# Doxycycline and young rats



## edjekora (Jul 25, 2012)

I have two young males, they're two months old. 
One of them has noises while breathing, and both have too often this red thing around their noses (not sure how it called in English).
My vet told me to give them Doxycycline. I checked dosages and they seemed right.
But in Ukraine (all my rats experience comes from Ukraine, though now I'm not living there) it's said that doxycycline (like all tetracyclines) is very bad for young rats until 6-8 months (and 3 months in very hard conditions), because they can slow their growing, affect bones and teeth.

As far as I know, it's true for human children until they're 8 years old. And what about rats?


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## 1a1a (May 6, 2011)

Probably all ABs are bad for growing rats, maybe ABs are just bad period. However, doxy is what most rats that age will get, it's milder than some other ABs on the market. Stunted growth is a small price to pay for not getting pneumonia  so no stress.


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## edjekora (Jul 25, 2012)

Thanks! You reassured me 
Though I want to be even more sure in all of this (I'm really paranoid when it comes to my rats).
I heard something about thing called Tylosine or something like that, but never used it and don't know about it's effectiveness. It is said that Tylosine much better for young rats than Enrofloxacine and Doxycycline. But does it really help?
Processes in airways of my rats began AT LEAST 3,5 weeks ago. Vet checked their lungs twice, yesterday and two weeks ago and didn't heard any noises. But as far as I know, processes like these can begin in the upper airways and then get down to the lungs. The question is - should I look for something like this Tylosine and wait untill they'll be 3 months old, or is it too risky and I should give them Doxy right now.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Doxycycline is not pediatric friendly just like baytril. These are the drugs you can use on pregnant moms, nursing moms,and babies

http://ratguide.com/breeding/basics/medications_and_breeding.php

My preference is amoxicillin or zithromax for URI's in young rats, BUT if your rat is really sick, you use the big time antibiotics to save their lives. I also do not like to use doxycycline alone as I find it to be too weak a drug on its own to really cure a URI.


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## 1a1a (May 6, 2011)

I stand corrected.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

1a1a said:


> I stand corrected.


Soo many people think doxy is ped-friendly, don't worry...the most experienced owners thought this as well, you are in good company 

I also checked in with my contact at ratguide (I have case histories up on the site) to confirm that these meds were for young'uns not just pregnant or lactating moms.


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## edjekora (Jul 25, 2012)

Thanks for answers!
I talked to my vet and she's sure that doxy is fine for rats at any age. So I'm afraid decision is all mine...
Could anyone explain why doxy isn't going good with young ones? Is it only slows their growth and, to be simple, i'll get smaller rats (with worst teeth), or it has more severe effects?

Today I heard the second boy breathing heavy. Archie doesn't getting any better too - always in hammock (it's closed type, like aerial home), breathing with loud noises and always has red around his nose. Maybe I panic too much, but I am very worried about them.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

If you are going to go with a single antibiotic, you have a much better chance with just baytril, especially as you now have 2 sick boys 

from http://ratguide.com/meds/antimicrobial_agents/doxycycline.php

Can retard fetal skeletal development. It is not recommended to give in rats under 4 months of age, or to pregnant animals unless the benefit outweighs the risk

It seems to be just the skeletal development but still I don't think doxy on its own will cure a moderate to severe URI.


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## edjekora (Jul 25, 2012)

And why baytril isn't recommended for young rats? I tried to read article about baytril on ratguide, but it has too much text for someone with such poor experience with English  Couldn't find a thing about it's negative effects on "young, pregnant and lactating".


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

ratguide again http://ratguide.com/meds/antimicrobial_agents/enrofloxacin_baytril.php

It is well known that the quinolone class of drugs have been shown to produce erosions of cartilage in weight bearing joints and other signs of arthropathy in immature animals of various species. 
It is also important to note that the use of fluoroquinolones has not been recommended for initial treatment in pregnant and nursing does, or rats under 4 months due to the risks of cartilage abnormalities (Egerbacher et al., 2000), however, in cases where other antibiotics are not helping, or if the infection is deemed severe, the benefit of using fluoroquinolones (alone or in combination with other compatible antimicrobials) may in fact outweigh the risks.


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## Siringo (May 7, 2012)

Hmm..  Perhaps this is why my little rat isn't growing anymore. She was on baytril and doxy at about 2-3 months old, and she is much tinier and seemingly delicate than her cagemates.


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## edjekora (Jul 25, 2012)

Wow. No, my English isn't this good. The only thing I understood from here is that Enrofloxacin leads to problems with joints.
I'll be very thankful if you could explain this in simpler language...


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

If your rats are that sick, then you ignore the warnings and just try to save them, so don't worry about cartiledge and joints etc.

My opinion is doxycycline on its own will NOT cure your rats, it is not strong enough on its own.

Siringo - often when you have young rats get sick, all their energy that normally goes into growing, goes into fighting the illness and getting better. Some of these rats just stay smaller.


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## edjekora (Jul 25, 2012)

The problem is that I don't sure are they that sick or they could wait or be treated with tilosyn, for example.

Noises while breathing is serious, I think (I heard worst and louder, but still... and they're too young). Both of them afraid too much to be out of their cage or even of loud noises in the flat, like closing the door - and they're living with me for 4 weeks... I don't think it's normal for healthy boys. And Archie lost a little weight in last two weeks (as I can say visually, I haven't scales), and - from the day I got them he almost doesn't going out of his hammock, sleeping most of his time and has all red around his nose. Nero has red around his nose too, but less. And yesterday I heard weird noises from him too.

Vet said she didn't hear anything in their lungs, but I can't be sure 100% - also she said that doxy is perfect for young rats and that rats almost never has the mykoplasmosis. 

My options are:
1. To give them doxy right now (I have it at home).
2. To wait till Tuesday (till Sunday everything'll be closed in my area and on Monday I have long working day) and to get them tylosine or baytril.

I just don't sure what risk is higher and is their condition serious enough to start treatment with heavy a/b's.


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## edjekora (Jul 25, 2012)

two hours ago just gave my boys first portion of doxy, 'cause I really can't stand hearing Archie's breath. I think we'll try doxy till Tuesday and if till then I won't see noticeable improvement, I'll add baytril too.

lilspaz, thanks a looot for advices


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