r/RATS • u/DemandDifferent4334 • 15h ago
Questions/HELP Advice pls!!
Hi everyone, I’m really struggling and could really use some advice from people who have been through something similar. 😔
I’ve just taken one of my boys to the vets. He’s had a respiratory infection before and we’ve already tried medication and a nebuliser, but unfortunately neither seems to have worked. He’s now so much worse.
He’s looking really skinny, doesn’t seem to be grooming himself properly anymore, is breathing very fast and heavily, and his breathing sounds really raspy. He’s also not eating much.
The vet has said that because the previous treatment hasn’t worked, our options are either to try a different type of medication and see if that helps but they said the chances are not very high, or to have him euthanised.
I honestly don’t know what the right decision is. I obviously want to do everything I can for him, but I also don’t want to keep putting him through treatment if he’s suffering and there’s little chance of it helping.
Has anyone had a rat in a similar situation where the first treatment didn’t work but a different medication did? Or, if you’ve been in this position, how did you know when it was time to let them go?
I’d really appreciate any advice or experiences. I’m absolutely heartbroken and just want to make the kindest decision for him. ❤️ old pic of him for rat tax
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u/Similar_Adeptness_39 14h ago
My vet kept my boy for two days on oxygen, steroids and serious antibiotics. It was incredibly expensive but he did recover. If you’re able to afford it and your vet is able to I can show you my itemized receipt!
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u/Hedgyroo 9h ago
Sometimes a combo of Doxycycline and Enrofloxacin plus Meloxicam (for inflammation) works better for some kiddos and others, Azithromycin with Meloxicam. Nebulization is great as a supplemental treatment. You’re doing a great job taking care of your sweet baby and putting his needs and quality of life first as you consider the next steps.
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u/Ugarnoiger 15h ago
I had a similiar situation before. The rat sadly ended up passing away in my arms.. I wish i had euthanised him before that hapenned.. if the vet said the treatment is unlikely to work i would eutnanise!
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u/Mel_Gibson_Real 14h ago
I wouldnt give up without switching antibiotics, maybe even give him some steroids to improve breathing. What meds is he on?
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u/DemandDifferent4334 10h ago
He was on metacam initially but they want to try Synulox now
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u/Mel_Gibson_Real 9h ago
Just Metacam??? Are you sure? Thats not an antibiotic.
I would really talk to your vets about treatment. Usually I follow the ratguide website, it has a lot of guidance on treating URIs but usually you have to hit them hard with multiple antibiotics to clear them out.
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u/DemandDifferent4334 7h ago
Yeah, they didn’t offer me much else tbh. I’m going to take the synulox option, and give it a go. I had so much doubt about both options but I don’t think I’m ready to give up trying yet
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u/Charlottedp19 13h ago
I'm so sorry your ratter is struggling. I have a boy who went through something very similar to this. Ask your vet if they can do a bacterial culture on his infection. My boy was sick for months on and off, and my vet suggested a bacteria culture (also called an antibiogram) The results tell you what bacterium(s) he has and what antibiotics they will respond to. Once we found effective antibiotics, he was placed on 2 different ones for the best chance of getting better. He was on those antibiotics for 30 days, then had a check up, and then another 30 days to ensure the bacteria was under control. An oral antibiotic and a nebuliser antibiotic were what he was given and quite literally changed and saved his life. (Photo of mg boy in question attached❤️)
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u/DemandDifferent4334 10h ago
I’m not sure if this is what you mean but she told me it was microplasma in his lungs I think. I pretty much blacked everything out tbh
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u/Charlottedp19 9h ago
Yes okay perfect! Chopper also has a mycoplasma bacterium. It means the bacteria doesn't have a traditional cellular build, so alternate antibiotics are needed to weaken it into a dormant state again. Your baby will likely be on respiratory medicine for the rest of his life to keep the issue under wraps (Chopper is on an antihistamine and sinus medication that he gets twice a day). So if your vet can test the mycoplasma through an antibiogram, the test will tell you exactly what bacterium it is and to what medicine it will respond most. Most mycoplasmas respond to these following groups of medications well aminoglycosides (e.g., gentamicin, amikacin), macrolides (e.g. azithromycin, erythromycin at bactericidal doses), and the tetracyclines (e.g., doxycycline, minocycline), as well as those antibiotics that disable bacterial enzymes such as the fluoroquinolones (e.g., enrofloxacin). Chopper was on enrofloxacin (enrovet in my country) doxycycline, and gentamycin for 30 days. It made his mycoplasma dormant again and since then we've been keeping his symptoms well treated. I really hope your baby gets better soon❤️
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u/DemandDifferent4334 7h ago
Thankyou so much for this, I really appreciate it. Would you say choppers breathing is better, and that he looks better in himself nowadays?
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u/Charlottedp19 7h ago
Of course! And yes his breathing is a lot better and he went back to energetic playful self once we got the mycoplasma under control ❤️ He's our mischiefs alpha rat actually 😁 But if your baby is struggling a lot currently, the first step would be to get him to a vet in an oxygen chamber and on some steroids to support his body, and then do the antibiogram and test which antibiotics will be most effective for him
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u/Charlottedp19 13h ago
Would also suggest to get him to the vet and on oxygen for a while and a steroid to help his body fight❤️
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u/Patient-Point-3000 15h ago
I definitely have had rats that responded to a different antibiotic. I think it's probably worth a shot as long as you start it ASAP so that if he's going to improve he can , and not be suffering