# Rat acting strange after vet



## LogiLovesRats (Nov 29, 2015)

Yesterday I took my four rats to the vet since I noticed worms coming out of two of them, and I figured I might as well have them all treated. They all got dewormer shots, along with some medicine they take out of a syringe. 
Anyways, fast forward to today, my biggest rat, Cleo, is acting very weird. Shes been sitting in her igloo all day, when I touch her she doesn't respond, and when other rats touch her she squeaks as if she's in pain. Shes been staring straight ahead all day, and I don't think she's sleeping. Is she scared from the vet yesterday? Maybe she got spooked because I completely cleaned their cage with bleach and hot water, so her scent is gone? Is her injection sore? I'm really concerned that she might be completely terrified or in pain. Any ideas?


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

What meds did they get and what dosage? She might be having an adverse reaction.


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## LogiLovesRats (Nov 29, 2015)

She got Metronidazole and clavamox. I know one of those was for her breathing problems as well, though I'm not sure which. On the receipt it says praziquant, which I'm assuming is the shot they got for the worms.


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## JAnimal (Jul 23, 2014)

I looked it up and for metronidazole I got Used in bone infections, infections of the tooth socket and abscesses where anaerobic bacteria are likely to be present, and in other enteric and systemic anaerobic infections.

For clavamox I got Used to treat:

Lower Respiratory Tract Infections - caused by S. pneumoniae and M. catarrhalis.
Otitis Media - caused by S. pneumoniae and M. catarrhalis.
Skin and Skin Structure Infections - caused by β-lactamase-producing strains of S. aureus, E. coli, and Klebsiella spp.
Urinary Tract Infections - caused by β-lactamase-producing strains of E. coli, Klebsiella spp. and Enterobacter spp.


Edit: a side effect of the praziquant is lethargy.
This site is really helpful for searching up rat medication and rat health: http://ratguide.com/


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## LogiLovesRats (Nov 29, 2015)

Okay yeah, the clavamox is for her breathing and the metronidazole is something they gave for the parasite causing the worms I guess. 
Cleo still hasn't moved, and when I try to give her treats or anything to help her eat, she holds it for a second then drops it. Earlier my smallest girl, Elle, was sleeping on top of her and cleo was fine with that, but when another rat tried to play with her, Cleo squeaked like she was hurt or something. I tried petting her a bit and she just sat there for a minute and then left to go hide in her igloo again. What is going on with her? She doesn't seem to be drinking water, either.

Edit: okay, I just saw the lethargy thing. That makes sense, I guess. Does anyone have any idea how long it lasts, and if she needs to be taken to the vet again? Why aren't my other girls acting weird?


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## JAnimal (Jul 23, 2014)

You can give her some baby food and see if she eats that. You may want to give your vet a phone call just to make sure the dose wasn't too high.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

I believe she has an adverse reaction to praziquant, whether she got too much of it or she just react badly to it- I don't know. I would call the vet to tell her. I would get her some yummy baby food. Microwave it so it smells stronger and is even more appealing. If need be mix a little peanut butter in it. She need to stay hydrated and eat something to feel better. Poor rattie


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

It could also be the Metronidazole, as side effects are lethargy, weakness, poor coordination. So both drugs have serious potential CNS adverse reactions.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

When is her next dose of Metronidazole? I would skip it until she feels better. What is the dose she gets?


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## LogiLovesRats (Nov 29, 2015)

She gets .1 ml of it, and her next dosage is 7pm tonight, and she's supposed to have the clavamox with it, also .1ml. I'll call the vet now and ask what she thinks I should do. Shes really good, I trust her and she even has two rats herself.


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## LogiLovesRats (Nov 29, 2015)

The vet who specializes in small animals isn't in today, they recommend basically what you guys told me and to call tomorrow, but to bring her in if she starts having seizures. They also said not to skip the medication. Can those medications cause seizures? What do they look like in rats? Should I skip her next dosage anyways?


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

yep call her. Giving her more meds that has severe adverse reactions on her central nervous system is likely to kill your rat.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Since your other rats got the worm med too and are ok it must either be that med or the combination of the worm med with that one that is just too much all at once.


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## LogiLovesRats (Nov 29, 2015)

All my other rats are getting the same dosages as her. I'm going to run to the store to buy baby food and try to get her to eat it. Should I separate her in meantime? Also, how can I get her to drink water?


