Expert: Sandra Todd - 6/21/2008

Question
Hello Sandra

I have 7 girl rats whom I adore. One of them, Willow has just had 2 surgeries. She had a lump on her face that was getting bigger. At the vet they did x-rays and surgery and found that it was most likely an abcess that had started to invade bone and sinuses. As much as possible was removed and they put in a calcium hydroxide implant, which they have had success with on rabbits.She has been on Baytril also since the surgery. She seemed okay after the surgery. 2 weeks later, she had the stitches and implant taken out. The night after surgery she was okay(she has an open wound now so it can drain). However, during the next day she started to have a bit of a problem breathing, and had her mouth open and looked like she was struggling a bit. She wouldnt eatand her breathing sounded very "fluidy". I took her back to the vet the next day and they said her lungs seemed a bit crackly, but it seemed more upper respitory. She has now also been put on once a day .1ml of Metronidazol.I have also been giving her twice a day steam inhalation for about 5 minutes. She started to improve straight away and has been eating better too.

She is still lethargic but seems content to lay with her sisters. I noticed today that her sides where heaving a bit more than usual so she had another steam inhalation. She doesnt seem in distress (although it is hard to tell because the darling little things never complain). I am worried that she will start to get worse and have severe breathing problems which will really frighten me to see her be so frighted fighting for breath.

Is there any further thing you could suggest. I am wondering if the sinus problem from the abcess could leak to her lungs and cause more severe problems?

She is 2 years and 3 months old and has been through so much in the last few weeks. I just want her to be comfortable and not to suffer.

Many thanks in advance for your help

kind regards

Shane

Answer
Hi Shane

Yes this infection could spread easily depending on the medications she is on and the bacteria that is in her body.

I would like to see her stay at the hospital for a few nights and kept on oxygen during that time. Also, she would benefit from nebulizing gentocin or amakacin along with albuterol to open her airways. She should get the strong antibiotics for at least three days via the nebulizer.  This will help knock out anything that is causing this because it sounds like it is pneumonia and not upper respiratory.