# Baytril Advice



## chrisd (Aug 25, 2011)

Is 0.01ml twice a day enough to do anything to help a young rat? She is approximately 2-3 months old and has a bad head tilt, but the vet seems to think there are no underlying problems such as ear infections.

She has been on the baytril for about 5 days now and I can't really see any effect. Is head tilt ever cured?


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## swatton42 (Oct 29, 2011)

I can't help with the amounts, i don't keep rats at the moment.

Some animals will get head tilt with ear infections, etc, some just seem to have it.

1 of my guinea pigs has it, his head tilts to the side where he has a sunken eye. Keep on eye on him, if it gets progressively worse then take them to the vet.


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Did your vet weigh her?

How have u been Giving her the baytril?
Has it been directly syringed into her mouth or on a teas spoon withal something yummy to hide the taste like cheese spread or yoghurt.


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## chrisd (Aug 25, 2011)

blade100 said:


> Did your vet weigh her?
> 
> How have u been Giving her the baytril?
> Has it been directly syringed into her mouth or on a teas spoon withal something yummy to hide the taste like cheese spread or yoghurt.


He said she was just under 250g if I remember correctly. I've been giving it to her on a teaspoon with yoghurt as syringing it into her mouth was an impossible task.


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

There are three possible causes of head tilt and/or loss of balance in rats but it should be stated clearly that the single most common reason for a head tilt in a young or young adult rat is ear infection: -

Ear infection - unfortunately rats have no way of telling us they have a little bit of ear-ache until it gets to a stage of causing either balance or head tilt problems. By this stage the ear infection is quite advanced and rapid treatment is essential. The rat may appear to be rolling from lack of balance and completely unable to stand, but if it is an ear infection, getting the rat injected with steroid and on a course of antibiotics will improve the condition very rapidly. If the ear infection was quite advanced the rat may be left with a slight head tilt after treatment, but it is not unusual for them to make a complete recovery with no sign they ever had the ear infection.

Stroke - strokes will have the same symptoms as ear infection, but the treatment will not have the same effect as it would for an ear infection. As there is no way to differentiate the symptoms, a steroid injection plus antibiotics is the initial treatment. The steroid injection should help a bit and the rat may well stabilise enough to continue quality life, particularly with repeated steroid treatment. Quite often they will show signs of weakness of a limb or continued slight balance problems, but they may well live on for quite a while after the first stroke. It is unusual for a rat to have a second stroke and be able to maintain quality of life after.

Pituitary Tumour - again the symptoms are the same as for an ear infection, again treat as for an ear infection. The steroid will help stabilise the condition for a short period of time and repeated steroid treatment can help for a short time, but with a pituitary tumour there is one extra symptom to look out for in that the rat has an inability to hold food properly with their front paws - they will wedge the food against things to eat. This gets worse until the rat stops eating completely and the quality of life goes. Unfortunately by the time a pituitary tumour has displayed the symptoms, there is not much time left.


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## chrisd (Aug 25, 2011)

I think I read that somewhere lol. The vet checked her ears and said there was no infection and just said rats can sometimes lose balance for no reason at all 

If she hasn't made any improvement by the time her baytril is finished I will be taking her back.


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## GerbilNik (Apr 1, 2011)

The average dose for a gerbil is 0.04ml so I'd imagine it's a little below what it should be for a rat?


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

That's the first I've ever heard of rats losing there balance for no reason at all!!? And I've had rats for 13 yrs.

I think u should take her back to the vets for a second opinion.


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

My 400g rat was on 0.4ml so I think she has the correct dosage


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Should've said that was twice a day too


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2012)

You've been given great advice so far :thumbup1:



chrisd said:


> I think I read that somewhere lol. The vet checked her ears and said there was no infection and just said rats can sometimes lose balance for no reason at all
> 
> If she hasn't made any improvement by the time her baytril is finished I will be taking her back.


I would seriously get a second opinion from a rodent specialist, rats do not lose balance for no reason, if her ears are clear (meaning no infection) then there *IS* an underlying reason.

How is she in herself? Does she fall alot? Have you noticed her doing anything odd, like walking in circles? Can she hold her food properly?


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

the NORMAL dossage is 10mg per kg twice a day, however for chronic problems it can be given at 20mg/kg and for none chronic problems as low as 5mg/kg

the dossage depends on the solution strength, the NORMAL strength is generally 2.5% in the oral solution
so for a 250g rat at the 10mg/kg ratio you would be looking at 0.1ml, 0.01 would be a 1mg/kg amount which is much to little to do any good for anything really

i would seek a second opinion in all honesty


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

See other post


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Sorry i didn't see the 0.01ml I was looking at it as 0.1ml so no it's not enough she needs 0.1ml twice a day.And u will need to start the whole course again doing 5-7 days worth on the correct dosage.


