Some new medicine for Peach & Apricot

Peach and Apricot

Things have been a bit difficult with Peach and Apricot, the respiratory problems that have been plaguing Apricot, and two of her brothers, started troubling her sister Peach. It is really weird because they are not ill like you would normally expect with a respiratory problem in rats, but their breathing sounds terrible. It is hard to explain, but the noise they make is like a rattle and it is all the time, both girls and their brothers are physically fine and run around and get into trouble like healthy rats.

To top it off, the girls they seem to be suffering from some sort of skin condition. It started off with them scratching themselves very badly around their faces. My first thought was mites and I treated all the girls with a spot on mite treatment, but it didn’t help. They were turning their pretty little faces into horrible scabby messes and weren’t allowing them to heal.

When it was obvious the mite treatment was not having an effect we took both girls to the vet, and explained what was happening. As well as the scabby faces, Apricot has had a scab on her back, just between her shoulders for some time, its condition has never changed, but it shows no sign of healing.

Our vet was baffled as to what is causing the problems with our little rats, but she was pretty confident that with everything that is happening the rats do not have pasturella as was previously suspected. With all that’s gone on and the fact no other rats, besides the siblings, are affected our vet now believes that the problem is to do with their immune systems.

Apricot and her scab

Whatever is going on, Peach and Apricot needed help, so our vet has given them steroids. Their are some possible side effects with taking steroids, but they will help stop the itching that is making our little girls scratch their faces so badly.

The tablets have been an instant help with the girls and they are showing no side effects from the drugs, so fingers-cross they are going to be okay.