rat issues

Question
I know you don't mind details as they help so I will give you what I know. I
also know you aren't a vet and therefore cannot give true medical advice, but
I would love some thoughts on this.

I just lost my sweet baby girl Asuka to what we believe was a URI turned to Pneumonia on Wednesday.  She didn't respond to Baytril or a Baytril/Doxy
combo.

Her sister, a one and a half year old, is sneezing. This is not abnormal as she
has sneezed all her life due to allergies. I do not have her on pine or cedar.  I
have her on tile with Yesterday's News in the litter box.  She went on Baytril
the same time as her sister for 7 days (which I have just come to realize was
too short of a time frame but my vet advised me 7 days at the time).  

Notch, a neutered six month old male is a cage mate. He and his altered
brother both live in the two story ferret cage (Feisty Ferret) with Picassa.  
Notch is sneezing on and off.  Every so often his breathing is loud.  I figured
this was another infection so I started him on Baytil (the remaining dose from
Asuka) on Saturday night.  I took him to my vet today. She listened and said
his lungs were clear and that the congestion sounded more in his nose.  She
said whatever was going on in the cage was apparently contagious and
therefore she wanted to try them on Sulfa.  The Baytril/Doxy combo hadn't
been working on Picassa since I started her on it Wednesday. This
information was what she used to aid her Sulfa recommendation.  She isn't
sure it's a URI and to be safe wants to do the Sulfa.  Pixel is not sneezing nor
is he showing any signs of sickness.

All three are eating and drinking well with no problems in behavior changes
or energy levels.

Other than a URI, could this possibly be something else??  I am pulling up the
tile tomorrow in the cage (the tile is the kind with the sticky on the back) and
putting down fleece instead after a full cage clean and a bleach (washed
EXTREMELY well with a pressure hose afterwards).  I'm not sure if there's a
problem with the cage harboring something bad, but just in case I am doing
what I can to fix any problem I'm not seeing.  I can't lose another one this
close together.

Is Sulfa something normally used on rats? Should my vet have taken Notch
and Picassa off Baytril so fast without it running its course?  I'm taking in
Notch Monday to a vet a good drive from here that I trust over this current
vet.  He specializes in exotics and has done wonders for me with my
cockatiel.  Any thoughts you have would be very much appreciated. Thanks!  

Answer
Hi Danielle

I am really sorry for your loss.
Its hard to say if other drugs could have worked for your girl to save her but when there is a secondary infection that causes pneumonia, baytril and doxy are just not the drug of choice.  It needs aggressive treatment in order to over come the pneumonia if it is not antibiotic resistant, which in certain cases, it is.

Next time a rat is suspected to have pneumonia that is myco related the best treatment would be to nebulize gentocin and baytril and also to open the airways, nebulize a bronchodilator such as Aminophylline or Albuterol. This can be given orally too. Steroids should also be considered. Steroids will help reduce inflammation of the bronchi which in turn will aid in the rat breathing easier.

If a secondary infection is suspected, using gentocin and Cefadroxil (cefa drops, and rats usually love this stuff!) is  good choice, using both.            

You asked if it could something more than a URI and I doubt it. It sound like a myco outbreak.  If the baytril is working it would work within 3 days.  Medications for myco need to be used for at least 30 full days to prevent relapse. Once the rat relapses, they end up worse than they were the first time, and often end up with it becoming chronic with lung scarring or blisters developing in the lungs.
You can read more about myco on my site here:

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