Rat First Aid
Something that has been on my mind - first aid for rats. Pet owners, not just breeders, should always always always have a first aid box/cabinet with crucial supplies. Most owners of dogs and cats have first aid supplies for them, so why is it less common for rats?
Of course, in cases of emergency, PLEASE bring your rat to the vet immediately. I've had a couple rats returned to me after they were years old and had, to me, what were obvious signs of severe respiratory distress that sounded like it was going on for a prolonged period of time. Either the people didn't know what to look out for on regards to respiratory symptoms or they couldn't afford the vet. If the former, a first aid kit would help. If the later, a first aid kit would, yep, you guessed it; help. Difficult times happen. I get that. So when vets charge extremely inflated prices for simple rat prescriptions people can even pick up at Tractor Supply and when people can't afford the vet prices, instead of allowing your rats to suffer, it would be SO beneficial if people had the knowledge of where to get these OTC medications (or better yet, already have them on hand), how to mix them, and how to dose. Below you will find all of the aforementioned.
Of course, in cases of emergency, PLEASE bring your rat to the vet immediately. I've had a couple rats returned to me after they were years old and had, to me, what were obvious signs of severe respiratory distress that sounded like it was going on for a prolonged period of time. Either the people didn't know what to look out for on regards to respiratory symptoms or they couldn't afford the vet. If the former, a first aid kit would help. If the later, a first aid kit would, yep, you guessed it; help. Difficult times happen. I get that. So when vets charge extremely inflated prices for simple rat prescriptions people can even pick up at Tractor Supply and when people can't afford the vet prices, instead of allowing your rats to suffer, it would be SO beneficial if people had the knowledge of where to get these OTC medications (or better yet, already have them on hand), how to mix them, and how to dose. Below you will find all of the aforementioned.
Supplies to always have stocked
-Kitchen scale in grams
-Supply Container
-1ml size syringes
-Containers for mixed meds
-Doxycycline
-Baytril/enrofloxacin
-Amoxicillin
-Revolution
-Kitchen scale in grams
-Supply Container
-1ml size syringes
-Containers for mixed meds
-Doxycycline
-Baytril/enrofloxacin
-Amoxicillin
-Revolution
- Supply container (such as a small toolbox or plastic tote)
- 1ml size needleless syringes
- Small containers for storing compounded meds, such as these 30ml size bottles
- Doxycycline, antibiotic
- Baytril/enrofloxacin, antibiotic
- Amoxicillin, antibiotic
Found here and in select Tractor Supply Co. stores:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/thomas-labs-fish-mox-amoxicillin-250mg-100-ct
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/thomas-labs-fish-mox-amoxicillin-250mg-100-ct
- Revolution, for lice
Puppy, kitten, cat, dog Revolution found here:
https://www.pets-megastore.com.au/index.php?route=product/search&search=revolution
https://www.pets-megastore.com.au/index.php?route=product/search&search=revolution
MIXING & DOSING
*all dosing information & instructions were pulled from the Facebook group Real Rat Lovers Want to Know. I strongly encourage everyone to join that group as they have even more medical and treatment information*
*all dosing information & instructions were pulled from the Facebook group Real Rat Lovers Want to Know. I strongly encourage everyone to join that group as they have even more medical and treatment information*
DOXYCYCLINE
Ingredients: 20.0 grams of Doxycycline- 100 grams of powder
PLEASE NOTE WE HAVE DOUBLED THE STRENGTH OF WHAT WE WERE RECOMMENDING.. Recent research has shown that Doxy is far more effictive against Myco when given at a higher dose. This dose is still WELL within a safe dosing range.. For younger rats or for general use you may choose to start with a lower dose and increase if the rat is not responding. For persistant or acute cases I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the higher dose listed.
DISCARD ANY REMAINDER 3 WEEKS AFTER MIXING, AND MIX A FRESH BATCH.
The following dose schedule is calculated for doxy 10 mg/kg. Give twice a day. We recommend that doxycycline be accompanied by Baytril for rat respiratory disease. The two drugs are more powerful together than either one is alone, against Mycoplasma.
Mix ¼ teaspoon of powder into 10ml of syrup.
