Expert: Sandra Todd - 6/17/2008

Question
I have been keeping rats for 12 years and I am familiar with most health issues that occur. However about one month ago one of may rats (who is otherwise a very healthy and lively 15 month old) started to show blood in her urine. I have never whitnessed this before and my vet says it is highly uncommon in rats. It is very bright red and normally has thick clotted blood in it also. She has been to the vet and neither of us could feel any signs of swelling, tumours or stones in her abdominal area so she has been treated for a urinary infection. she has been on a course of antibiotics (baytril-of course, its all i can get in this country!) for about 2 weeks but there is no less blood showing in her urine.

My vet has suggested a biopsy (he says its difficult to see what he needs to in an x-ray) but I am dubious about putting her under anesthetic.

She is the only one of 5 in her cage to be showing any signs and is still eating (very well) and drinking normally. Apart from seeing blood when she urinates-you wouldn't know anything was wrong with her. She seems to have lost a little weight (she was and still is the dominant one in the cage) but even with what i can notice as a little weight loss she still weighs average for a rat her age.

I just wondered, do you think it still could be a urinary infection and it just needs a different form of medication (i find i always get given baytril as an easy answer for my rats and i dont think it is always effective) or do the signs suggest otherwise

My vet says kidney stones are uncommon in rats and i think if it were a tumour-i would be able to feel it by now. But as I said-this has never happened to any of my rats before, and im worried about putting her through a potencially unecessary biopsy.

Sorry this is so long-but she happens to be the favourite character of the cage!

Thanks-Charlie (norwich-UK)


Answer
Hi Charlie


First of all, I need to know if a urine culture was done. This is very important when diagnosing and treating a urinary tract infection. Doing a culture will determine the type of organism that is causing the infection.

Bleeding and passing clots can be caused by the rupture of small blood vessels in the bladder or even in the kidneys. Rats indeed can and do have kidney stones and although its not as common for rats to have this, it is not unheard of and should not be ruled out.
More testing needs to be done rather than invasive surgery.
Has any blood tests been taken?

Why is baytril the only antibiotic available to your rat? What about other antibiotics? Rats can take dozens of different antibiotics so I am a bit confused why baytril is the only one available. I am not real familiar with the drugs in the UK but if baytril is available what about drugs such as bactrim, keflex or penicillins? Your right to say that baytril is not always effective and in fact, sadly, some vets have a one track mind and think baytril is the only cure all for rats, which is not true at all. Sadly, there is an alarming increase in tolerance to baytril seen in rats because of over use. Its a good idea if a vet is going to dabble in exotics to also educate further into using other antibiotics. The list is endless what rats can safely and successfully take.  I am thinking that this rat has a baytril resistant UTI and all that is needed is a culture to determine the organism (which now may be false readings since antibiotics have already been dispensed)
Is your vet a board certified exotics specialist or a traditional vet that sees exotics on the side as a special interest? There is a huge difference in education between these two which may explain the over use of baytril.

Please let me know about the urine culture and the blood tests. Hopefully we can get the vet to change the medication rather than do expensive, invasive and somewhat risky exploratory surgery.