noisy breathing

Question
Hi Ashley,
My rats have a history of respiratory infection - they are chronic sneezers. I've just gotten used to their sneezies as they are relatively healthy otherwise. Lately, one of my rats has been breathing quite noisily - I noticed it as he slept first, and then it progressed to while he was awake as well. I took him to the vet as soon as I could and he was given baytril and doxycycline. I went away for a couple of days and had a roommate give him his antibiotics. When I returned, he was much worse - now he is having trouble eating. It seems like his breathing gets worse (and painful!) when he tries to eat or drink. I brought him back to the vet, and he tried to get a look at the back of his mouth but only succeeded in making poor Buster bleed. (I've had this vet before and don't trust his judgement very much, which is why I'm writing to you). He suggested x-rays, and all sorts of fancy procedures to see if it was a mass, but seeing as how I'm a student, that racks up quite a bill for something that he's not even entirely sure about. So, in the end, Buster was prescribed some anti-inflamatory for potential swelling and his pain. I've got a humidifier set up to loosen any fluid. All Buster can manage to eat is a few treats here and there, but at least it's something! Anyway, I suppose my question is what do you think of all this? Is he right to suspect a mass? Is there anything I can do for him that I'm not already doing? I apologize for the length, and thank you in advance for your time!

Answer
Are there any other vets in your area that you could get a second opinion from? It sounds like you're doing all the right things (Baytril, humidifier), but if they're not doing anything, x-rays really are the best next step to detect a mass or any other foreign fluids in the chest cavity which could mean pneumonia (which is what it sounds like). I totally understand your concern about the cost, but thats really the only option right now... Maybe you could post a couple flyers in the lobby to see if anyone would be willing to sponser Buster's procedures? I would definitely try to get a second opinion though, if possible.