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## piggybaker (Feb 10, 2009)

My sister had a rat that developed a head tilt I said as so many have, ear infection, tumour,, it turned out that the rats top teeth had had started to grow through the roof of its mouth causing the head tilt.. and making her loose balance,, get them to check... just a thought Mojo lived out a good full life her teeth where cut every 6 weeks towards the end it went to every 3 weeks.


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

blade100 said:


> Sorry i didn't see the 0.01ml I was looking at it as 0.1ml so no it's not enough she needs 0.1ml twice a day.And u will need to start the whole course again doing 5-7 days worth on the correct dosage.


sorry but you can NOT just give out dossages like that without knowing what strength the solution is and without giving the animal an actual assessment

as i said on a 2.5% solution for a none persistent condition the on the 10mg/kg guide it WOULD be 0.1 twice a day, but there as so many different factors that can change, and without knowing the correct answers you can NOT just say do this

the best thing for the OP would be to get a second opinion from a rat savy vet

also forgot to say, but antibiotic courses are normally administered over 10 - 14 days, not 5 - 7, 5 - 7 is increadably short and wont give the animal chance to recover before you remove the meds


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

I did say to the op to take the rat back to the vets for a second opinion on page 1.
Yes I know I should not be giving out medicine advice. 
Now get your head out of your arse!!
Let lil miss no it all give out the advice she knows what she's on with.
You know u come across as quite abrupt which I've noticed in a few of other people's threads where you've made comments!


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

blade100 said:


> I did say to the op to take the rat back to the vets for a second opinion on page 1.
> Yes I know I should not be giving out medicine advice.
> Now get your head out of your arse!!
> Let lil miss no it all give out the advice she knows what she's on with.
> You know u come across as quite abrupt which I've noticed in a few of other people's threads where you've made comments!


no in that post you said do this, that could prove more harmful then good depending on the strength of the solution!!

and my head is not up my arse thank you very much, i think you need to take a look in a mirror with that comment love, when have i ever said anything bitchy or nasty to you grow up woman


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Fancy rat members administer baytril over a 7 day course.
And the breeder where I got some of my rats from administer over 7 days!


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Not to me, other members on here when there new and u seem very harsh with your comments/answers. Well that's how u come across to me.


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2012)

No real dog in this fight, but thought I'd mention that we shouldn't really talk about dosages just in case a guest views the thread and decides to self treat without consulting a vet (the excuse "well I read it on the interweb so it must be true" springs to mind).

No real need to start being catty is there? (JMHO)


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

No there isn't but u came across a bit abrupt in reply to me which I didn't like.
You could have worded it a bit better that's all.


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

and you could try not throwing insults around, there is no need for it, learn some respect for other members, i have never in my life just gone and thrown a personal insult at any member on any forum, there is no need, its a forum, yes sometimes answers can sound a bit blunt, and not every one will agree, but there is no need to get personal, try acting your age, and see the sense in what i said, you should never tell any one a dossage especially not on a public forum where any one could see and decide to self medicate

also, its you not u....


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Last bit in your comment was a bit childish!
Yes I do know how to spell thank YOU very much!

Try to be a bit more polite then when answering in threads.
Because if I thought that about your answers then I'm sure others did too!

Yes I know I should not comment on medicine but are you forgetting you also made a comment about the correct dosage the rat should be on?!

I've said my piece now I dont normally go off on one but it just annoyed me.

Back to the original thread.


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## LostGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

It's a guideline for the op to know what his rat should be on, I think 99% of people arent dim enough to take anything on the net as the be all. 

Chris it's advised on rat forums that 5 days isn't long enough to treat rats, in my own experience with treating rats they do
Seem to need at least 7 days of treatment, poss even 2 weeks worth I would defo take her and see if they can get a proper diagnosis


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2012)

LostGirl said:


> It's a guideline for the op to know what his rat should be on,* I think 99% of people arent dim enough to take anything on the net as the be all. *
> 
> Chris it's advised on rat forums that 5 days isn't long enough to treat rats, in my own experience with treating rats they do
> Seem to need at least 7 days of treatment, poss even 2 weeks worth I would defo take her and see if they can get a proper diagnosis


You have a lot of faith, sadly it is only about 1% of people that will have common sense.


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## LostGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

B3rnie said:


> You have a lot of faith, sadly it is only about 1% of people that will have common sense.


Maybe i just know clever people lol


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## chrisd (Aug 25, 2011)

Thanks for all the advice. It is 0.1ml that I'm giving her I just got the numbers wrong before, and that is twice a day. She seems alright not doing anything like running in circles and she can still climb and can hold food properly. 

I will wait until the end of her course to make a judgement and if there's no improvement I will take her back to the vets.

Thanks again.


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