This will give you a concentration of 25mg/ml
Dosing at 10mg/kg twice daily
RAT WEIGHT : DOSE
200g : 0.08ml
250g : 0.1ml
300g : 0.12ml
350g : 0.14ml
400g : 0.16ml
450g : 0.18ml
500g : 0.2ml
550g : 0.22ml
600g : 0.24ml
650g : 0.26ml
700g : 0.28ml
750g : 0.3ml
800g : 0.32ml
850g : 0.34ml
900g : 0.36ml
Credits and References: http://ratguide.com/meds/antimicrobial_agents/doxycycline.php
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BAYTRIL/ENROFLOXACIN
10% ENROFLOXACIN LIQUID (BAYTRIL)All Forms of Baytril are dosed at TWICE per day and calculated at 15mg/kg for respiratory disease.
TO dilute Enro/Baytril in flavored syrup, follow the instructions below:
Put 1 ml Baytril 10% Liquid into a small secondary container
Add 4 ml flavored syrup ( we recommend Torani’s) )
Mix very well. Do not refrigerate.
Dose Chart: Give twice daily
Rat Weight : Dose
800g : 0.55 ml
700g : 0.5 ml
600g : 0.45 ml
500g : 0.37 ml
400g : 0.3 ml
300g : 0.23 ml
200g : 0.15 ml
150g : 0.11 ml
100g : 0.07 ml
Doses used are referenced from: www.ratguide.com
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AMOXICILLIN
Mixing: Mix 1 - 250 mg tab w/5mL = 50mg/mL. Refrigerate after mixing, stir well - Throw away after 14 days and Mix a fresh batch.
It is recommended you give a probiotic when your rat is on Amoxi.. Bene-Bac for small animals or even a human capsule opened and sprinkled onto soft foods. If your rat develops a loose or soft stool from the Amoxi, you can feed him/her a tsp of PURE canned pumpkin a few times a day to firm the stool up.
Dosing:
(Give the following dose BID/twice daily, based on 30 mg/kg)
Rat Weight Dosage
(grams) : (cc/ml)
600g : 0.36ml
550g : 0.33ml
500g : 0.3ml
450g : 0.27ml
400g : 0.24ml
350g :0.21ml
300g : 0.18ml
250g : 0.15ml
200g : 0.12ml
150g : 0.09ml
100g : 0.06ml
50g : 0.03ml
36g : 0.02ml
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REVOLUTION
Rat Dose for Revolution is 6-10 mg/kg, one dose only, topically on the skin between the shoulder blades. You can apply in more than one area for the larger quantities if necessary. Make sure it all goes on to skin and not on hair, so it is absorbed. Treat all rats in the house at the same time, many will harbor mites with no clinical signs, and if one has them, most of them will, due to cross contamination. There are dosing for both Puppy/Kitten/Cat as well as Dog Revolution below.
Puppy,Kitten,Cat revolution
60mg/ml concentration using 10 mg/kg
rat weight : dose
100g : 0.02 ml
150g : 0.03 ml
200g : 0.03 ml
250g : 0.04 ml
300g : :0.05 ml
350g : 0.06 ml
400g : 0.07 ml
450g : 0.08 ml
500g: : 0.08 ml
550g : 0.09 ml
600g : 0.1 ml
650g : 0.11 ml
700g : 0.12 ml
750g : 0.13 ml
800g : 0.13 ml
850g : 0.14 ml
900g : 0.15 ml
Dog Revolution
120mg/ml using 10 mg/kg
RAT WEIGHT : DOSE
100g : 0.01 ml
150g : 0.01 ml
200g : 0.02 ml
250g : 0.02 ml
300g : 0.03 ml
350g : 0.03 ml
400g : 0.03 ml
450g : 0.04 ml
500g : 0.04 ml
550g : 0.05 ml
600g : 0.05 ml
650g : 0.05 ml
700g : 0.06 ml
750g : 0.06 ml
800g : 0.07 ml
850g : 0.07 ml
900g : 0.08 ml
Ingredients: 20.0 grams of Doxycycline- 100 grams of powder
PLEASE NOTE WE HAVE DOUBLED THE STRENGTH OF WHAT WE WERE RECOMMENDING.. Recent research has shown that Doxy is far more effictive against Myco when given at a higher dose. This dose is still WELL within a safe dosing range.. For younger rats or for general use you may choose to start with a lower dose and increase if the rat is not responding. For persistant or acute cases I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the higher dose listed.
DISCARD ANY REMAINDER 3 WEEKS AFTER MIXING, AND MIX A FRESH BATCH.
