My new rats have breathing issues. Can Fishmox or amoxicillin help?

Unfortunately your rat will most likely need antibiotics to help him get over his upper respiratory tract infection and you will need a prescription from your vet for this. It is important to treat this type of issue early so the infection does not spread to the lungs and cause pneumonia. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

I am so sorry that Marble is feeling so unwell. Unfortunately with the clinical signs of respiratory distress, open mouth breathing and laboured breathing I would have to advise you take Marble to the veterinarian straight away. These are all very serious and potentially life threatening symptoms. They could represent an infection in the lungs or even a cancer. The veterinarian will be able to stabilise Marble while running diagnostics to determine the cause. Again, I am very sorry Marble is so unwell and I hope he feels relief as soon as possible. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and post any further questions you may have about Marble, we are here to help.

He is likely suffering from mycopasma bacterial infection which is very common in rats, you will need to take him to your vet to get an antibiotic prescription, at this young age i usually like to use Zithromax antibiotic.

Yes it can be used but its dosage and use should be strictly monitored by your veterinarian. Dose will vary depending on the problem. Please complete your question describing the problem to receive a more specific answer from us.

Thanks for reaching out about Gerat. The most likely cause is mycoplasma, which is a bacteria problem. Antibiotics can often improve clinical signs, but often is not curable, so this could be an on-again/off-again problem. A veterinary visit is required to prescribe to appropriate antibiotics. The website for the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians (AEMV.org) might help you find a vet. Stress is often associated so review diet and husbandry and correct problems. Good luck.

Hello. It sounds like Yuki would benefit from the antibiotics, too. Baytril is a very good, broad spectrum medication. Ask your vet if you can start giving Yuki the medication. The unknown here is whether this is viral or bacterial, or if this is even something more insidious like a fungal infection or even cancer. You might try some steam therapy or nebulization with saline. The next step would be to obtain chest x-rays to evaluate what is actually going on in the lungs. A change in antibiotics is a possibility & I would recommend Doxycycline possibly with the addition of azithromycin, & especially for Dambo, you might need to add theophylline to open up the respiratory passages. Personally, I would try to stay away from steroids for now. Contact your veterinarian to discuss what other options are available for your little pets. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Dambo! Rats are noterious for having bacteria in their lungs that can affect them all their lives. Some rats will have more issues than others. Antibiotics help but often they cannot clear the whole infection. Any time she starts to have problems, she should see the veterinarian. Baytril and Doxycycline are commonly used for these infections. Practicing good husbandry can also help. You definitely want to use a dust free bedding such as Carefresh or Aspen pellets. Use a cage with bars and not a glass aquarium the holds all the air debris in. Run an air filter near the cage and keep the cage away from air vents and windows (as this will blow more dust). Feed lots of dark leafy greens and blueberries as well as a balanced rat food. The idea is to try to maintain a healthy immune system. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.