How do you deal with Chronic URI's?

[Poppyseed]

I've been nebulizing Hobbes since February and it has been the best thing for him. He is doing rather well on it but still worries me from time to time. He goes on prednisone every now and again and was on it a long time but I weaned him off as he seemed not to need it as much. I nebulize with saline, gentocin, and albuterol. He also receives Baytril orally. I just wonder if there is anything better to use than albuterol. Low cost would be good but not totally required.

Is dexamethasone a ton better to use with chronic URI's then pred? Are dex injections the preferred method or is it alright to get pills and treat orally?

Any better nebulization formulas? Like I said he is doing well with this combo but he's not 100%. I don't know if he can ever be 100% but want to at least try to get closer if at all possible. He loves life so much and is an awesome rat, I want to do everything I can for him.

Also lately he's been kind of sucking in his sides and stretching as he plays. He still runs around everywhere but when he does his sides suck in. I worry he is in pain or perhaps he is taxing himself too much? He also has an obsession with jumping out of his cage and running under the couch. (I just purchased a FN and him and Morgan share the bottom section of the cage). I was kind of worried he was running from pain but am unsure as he does not seem to be in a great hurry, I bet it's just a new game of hide and seek he's developed. Eventually if I don't find him he will wind up in my room on or under my bed 

[Poppyseed]

Hobbes had another vet visit and we added Dexamethasone. Apparently if you are doing albuterol you HAVE to do a steroid as the steroid helps dry things up in the lungs. Without the steroid the lungs expand but fluid can go into them still and basically the animal is drowning in a way. I had no idea. He's been on the dex for a couple of days and is doing tremendously better! I'm so excited.

Apparently dexamethasone is better than prednisone and not that much more expensive! I'm happy about this. Also it seems the rat guide had updated this fact since I looked at it last (it says dexamethasone is preferred over prednisone in rats). It's a good thing!

He looks so much brighter and better and he was running around and climbing so well yesterday! It's so nice to have my Hobbesie back and I wish I would of demanded dex over pred sooner ):

[Suebee]

Whenever someone brings up chronic URIs, another cause always crosses my mind as a possibility, from personal experience: congestive heart failure.

Does he sound like a 70-year-old smoker when he breathes? How old is he?

It can't hurt to see of enalapril helps him... see what your vet thinks...

[Poppyseed]

His breathing sounds fine and the vet says it sounds clear just very rushed as if he's taking shorter breaths (or as if it's being forced through a small area). I haven't tried enalapril yet but I have brought it up. Everyone thinks his heart sounds good though...

I will ask about it. He does seem to be doing wonderful on the dex.

His birthday is September 5th 2006 and he will be 2 then so 20 months. and has been having problems since November and we've tried all sorts of things since. We stuck with nebulization in February. He has been off and on Baytril/zithro/and pred as well as nebulized with gentocin and albuterol since Feburary. Before that we had tried Baytril/zithro and pred for a while and also Baytril/doxy. We have not tried Enalapril.

He does do the head hanging thing and I did notice he has a slight blue tinge to his extremities on occasion. On his bad days he would have a blue tinge to his lips and gums. He does sneeze on occasion.

Before we added dex I have noticed his fur was rougher and his sides were sunken in. He has had a bit of weight loss which isn't too bad since he's the right weight now. He also was hunched more and when he ran he ran stretched. Now his sides are no longer sunken in and he is running normally and hopping and not stopping for breaths as often. He also has been snuggling with his cage mate more often and wrestling more often. He also jumps more often and higher then before and seems to run quicker as if it's easier for him. He still has some spurts of heavy breathing but it has minimized severely.

[lilspaz68]

Yeah it does sound a little more like COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) than CHF..I have a CHF rat at home and am leaning more than I ever wanted to.  :roll:

I prefer dex and my vet also prefers it for rats as well. 

My CHF boy is on enalapril, lasix, baytril and dex and improving nicely.

My chronic URI rats I usually keep on meds for life (baytril alone if possible (with something added for flareups like doxy or zithro), but when things get rough with the breathing and they are older, I sometimes put them on a palliative course of dex on top of their meds.

[Poppyseed]

It's a lot to deal with his condition but I wouldn't let it continue if he didn't have a high quality of life. He is just the sweetest rat and loves being out with me and snuggling. He will always run up to the cage door when I'm near his cage and run down when I call his name. He is so smart! He's also really good at kisses and just such a good soul. I think he's for a tie with Bert as my heart rat <3 Bert's a totally different type of heart rat though.

[Lise]

I have done months of baytril & doxy together for chronic rats to give them a better quality of life until the end.  I tried baytril alone for maintenance and for my girls who had bad respiratory problems until the end it was never enough.

I also nebulized with aminophylline.... I don't know how it compares to the albuterol.