Noisy breathing and thin-- URI? Allergy?

[.dohani]

I'm getting really worried about my little boy Latte.  When he breaths, he makes a sort of raspy snuffling sound, and he's a lot thinner than his brothers. When the noisy breathing started up a few days ago, it just sounded like a really soft throaty sound, so I didn't think much of it. But it's gotten increasingly louder over the last couple of days... I've made an appointment for him at the vet this afternoon at 2:30, but I'd like to have a better idea of what to expect. I'm relatively new to rats, so I haven't gone through this before. Does it sound like a URI? Could it be an allergy? The latter was what I suspected at first, but that didn't seem to fit with the weight loss, unless that's a separate issue.

I've been offering him some higher calorie foods on his own, but he usually takes a nibble or two and then loses interest. I'll pick up some Ensure while I'm out and try that, I guess. I've seen him eating, but I've no idea how much he's actually getting. Any ideas on how to get some weight on him? 

He's only 6 weeks old... Might there be any problems with him taking medication?

[Jenn_85]

It's good that you are taking him to the vet.  It does sound like a URI, so he should get some antibiotics.  I'm sure the vet will know which antibiotic to prescribe to a young rat.  As for getting him to gain weight, the Ensure is a good idea.  That's what I used to get my baby to gain weight.  You can also mix soy milk with baby cereal.

[Dearpie]

Most rats don't get allergies, and it turns out to be URIs.   Hopefully he'll be given antibiotics.  Typically it'll be doxy or amoxy and baytril.  A lot of people believe that rats under 4 months shouldn't be given baytril, as studies in dogs have shown that it can stunt their growth plates, but my vet has always been comfortable giving it.  I've NEVER had a rats growth stunted.  Not sure anyone on here has either, but that's neither here nor there.   There are several meds good for URI's though.

You may want to print out the Drug Chart and take it with you.  Hopefully your vet is competent with rats.    Whatever he gives you, make sure it's not something that he recommends putting in their water.  That makes the water taste bad and the rat can get dehydrated.  Also, they don't get the proper amount needed to fix the problem.

If you read several pages in this section, you'll find helpful info regarding meds and how to give them if there are any problems. 

[.dohani]

I just got back from the vet, and she does indeed think that it's a URI. I got some Doxycycline, to be used for 2 weeks, and Baytril, to be used for 1 week.

The consultation set me back 70$ and the meds 80$.    Is that a common price, or is that a little bit high? It's worth it, of course, if it helps the poor guy out. But still...

[eastermonster]

The office visit fee doesn't sound too out of line, especially if that was the first time that you saw this vet because they typically need to take extra time to do a history, etc.  The meds sound a little steep to me, though.  I paid about the same amount for doxy and baytril yesterday for a three week course for two rats.  Incidentally, I think that three weeks is the minimum amount of time that they should be on antibiotics to treat a URI.  Maybe you should ask the vet about that?

[Lise]

That price for the meds you got is ridiculously high.

30 days of baytril & doxy costs me $30 - $40 and my vet is pretty expensive... I can't imagine paying $80 for 2 weeks of meds??!!  That is not a little bit high, that is way way too high.

Did you get any extra baytril?  If so I would recommend doing the baytril & doxy both for the full 2 weeks. 

[.dohani]

I thought so. -.- Well, that's the last time I go to that vet. I spoke with some friends last night who also own ratties, as well as a dog and a guinea pig. They gave me the name of their vet, who they say is very knowledgeable about rats, and charges much more reasonable prices. This is the first time I've had to take any of my animals to the vet, that I can remember, so I was just choosing the clinic off the vet directory here. But apparently this clinic is well-known for charging huge fees. If only I had known... I'm not sure whether I have enough Baytril for the 2 week course. The quantity on the label says "5" although I'm not sure what unit of measurement that's in. If there's some left over after this first course of meds, I'll continue for as long as it lasts. I'll also try to get in touch with that more knowledgeable vet and see what he says about a 3 week course.

The other vet also said to separate him from his brothers to make sure none of them catch it. I have done so, but as my second cage is taken up by the girls for the moment, I had to put him in a smallish hamster cage. He was with his brothers for about a week while he was sick, and none of them show signs of getting it. (Thank goodness.) Is there much use in the separation if they have already had contact with him? He's still small, so he doesn't seem to mind the slightly cramped quarters, but I don't want to keep him squished in there alone for too long. The other thing is, how many precautions do I need to take between handling him and the other two groups? I already wash my hands, but will I need to change clothes or something as well? Just how infectious are URIs?

Latte, who is from an surprise litter (petstore female  ), was actually supposed to go to his new home today. Obviously, that's no longer in the plans. The person he and his brother were supposed to go to has never owned rats before, and doesn't have much experience handling them. I've no clue how well he'd manage having to medicate the little guy. I know it's a struggle for me. He also only owns one cage, so it'll be tough for him to separate the two to keep him from getting an infection too, if that's an issue. However, I'm not sure how my parents will feel about keeping those two an extra 2 weeks. Would it be okay to move him to his new home in a week, and show them how to give him the meds for the rest of the course, or would that be too much stress on his little body, what with being sick as well?

I gave him his first dose last night, and he did /not/ like it.  =P It took two of us to keep him from wriggling away while we got the stuff into his mouth. I know some people have suggested mixing it with some baby food or something, but I've no idea whether he would actually eat it all. He isn't all that keen on any of the treats I give him. He even refuses (gasp!) yogies. If I give him food while he's in his cage, he'll usually gobble it up, but when he's out, he's just not interested.  And if I gave him the baby food in a dish in his cage, he'd probably take his own sweet time eating it, and I don't know whether he'd get it all at the same time. Any suggestions?

[JR1030]

#1 - you don't need to separate them...whatever he's got is airborne, and they've already been exposed.  Let him go back to his brothers.

#2 - you need to keep him on the meds at least 3 weeks, or for at least one week after all his symptoms are gone, whichever is longer.  If you stop too soon, you risk a relapse and he'll be resistant to the antibiotics he's got now.

#3 - smoosh up some banana (real banana works better for me than banana baby food), and measure the meds into one small spoonful of mushed banana.  If you don't put it in too much, he'll be able to eat it up in one sitting.  Make sure his cagemates don't eat it, so you might have to separate him just while he's getting his meds.

#4 - get a new vet.