Shes smelly now

Question
QUESTION: Hello,
this is about Lily again
i think she is getting a lot worse...i tried the manitoba vets  but the ladys out on maternity for 5 months.
Anyways, Lily is still beahing heavliy, very lethargic and tires very easily.but she is now starting to smell, very badly, kind of a sour smell. i dont think she will make it much longer, but if you have any idea of what this might be please let me know! i will separate her from her bunk mates until i figure all of this out! thank you very ,much for all of your help with my little critters!
--Teagan

ANSWER: No, dont remove her from her cagemates. She has already been around them and if she was contagious, its much too later now anyhow.  However, chances are this is not catchy.

Sometimes with serious infection, such as possible sepsis, an odor is present. You need to perhaps return to that other vet ASAP and get her on some stronger medications such as gentocin or amakacin injections.  I would try to do this as soon as Friday.
If you need me to possibly write out dosing guide let me know and I can do that and maybe the vet can follow it.

Hang in there!

Sandy

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QUESTION: Okay, when i get home i will return her to her buddies. I wasnt sure what i was supposed to do about it.
She kind of smells like my old ratty that was very sick with a tumor. so it worried me. i will call the vet clinic in winnipeg when i get home as well, if they are there i will ask then for some of that medicine, i dont know if they will give it to me though because they cant examine her. but if i tell them i already know what i need i might be able to order it from them.
would you be able to write out a dosing guide for me, please. i think it might help me persuae the vets. haha
thank you very much!

ANSWER: I agree...the odor can be from infection. In rats, it has this distinct smell...something the rat keeper doesnt forget.

Ok, she should be given injections of gentocin or amakacin but because she isnt going to be seen, this cant occur.

I do prefer she is given at least the following medications:

Baytril and amoxil.

However, I really wish someone could see her!! Sounds like she needs her heart listened too and everything to see if she has possible congestive heart failure. I could suggest lasix in that case, but again, I doubt they will give it if your not even a patient of record there.

How much does the rat weigh do you think? We will both need that in order to properly dose her.

I am so bummed...I wish I could find a vet for her. Darnit!

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QUESTION: ok...
i think she is lighter then her mother so probably about 140 gr. she is also quite small...if i cna get ahld of Heather in winnipeg ill see if i can get Lily in there, and if i can get up there, the only problem is that we are gunna be in the middle of a snow storm from i think saturday till monday. but well give it a shot!

Answer
Do be very careful in the snow!  I am so glad we rarely see snow here in North Carolina!  I grew up in Ohio and lived there for 33 years of my 44 years of life, and do NOT miss one single flake! YUCK!

Anyhow, she should be on a low dose of baytril, about .05 mls twice a day.