AboutSandra Conti-Todd Expertise NOTE:
I am sorry for any long delays in responses. I have been going through some personal issues with my life but things are looking up for me and I am getting my life back on track again and will promise to be here for all rat lovers to help guide you on proper care. Love to all of you!
To request a telephone consultation, please email sandyscrittercity@yahoo.com. in order to schedule a date and time that is feasible for both you and I. There is no time limit on weekends or after 99pm M-F or if your cell phone carrier is Verizon Wireless. There is no charge for a telephone consultation. I offer my advice free of charge since my goal is to simply keep your rats happy and healthy for as long as possible. My reward is knowing that people learning as much as they can on rat care in order to provide the best care possible. Thats all I need to know. You cant put a price tag on love:)
As one of the top experts here at allexperts for 2008, I am happy to be able to help advise others on the proper care of pet rats.
I am a rat care specialist/advisor for area vets and have 20 plus years experience working with rodents.
I can advise you on the most current treatments available to your rat for common and also complicated ailments that seem to affect domestic rats during their life time. I do telephone consults and have even had some wonderful Vets call me to compare notes/stories. I also have training in animal behavior with the main focus being the study of rodent behavior.
I also have experience with wild rats, raising one myself .
Experience My expertise
Includes the following:
1. Education on prevention of tumors, lung and heart disease and disease of the kidneys too.
2. Up to date treatments for tumors in rats,both benign or malignant tumors.
3. The most current treatments used successfully to treat lung and heart disease
4. Prevention and treatment of the mycoplasma organism that our rats are plagued with since the day they are born, among other common ailments that attack our rats, just to name a few.
My job as a rodent consultant is to educate the owner on proper care of the animal but in no way does my advice take the place of seeking professional treatment by a qualified Veterinarian.
However, I will contribute to this site by answering your questions about raising pet rats and any problems that may arise regarding their health, diet, husbandry and over all well being of the rat to **the best of my ability.**
Organizations I maintain my website, Critter City and update it often to keep up with current treatments concerning pet rat health care. Please click the link above to take you there!
Publications My own website of course, and also I have brochures on rat care that are found in various animal clinics in my area.
Education/Credentials
Mentored by highly noted exotic specialists in my area. I am a member of the ASPCA.
Awards and Honors Was honored by being chosen to be one of the top 50 experts of 2008
Past/Present Clients My past clients have been through various animal clinics and I also am mentor to new rat owners that reach me through here and my website too.
Question I took my pet female rat to the vet today because I noticed she was breathing rapidly (her sides were going in and out quickly, but no noise) and she seemed less energetic than usual. When they weighed her at the vet we also realized she was down to .6lbs, when she was .8lbs 10 days earlier.
She is on day 9 of dexamethasone for an inner ear infection that caused head tilt. She finished a broad-spectrum antibiotic on Tuesday as well for the same. The vet said her lungs sounded clear, but that she was obviously having trouble breathing because of the panting/rapid breathing. She recommended a chest xray, which we did right away. The xray showed a mass about the size of the end of a pencil eraser in her right lung. The vet some it could be a lung tumor or maybe an abcess from an infection. She recommended putting Shiloh on doxycycline and baytril (in case it's infection), and to try to syringe feed her some high calorie foods. I've tried tonight to syringe feed her some AD and some yogurt, but she didn't want much to do with it. She won't even come to the side of the cage for a treat like she has always done. The vet said if it's a lung tumor she probably won't live much longer. Do you have any experience with this? I'm afraid she's going to die before the weekend is over. It's breaking my heart.
Answer Is she on albuterol? This would really help open her airways and help her breathing.
However, sometimes the heart can be the problem and it mimics lung problems including tumors or abscesses of the lungs.
I am not sure how experienced your vet is with rats or if the clinic has the proper implements for small mammals, but it would be a good idea she was put in the hospital and put on oxygen and treated with a nebulizer with gentocin or another very aggressive antibiotic. Nebulizing will get the medication into the lungs faster and baytril can be used in case it is myco since few drugs kill myco due to the fact the organism lacks a cell wall.
I am also sorry for the delay responding. We lost power for a day due to storms (I live in the south!) and cable was out too. All I thought about was the people needing help with their rats and I even told Time Warner Cable they were causing more trouble than they realized!!!!!
Please let me know if the Vet mentioned possible heart disease. Again, they often go hand in hand and it can mock lung disease easily. Often it is not seen in xrays either. CAT scans are much better for these cases.
