# Home remedies for respiratory infection/distress



## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

So one of my rats is starting to make a light squeaky sound when breathing before going to the vet is there anything I can give her at home to help or fix it sense I think it's just starting. I know honey and 79% dark chocolate but she hates the chocolate. Anything would be helpful I'd rather get help from people who have gone through the same thing then a vet that doesn't specialize in exotics but looks at them anyway when they are not trained in it.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

Raw honey. (It has to be raw! Manuka honey is even better, but it's pricey.) Grapefruit seed extract, and then for really stubborn infections, oil of oregano.


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## rivergirl10 (Jun 8, 2013)

cagedbirdsinging said:


> Raw honey. (It has to be raw! Manuka honey is even better, but it's pricey.) Grapefruit seed extract, and then for really stubborn infections, oil of oregano.


Reading post and I came across this... How much oil of oregano? We have it in our household for several uses and I never would have thought about using it for rats.....


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## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

cagedbirdsinging said:


> Raw honey. (It has to be raw! Manuka honey is even better, but it's pricey.) Grapefruit seed extract, and then for really stubborn infections, oil of oregano.


Ok thanks!  ill have to try them. How often should I give her them? And should I just use one and see how it goes?


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

For oil of oregano, I start out with a drop per day. It has to be used carefully because of the strong flavor, so mixing it into a medicine ball with Nutella is a good start. http://ratguide.com/meds/figures/compounding_medications_figure_1.php

With the honey, I don't really have a set amount or frequency. Once a day, however they'll take it, is usually sufficient. You can use grapefruit seed extract to start off as well, but I usually hold back on the oil of oregano until it seems to be very stubborn.


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## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

Ok thanks I hopefully will be able to get some today. Do you know if the oil of oregano would be with other cooking oils or in the healthy section of stores? 


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

I get my oil of oregano online. It isn't a grocery store product. A health-foods store might have some, but it will be diluted and expensive.

http://www.amazon.com/Oregano-Stren...qid=1382288568&sr=8-5&keywords=oil+of+oregano


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## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

oh ok thanks


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## dr.zapp (Dec 24, 2012)

If you don't already have these things, it may be cheaper to get Doxy/Baytril (Calvetsupply, Finchniche) and actually treat the infection instead of just alleviating symptoms.


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## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

dr.zapp said:


> If you don't already have these things, it may be cheaper to get Doxy/Baytril (Calvetsupply, Finchniche) and actually treat the infection instead of just alleviating symptoms.


Where would I be able to get that?


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

dr.zapp said:


> If you don't already have these things, it may be cheaper to get Doxy/Baytril (Calvetsupply, Finchniche) and actually treat the infection instead of just alleviating symptoms.


Raw honey, grapefruit seed extra, and oil of oregano are NOT symptom treatments. They are natural antibiotics.


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## dr.zapp (Dec 24, 2012)

cagedbirdsinging said:


> Raw honey, grapefruit seed extra, and oil of oregano are NOT symptom treatments. They are natural antibiotics.


Topical antimicrobials... but is there any evidence they work systemically?


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## dr.zapp (Dec 24, 2012)

Mitsy said:


> Where would I be able to get that?


The two websites I listed, here are the specific links http://www.calvetsupply.com/product/1715/Oral_Antibiotics and http://finchniche.com/product_baytril.php?


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## dr.zapp (Dec 24, 2012)

dr.zapp said:


> Topical antimicrobials... but is there any evidence they work systemically?


Some in vivo evidence for Oil of Oregano in gastrointestinal infections- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15587409

In vitro for mycoplasma... which basically means nothing, I do in vitro assays on cancer drugs all day, most of them don't pan out in vivo.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23031072


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## smopey (Feb 3, 2012)

You can get amoxicillin capsules here for pretty cheap.. http://www.aquaticpharmacy.com/eshop
And you can get liquid doxy here.. http://www.jedds.com/-strse-1019/DOXYSYRUP--dsh--25-ml/Detail.bok

Also, check out this page on the Rat Report. There's a lot of information on medicines and where you can get them online. I actually spoke to the lady who runs the site and she recommended that I get doxy over baytril because it doesn't taste as bad which makes it easier to give to your rat. 

http://ratfanclub.org/resp.html

I recommend giving your rat raw honey in the meantime. I've been giving it to my rat for the past few days and it has made a huge difference in her breathing!


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

dr.zapp said:


> Topical antimicrobials... but is there any evidence they work systemically?


Come inspect my rats and the many others (including their humans) that use these natural products to fight internal infections. You won't find much in the way of "scientific evidence" as researchers have nothing to gain over studies on products that no one company has exclusive rights to. It's a political and money-driven world out there. I don't trust companies to tell me what works. I trust what I have come to know as effective.


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## DobiePaws (Aug 25, 2013)

Colostrum and Kalamath Lake Blue Green Algae will help build immunity. (I get both at Swanson Vitamins)


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