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## JAnimal (Jul 23, 2014)

You can put some honey into the water and put in on your finger.


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## LogiLovesRats (Nov 29, 2015)

Ah, the vet clinic called back! She called to ask what I was asking again, apparently the small animal vet came in for a spell and she's gonna ask the vet what I should do. Waiting for them to call back again '~'


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## LogiLovesRats (Nov 29, 2015)

Okay the vet said she thinks cleo might just be feeling sore from the shot, possibly a bit spooked, and to continue giving her the medicine, and if she continues her behavior within the next couple day then to take her in for a recheck. Does this sound alright to do?


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## JAnimal (Jul 23, 2014)

If she can eat and drink and doesn't have laboured breathing then yes it sounds fine.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Try to make her move. If she is disoriented, or still lethargic don't give her the med. I wouldn't.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Her acting lethargic is much more than being sore from a shot.


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## LogiLovesRats (Nov 29, 2015)

Edit: when I tried to pick her up, she squealed twice and ran away. I feel so sorry, did I hurt her? What can that mean? I'm going to skip her next dosage since she still isn't eating or drinking. I'll try other flavors of baby food to try and get her interested.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

What baby food flavor have you tried yet? Turkey/brown rice and chicken/sweet potato are usually rat favorites. Fruits and oats/other cereals are also really loved. Other baby foods too. Egg, avocado, cooked pasta are also good foods to entice a rat to eat. Baby foods is especially good here because she needs to stay hydrated. Coconut water (must say 100% pure, never from concentrate) is excellent for rehydration.


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## LogiLovesRats (Nov 29, 2015)

She wouldn't eat turkey, but she went to town on sweet potato. I'm quite relieved. Does baby food help with rehydration then?


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Baby food being fruits, and veggies mostly has lots of water content. I would still encourage her to drink water though. Maybe give her some veggies with some olive oil on it. My rats like veggies ok but if I add some olive oil or flax seed oil they go crazy for them Another option is to try some warm apple- just put a piece of apple in the microwave and see if she would eat it. If she doesn't eat her baby food, try to put it in the microwave for a few seconds so it is warm- often rats get more excited if the baby food is warm because it smells stronger.


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## LogiLovesRats (Nov 29, 2015)

Thank you so much for your help! She's walking around and already went to sleep on her favorite hammock! She still squeaked when another rat touched her, followed by cleo harshly grooming the poor little rat, but I saw her drinking from the water bottle when I was giving the other girls their meds. She loved the baby food, and she even ate a bit of her regular oxbow food. I think she'll be alright for the night. Should I give her her medications tomorrow morning?


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

I think you can give her the med tomorrow morning if she is still much better. It is a really good sign she started eating and drinking. I would wait tomorrow though even if she is better now. What is the concentration of the med, that is how many mg/ml? Just to double check if it is appropriate for a rat.


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## LogiLovesRats (Nov 29, 2015)

Just .1ml of clavamox once every 12 hours and .1ml of metronidazole once every 24 hours for each rat.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

LogiLovesRats said:


> Just .1ml of clavamox once every 12 hours and .1ml of metronidazole once every 24 hours for each rat.


Yes but without the concentration of the medicine per ml, that doesn't tell me anything. For instance, 0.1 ml of 1mg/ml is 10 times less than 0.1ml of 10mg/ml even though it is 0.1 ml of the medicine in both cases. Does that make sense?


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## LogiLovesRats (Nov 29, 2015)

Ah, sorry about that. Unfortunately, I have no idea what the concentration is or how to find it. Vet is closed, so I can't ask. I attached a picture of the medicine bottles label, if that can help at all? If not, I guess I'll just have to trust that the vet (hopefully) knows what she's doing.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Oh it doesn't say, you're right. It always says the concentration on mine. So there is no way for me to tell of the dosage is correct or too much for your rat weight. Shake really well before giving her the next dose tomorrow morning. I hope she will be 100% back to normal by tomorrow morning. Keep us updated


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

http://ratguide.com/health/digestive/endoparasites.phpI am a bit confused at the medication choices. Did they do a fecal test to determine which worms they have? Pinworms are most common but neither of these are effective. You have been given 2 meds for different endoparasites so it's like she's doing the scatter gun method of treating without knowing what it is


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