Alternative Treatment For Rats?

Question

My two rats Magic Stars and Rueben developed Respiratory Disease when they were only about 6 months old. I adopted them from the animal shelter when they were 1 year old after they and their brothers had a had course of Baytril that they all reacted to badly - it helped to cure them but they were left with horrendous Baytril burn (scabs and weeping on the skin) that the vet said could only be an allergic reaction? Their adoption papers state clearly that they must not have further Baytril treatment and as recently the disease (which is dormant in all rats after they've had it once) has flared up again, I had them on a course of a different drug similar to Baytril - however it's had no effect, they're still as wheezy and snuffly as they always were and if anything the dropper just made them really stressed out about handling for a long time - though they've calmed down now.

They're coming up for middle-age-ish now, 17 months old, but their sneezing is definitely getting worse and I don't want to use unnecessary drugs and am not keen to try baytril again. I was wondering if anybody knows of or has used any alternative therapies to help with Respiratory Disease such as homeopathic remedies? Or any other Baytril substitutes that are proven to help treat Respiratory? Despite working with rats at an animal shelter, and having them as pets all my life I've never seen rats who weren't almost fully cured by Baytril and am so at a loss of what to do!

Thank you for any help!

Answer 1

My vet and I treated my girls with licorice root, which is good for asthma and lung issues. I also treated them with ajwain and turmeric, which I boiled in a tea and mixed with a little honey and found that very effective. That is an Ayurvedic therapy for lung problems. Ajwain seeds can be ordered online or from an Indian grocery. Obviously you want to dose appropriate to size (and don't overdo as both treatments can raise blood pressure of you give too much) and watch to be sure they have no adverse effects.

In addition, you may want to purchase a HEPA filter for their area to reduce the load on their lungs.

I also purchased a nebulizer and treated some of my sickest rats with albuterol or even just a saline solution. (You can also rent a nebulizer.) You can also flip a small aquarium over so that part hangs over the edge and put a pot of steaming water so that the aquarium gets steamy. Be careful that they get enough aid and cannot fall into the water. That helps clear the lungs.

Have you tried Doxycyclene as an an antibiotic? It is a different family than Baytril but often prescribed along with Baytril for respiratory illnesses.

Answer 2

Since in your case drugs aren't a great option, you can try some home remedies. Mind you these probably will not cure them, but might help tone down the sneezing and help keep it under control. I find these very useful with medication actually.

Here is some info about a particular herb: http://www.rmca.org/Articles/herbal.htm

Some more: http://www.quite.co.uk/rats/#Home_remedi...

I can't find the other site, but one thing that is very helpful is getting the rats to breathe in steam. I used to let a small bathroom get steamy after running hot water, and bringing the rats in for a couple of minutes. The steam really clears up the respiratory system, at least temporarily, but I have read that regular practise of this really keeps them comfortable.

The other thing is garlic. It boosts up thier immune system, plus helps a tad with breathing. Raw is better, but few rats will actually eat it this way. Try feeding it in any way they will eat it.