Rat with mites getting skinnier

Question
QUESTION: I have two rats that are being treated for Mites. They were treated via Revolution, and have been given Revolution twice now. The second time was March 17. One of the rats, Smudges (about 1year 1/2 old), has no sores on her anymore and never went through much of a change with activeness. She's eating, drinking, and still pouncing all over the cage.

Squeakers (around 2 years old), on the other hand, is also being treated for the sores on her back, neck, and legs. She was at first being given a dose of antibiotic that seemed to stop working. The scabs were clearing up, but then the sores didn't heal. Now we are going to give her Baytril, that we just got from the vets today. We are also putting Neosporin + pain relief ointment on her wounds. Hopefully the Baytril will help heal those sores up all the way.

The problem is Squeakers is also getting skinner. She's more skittish around us now, and won't take as many treats from us. She also has decided that something is wrong with the water, and will only drink out of a small container I put on the bottom of the cage next to her. I know that she isn't eating as much as she use to either, she eats Regal Rat, Nutriphase, and veggies and fruit. Now she will generally eat what I hand feed her, but not much else, as it seems the food bowl is also dangerous too.

Is there anything I can give her food wise to help her stay at her normal weight? Also I've heard that baby food is sometimes good for this, do you know anything else about that?

ANSWER: Hi Christina

Seems Squeakers has something going on with her, which, by the way, is sometimes why rats become more susceptible to mites. When the rats immune system is compromised due to illness, they end up with some type of ectoparasite. This isn't always the case, but its no uncommon.  You noticed that Smudges (I have a smudge, mine is a Himalayan dumbo rat with a smudge on his nose, hence the name! LOL!) wasnt really being affected as badly as Squeakers was.
Is she congested at all? Does she have an excessive porphyrin on her nose or eyes?
Weight loss can mean many ailments,and without respiratory signs, that rules out any type of respiratory infection that commonly causes weight loss.  Also, rats this age are more prone to kidney disease or liver problems too. Have you noticed any change in urination?  You said she isnt drinking from her bottle..and no meds or anything have been added to her water to make her turn her nose up to it, but is she urinating more than normal or about the same?
Note the color of her gums for me and tell me what color they are. Also, check her feet and tell me if they are pink or if they are tinged blue to purple and if they are cold.

As for getting her to eat...it seems ill rats would rather not chew and prefer to lick instead. It takes less energy to lick than it does to chew. Less effort on a rat that feels a bit listless. Any strained baby food is fine minus prunes of course, unless your rat has dry hard stools.
Also, ensure or boost are good ways to give the rat energy and provide nutrients she has lost. Pedialyte infants is good if the rat needs rehydrated.  You can also try nutrical (the ferret section at pet stores) some rats love it, others hate it.

Now that she was put on baytril, she may make a fast improvement before you know it. I dont know what she took before, but if she would have any issues with mycoplasmosis, baytril is the drug of choice for it.  

Hope she feels better...let me know if I missed anything that you asked.

hang in there!

Sandra

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

QUESTION: Squeakers hasn't shown any signs of sneezing, wheezing, or acting congested. Her feet are pink and feel warmish. Her gums are also pinkish, with those sparkling yellow teeth, (I have always loved the fact that healthy rat teeth aren't white :P ). She is urinating and defecating normally. She doesn't have excessive porphyrin on her nose or eyes either.

As I said before she seems very skittish around us, which is probably just the fact that we've been giving her medicine and rubbing ointment on her back. She is a little more active today then yesterday so hopefully that means the Baytril is helping.

Is it possible that she has simply made some kind of connection with being itchy and the food bowl? I know that when she get out from under her bed the air bothers her sores.

Anywho, hopefully the baytril helps and she gets back to being her old self. I will try some strained baby food, and perhaps some Pedialyte since she is drinking a lot of fluids.

Thanks for your advice :)
PS: Our Smudges is also a dumbo rat who was named such because of the splashes of black on her neck. Looks like someone spilled ink on her one day.

Answer
The baytril was just started right? Lets give it a chance yet...usually in 3 days  we will know if it is the right choice or not.  As for her connection thinking the food bowl and contents made her itchy...it wouldnt shock me but its probably somewhat unlikely.  Our rats are smart, yes, but I still think they are too primivite to make an assumption like that.
However, there is always a "first" with these guys!! They do learn by repetiton, like human babies and toddlers do, so it isnt totally rule out, either.  Alot of help that is huh?  LOL!