# Doxycycline



## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Firstly, thank you very much to lilspaz! I took the information you provided to my vet and he was quite happy to give me some Doxycycline to use.

My question is this though (for anyone with experience with this); I've been given Doxycycline capsules (100mg) with the dosage instructions of mixing the capsule with 4ml water and giving a dose of 1 drop daily.

Now, I intend to use this on two of my rats who are currently on Baytril alone - to get rid of a cough/sneeze they've developed. Of course, I can us a drop from the same solution for both rats - but is it possible to keep the solution once mixed, in a sterile bottle and use for a few days?

The reason I ask is because he's given me 14 capsule - and it's a 14 day dosage period. It seems like a lot of waste using one drop (or two) out of the capsule then disposing of the rest.

Has anyone used these? What can/can't I do?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Lets start from scratch. The doxy is not for one day. You can use it for a few.

from ratguide.com

_If mixing capsules in water, stabilty ranges from 12 to 48 hours. It is advisable to mix fresh daily, although new 2002 literature indicates that it remains stable for 14 days if refrigerated._

I use mine for a week or more with a 100 mg pill.

Do you have a medicating syringe (you should for the baytril right?)
Then do you have the weights of your 2 rats?

Btw I use a bit of strawberry Quik in the water solution to make it palatable...doxy is bitter and nasty with just water.

If one of your rats is 400 grams, and you were giving them that mix of doxy 25 mg/ml (100 mg/4 ml of water), you would give that rat .04 cc's of doxy.


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

I don't have the weights of the rats now - but i'll certainly weigh them when they wake up and leave a post here. (One of them is a little fatty though lol)

And thanks very much for that info. I'll mix it up later and refrigerate it and use it for a week at a time, so I can use 2 capsules.

I usually give el ratto's some yoghurt for their bayrtil, so putting the doxy solution with the baytril will be ok? Or should I just add some orange squash (or I might get them some summer fruit squash to spoil them haha) and medicate separately?

Again, thank you!


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

One is 400g and the other is 450g. So 0.04ml should be ok?

If, for example, they were 300g, I should use 0.03ml and so forth?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Ration1802 said:


> One is 400g and the other is 450g. So 0.04ml should be ok?
> 
> If, for example, they were 300g, I should use 0.03ml and so forth?


Its an actual calculation.

so a 450 gram rat gets .05 cc's twice a day and your 400 gram gets .04 cc's.

I am using the 2.5 mg/kg recommended dosage. Its the standard dose.


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

I'm a maths idiot - please bare with me here.

So, I can safely assume that my vets 'one drop daily' (which I've worked out, according to what he showed my mum is 0.02ml per day is incorrect!)?

If I've got a 300g rat, it'd be 0.02ml twice daily, and a 350g rat would be 0.03ml twice daily?

I'm going to make a chart I think - I can't do all this working out stuff  Sorry!

I swear though, I can tie my own shoelaces!


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

you can always PM me 

a 300 gram rat gets .03 cc/ml BID (twice daily), a 400 gram rat gets .04 cc's and a 450 gram rat gets .05 cc's BID.

How much baytril are you giving each rat?


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

*Head swimming* lol

I've been instructed to give 0.10ml once daily for baytril

Also read that no doxy with milk products - will be getting orange squash after all me thinks!

(I'm writing all of this down by the way! lol)


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Ration1802 said:


> *Head swimming* lol
> 
> I've been instructed to give 0.10ml once daily for baytril
> 
> ...


Can you tell me what the concentration of your baytril is? mg/ml?


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

I give it to them straight - no dilution, I've only been told to dilute in their water if they won't take it orally.

The strength of it is 2.5% though, I think. That's what's on the label of the little pot I've got.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Ration1802 said:


> I give it to them straight - no dilution, I've only been told to dilute in their water if they won't take it orally.
> 
> The strength of it is 2.5% though, I think. That's what's on the label of the little pot I've got.


Oral baytril is made from a powder or powder made into a tablet and crushed back up again. Water or suspension is added to make the concentration of mg/ml.

For eg. a 50 mg pill added to 1 cc of water makes a concentration of 50 mg/ml
or a 50 mg pill added to 2 cc's of water makes a concentration of 25 mg/ml

Medications should never be put into their water bottle or water source because they may not drink from it making them dehydrated, and you have no idea how much of a dose each rat is getting...there's no control and exact dosing is very important.

This is ORAL baytril.

It sounds like your vet has given you Injectable Baytril to be given orally. Nasty tasting stuff comparitively.

Working it out the 450 gram rat should get .09 ml and the 400 gram rat .08 ml so .10 ml is just fine but make sure its twice a day 

The reason for no dairy with baytril is that calcium (which is the issue here) binds to the baytril molecules rendering it mostly ineffective. You can give dairy 2 hours outside of their meds.


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Gotcha! Thank you. I will certainly start doing this.

And i've never given it to them in their water bottles - luckily I've never had a 'problem' rat when it comes to meds. Most like theirs in babyfood.

Thanks very much for this info!

I never knew how little I knew


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Ration1802 said:


> Gotcha! Thank you. I will certainly start doing this.
> 
> And i've never given it to them in their water bottles - luckily I've never had a 'problem' rat when it comes to meds. Most like theirs in babyfood.
> 
> ...



You learn fast when you have a lot of rats with different problems and a vet who is absolutely awesome and disusses things  When you only have a pair of rats at a time you just won't get the same exposure.

I am glad you asked, thats where it all starts.


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