm getting confused easily! :)

And treatment only needs to go for a few days?

(I'll probably go back to the vet tomorrow afternoon. So it would be safe to start the nebulizer treatment then, with the Convenia still active? Hopefully my vet won't be too reluctant to try it!)

Funny about your revolution thing! Basically everyone uses Revolution on rats, but I guess the revolution people might not know that! Just out of curiosity, did you end up getting an answer for the shelf life? I've been wondering about that too

I'm sure Tama will be happy to hear that chocolate bits will help him! :D

Thank-you so much for really caring about my little ones, and really thinking about the questions and doing so much! It's really rare to find people so dedicated to genuinely helping - even most vets are less helpful than this! And I pay them! :O

Thankyou!!!!!

Answer
Your welcome, any time.

I do this because...because there are not enough vets out there to help rats and there are so many people that are HUNGRY for information so they can learn on their own. However, there are tons of rat sites on the net but there are many that have inaccurate information that can be misleading to the novice rat keeper. I want to help everyone, from the new rat owner to the more experienced rat owner, like yourself, that is already up to date on everything but still needs some advice in things that are not so common, like this case, for example.

I am sorry I confused you about the medication.

The valium should NOT be nebulized. It can be given orally. Again, I have big doubts the vet will go for it. Few do, but those few that do usually end up prescribing it on a regular basis for rats with anxiety due to certain illneses, especially pituatry tumors etc....

As for the Convenia still being in the rats blood stream, thats ok if it is. All the meds I mentioned can be used with it so there is no drug interactions between them.

As for the combo meds for nebulizing, this is what I suggest:
 Gentocin AND baytril AND albuterol.  The vet can use the steroids either orally or nebulized. I prefer oral prednisone.

The nebulizing can be done at the vets office at least once and if they want to keep him for a day, they can use the treatment there. If you buy the nebulizer, I would nebulize him with those meds for at least 5 days using the gentocin, baytril and albuterol and after 5 days, stop with the gentocin and just nebulize the baytril and albuterol (as needed with the albuterol)

Oh and the shelf life on the revolution? Once its open, thats it. You need to toss it in at least 24 hrs.  It loses its strength and although they said it can be a hazard to use it due to its alcohol content, which doesnt make much sense to me, because alcohol usually evaporates over time, and they said it becomes more potent??  Naw...that didnt make sense but no matter what I pitched it anyhow. They are too tiny to mess with a pesticide that goes into their blood stream like that so I tossed it even though I dont buy the alcohol theory.  Does that make sense to you?  JUst thought I would ask your opinion on that one.


I have to run out for a bit but I will be back to check on messages this afternoon.

My Grandma who is almost 93 yrs old, HATES her new roommate and I have to talk her into moving to another room. She is in a nursing home and raises hell all the time.  LOL!)