What are some safe home remedies for a respiratory infection?
My rat has had a URI for a long time now. Medications haven’t worked; I guess because she’s so old. I’ve tried Clavamox, Amoxacillin&Baytril, and another combination I can’t remember. Are there any home remedies I could try that may help?
She’s already been to a vet and they’ve tried a bunch of different meds, read the question before you answer -_-
Batryl/Doxycycline works best for my rats…if you haven’t already tried that combination.
A humidifier would help keep her lungs moist, which keeps lungs healthy and combats/prevents infection.
Echinacea (liquid herb tincture) for children (no alcohol) could help boost her immune system. An ounce bottle is usually about 10$. It’s been know to help rats with respiratory infections show improvement. It doesn’t clear them up absolutely, but it can possibly provide some help/relief. Like a drop a day for a week or two.
Make sure to give 2 weeks to a month breaks in between treatments otherwise it will have negative/reverse effects on the immune system.
You should give her a drop and wait a day or two first if you do decide to give her some, to make sure she has no allergic reactions. You should stop immediately if you notice any ill-effects.
It’s a very safe herb for humans and I’ve never had any adverse reactions with my rats, nor have heard of any, but of course you should be careful of the risk. I wish her well. Good luck.
If you’re looking for symptom relief put a cool mist vaporizer in the room with her cage. That’s not going to get rid of an infection but she’ll breathe easier.
References :
There is no safe remedies at home, send your rat to the Vet. They are the best person to diagnose and treat your rat.
References :
If you have cedar bedding i heard that that can cause respiratory probs!
References :
sorry hun, theres not much you can do. this is very common with rats especaly in there old age. if the meds arent working then its not a good sighn. all you can do is keep her cage very clean and waste free. wood chips are also vry bad for rats lungs due to all the dust and oils so i recomend you invest in some good CareFresh bedding if you havent already. just comtinue her on the meds and visit your vet in a few weeks. spend alot of tim with her and enjoy every minute of it, it may be her last.
good luck to you both
References :
Have you tried a different bedding? I heard that some wood beddings can cause problems. Maybe you could try the new paper bedding, or something different than what you are using. Then, keep the cage really clean so the rat does not have to inhale any ammonia. Maybe feed really healthy food, too, adding any extras your rat should have, to boost the immune system. Does the rat have any opportunity to get any sun – with shade offered and not too much heat?
References :
Batryl/Doxycycline works best for my rats…if you haven’t already tried that combination.
A humidifier would help keep her lungs moist, which keeps lungs healthy and combats/prevents infection.
Echinacea (liquid herb tincture) for children (no alcohol) could help boost her immune system. An ounce bottle is usually about 10$. It’s been know to help rats with respiratory infections show improvement. It doesn’t clear them up absolutely, but it can possibly provide some help/relief. Like a drop a day for a week or two.
Make sure to give 2 weeks to a month breaks in between treatments otherwise it will have negative/reverse effects on the immune system.
You should give her a drop and wait a day or two first if you do decide to give her some, to make sure she has no allergic reactions. You should stop immediately if you notice any ill-effects.
It’s a very safe herb for humans and I’ve never had any adverse reactions with my rats, nor have heard of any, but of course you should be careful of the risk. I wish her well. Good luck.
References :
Infrequent Sneezing – Do a dust/allergen check. Smell pee? Smell mold? See/smell dust? Remove pee, remove mold, remove dust. Some dried out leafy veggies (like alfalfa hay) make rats sneeze. Some bedding such as pine and cedar make rats sneeze (Don’t use that stuff!) Sometimes dusty aspen or dusty recycled paper bedding will make rats sneeze. When in doubt, strip everything and work your way back up. Start with rat+cage+paper towels, for example, then add bedding or add that new wood decoration you just got for them.
Frequent Sneezing – Are they new? Have they moved? Has the environment somehow changed? If so, watch for 24 hours. If the sneezing does not cease or become less frequent, or if you are unable to note any possible stressors, consider making a vet appointment. If you can not do this, get Tylan from http://www.rmca.org/Merchandise/supplies.htm Cost: ~$5
Or, for an even better solution, read About Water Soluble Doxy.
Chirping or Hic-coughing – In English: When your rat is relaxed, do you see her making coughing-with-my-mouth-shut motions? If you listen closely do you hear a faint chirp-chirp-chirp sound? If so, consider making a vet appointment. If you can not do this, call Global Pigeon Supply at 1-800-562-2295 and order item #1010-104 – Doxycycline 60g. This should make the chirps go away before it gets progressively worse. Cost: ~$25 (note: 1 tsp powder per gallon of -distilled- water). See, also, About Water Soluble Doxy.
Quiet Wheezing – Breathing doesn’t seem to be labored, you don’t see the sides of their stomach caving in, but you hear a bit of a wheeze. I’d opt for the Doxy from Global Pigeon but Tylan may work as well. If you don’t see improvement in 2-3 days from the Tylan, I’d try a stronger antibiotic.
Chicken Noises – In English: Cluck-cluck-cluck-cluck-cluck. You missed the hic-coughs. Chicken noises are bad. If you already have the Doxy on hand from Global Pigeon, treat immediately. If not, rush your rat to the vet immediately.
Fast Breathing/Chest Vibrating Rapidly – Next stage after the chicken noise. Breathing is very labored. This isn’t an adrenaline rush. Treatment is needed immediately! May include chicken noises and infrequent sneezing. See your vet. See him immediately. Consider nebulization if available. Ask your vet for a bronchio-dilator, if available (ie, aminophylline). If the rat gets stressed out because of this, it can get much worse very quickly.
Sides of Stomach Caving In – Breathing is very labored. Don’t walk, run, to your vet’s. Air is being pulled into the rat’s stomach because of a complete lack of viable lung tissue. Waiting anywhere between 1 hour and 2 days to see your vet will most likely mean the loss of your rat.
Clicking Noise – In English: Wish I knew. If you smack your tongue up against the top of your mouth, you can make a similar noise – theirs sounds more muffled and wet. It’s not a cute or happy noise. It means they’re really sick and haven’t the energy to gasp for air. Often it also means that the infection has moved upwards into the nasal passages and throat. Run, don’t walk, to your vet’s. Waiting anywhere between 1 and 6 hours to see your vet will mean the loss of your rat.
Gasping for Air – Remove all possibilities of allergens. Strip housing of everything but paper towels. Give rat a sponge bath to remove any possible pee smell while calling your vet to let him know that your rat is coming over right now. May need oxygen tank to relax the rat. Bronchio-dilator is a must. Very strong, preferably injectable antibiotics are a must. If you have a nebulizer at home, go that route instead.
Note: Other signs may accompany the "rat noises" during various stages of respiratory illness. Red marks around their eyes and/or nose, lackluster appearance, unwillingness to groom, for example. Since these "signs" seem to vary and don’t seem to attach themselves to one particular degree or another, I did not include them. My goal was to merely outline severity.
Good luck to the lil fellow
References :
http://www.petinfopackets.com/rats/rathealth.html