The following dose schedule is calculated for doxy 10 mg/kg. Give twice a day. We recommend that doxycycline be accompanied by Baytril for rat respiratory disease. The two drugs are more powerful together than either one is alone, against Mycoplasma.
Mix ¼ teaspoon of powder into 10ml of syrup.
This will give you a concentration of 25mg/ml
Dosing at 10mg/kg twice daily
RAT WEIGHT : DOSE
200g : 0.08ml
250g : 0.1ml
300g : 0.12ml
350g : 0.14ml
400g : 0.16ml
450g : 0.18ml
500g : 0.2ml
550g : 0.22ml
600g : 0.24ml
650g : 0.26ml
700g : 0.28ml
750g : 0.3ml
800g : 0.32ml
850g : 0.34ml
900g : 0.36ml
Credits and References: http://ratguide.com/meds/antimicrobial_agents/doxycycline.php
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*
BAYTRIL/ENROFLOXACIN
10% ENROFLOXACIN LIQUID (BAYTRIL)All Forms of Baytril are dosed at TWICE per day and calculated at 15mg/kg for respiratory disease.
TO dilute Enro/Baytril in flavored syrup, follow the instructions below:
Put 1 ml Baytril 10% Liquid into a small secondary container
Add 4 ml flavored syrup ( we recommend Torani’s) )
Mix very well. Do not refrigerate.
Dose Chart: Give twice daily
Rat Weight : Dose
800g : 0.55 ml
700g : 0.5 ml
600g : 0.45 ml
500g : 0.37 ml
400g : 0.3 ml
300g : 0.23 ml
200g : 0.15 ml
150g : 0.11 ml
100g : 0.07 ml
Doses used are referenced from: www.ratguide.com
*
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*
AMOXICILLIN
Mixing: Mix 1 - 250 mg tab w/5mL = 50mg/mL. Refrigerate after mixing, stir well - Throw away after 14 days and Mix a fresh batch.
It is recommended you give a probiotic when your rat is on Amoxi.. Bene-Bac for small animals or even a human capsule opened and sprinkled onto soft foods. If your rat develops a loose or soft stool from the Amoxi, you can feed him/her a tsp of PURE canned pumpkin a few times a day to firm the stool up.
Dosing:
(Give the following dose BID/twice daily, based on 30 mg/kg)
Rat Weight Dosage
(grams) : (cc/ml)
600g : 0.36ml
550g : 0.33ml
500g : 0.3ml
450g : 0.27ml
400g : 0.24ml
350g :0.21ml
300g : 0.18ml
250g : 0.15ml
200g : 0.12ml
150g : 0.09ml
100g : 0.06ml
50g : 0.03ml
36g : 0.02ml
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*
REVOLUTION
Rat Dose for Revolution is 6-10 mg/kg, one dose only, topically on the skin between the shoulder blades. You can apply in more than one area for the larger quantities if necessary. Make sure it all goes on to skin and not on hair, so it is absorbed. Treat all rats in the house at the same time, many will harbor mites with no clinical signs, and if one has them, most of them will, due to cross contamination. There are dosing for both Puppy/Kitten/Cat as well as Dog Revolution below.
Puppy,Kitten,Cat revolution
60mg/ml concentration using 10 mg/kg
rat weight : dose
100g : 0.02 ml
150g : 0.03 ml
200g : 0.03 ml
250g : 0.04 ml
300g : :0.05 ml
350g : 0.06 ml
400g : 0.07 ml
450g : 0.08 ml
500g: : 0.08 ml
550g : 0.09 ml
600g : 0.1 ml
650g : 0.11 ml
700g : 0.12 ml
750g : 0.13 ml
800g : 0.13 ml
850g : 0.14 ml
900g : 0.15 ml
Dog Revolution
120mg/ml using 10 mg/kg
RAT WEIGHT : DOSE
100g : 0.01 ml
150g : 0.01 ml
200g : 0.02 ml
250g : 0.02 ml
300g : 0.03 ml
350g : 0.03 ml
400g : 0.03 ml
450g : 0.04 ml
500g : 0.04 ml
550g : 0.05 ml
600g : 0.05 ml
650g : 0.05 ml
700g : 0.06 ml
750g : 0.06 ml
800g : 0.07 ml
850g : 0.07 ml
900g : 0.08 ml