# My rat won't take her antibiotics :(



## Emma P (Sep 21, 2013)

Hi everyone, 

On Thursday I discovered one of my black Berkshire females Dill has what looks like the start of a respiratory infection   this isn't my first experience with RI so I know what I'm supposed to be doing but Dill won't take her meds. I have Baytril and Doxycycline which I'm using together. She takes a few mouthfuls then scurries off, refuses to take any more or pushes the spoon or syringe away. So instead of giving her full doses twice a day I've been using smaller amounts of medicine more often but she still isn't taking enough I don't think. To start with she was enjoying the nice things I was mixing her meds with but now I can't find anything she will take them with. Ive tried veg baby food, chicken baby food, fruit baby food, salmon paste, jam, chocolate spread, pate, I've even tried putting things into fresh raspberries and blueberries. She's still eating and drinking by herself and she's still active. She is sneezing very occasionally and has a tiny bit of porpherin around her nose but she is breathing heavier than normal. Her breathing isn't noisy, there is no rattle, but I'm scared if I can't get antibiotics into her that will develop. 
Has anyone ever had this problem with a rat? And does anyone have any ideas of things to mix her meds with that I haven't tried??? Dill is 19 months old but I've only had her 8 months. She's so sweet and has the prettiest face, Im scared I'm going to lose her


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## Jenna500 (May 27, 2012)

We've currently got a rat with exactly the same problem. We put his meds in a spoonful of cat food (as we have cats too!) and he hasn't refused it yet.


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## spoiled_rat (Mar 24, 2008)

Baytril and Doxycycline need to be given at least an hour apart as they effectively cancel each other out otherwise.


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## Emma P (Sep 21, 2013)

Thanks for the replies!! On my way to get some cat food now, thanks for the suggestion  but I'm sorry your ratty is ill too.

I will give the Doxy and Baytril seperately from now on, thanks for letting me know that spoiled rat


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## kodakkuki (Aug 8, 2011)

spoiled_rat said:


> Baytril and Doxycycline need to be given at least an hour apart as they effectively cancel each other out otherwise.


i never knew that! 
when i've been dosing them, i've been doing both at once 
do you have any literature that i can have a read through and show to a few vets? (would be greatly appreciated)

i give meds in honey sometimes- the girls go wild for it, but Gid would prefer gravy or catfood gravy etc...
prentis would just let you fire it in his mouth bless him!


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## spoiled_rat (Mar 24, 2008)

If you need sources or more info, any literature and papers which explain why Bacteriostatic drugs ie Doxycycline, and Bactericidal drugs i.e Enrofloxacin, should not be given with each other, as the mechanisms are very different in how they work, and combined it's called an antagonizing reaction.

Basically.... if you give a Bacteriostatic drug, it will eventually stop bacterial replication = without replication, there will be no synthesis of new peptidoglycans = without new peptidoglycans, there will be no cross linking = without cross linking, your Bactericidal antibiotic couldnt elicit its response or do anything to fight against infection


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