Rats on Tylan for sneezing experience

I just got my rat colony started with about 15 rats of different ages. They are being kept on my screened in porch while the weather is nice.

We had a very unexpected cold snap one night where it got down into the 50's (I would have brought them in had I known) and the sneezing (myco flair up) started the next day. Previously, there was no sneezing.

I went to Tractor Supply Store and bought the Tylan 50 (50 is the small bottle, wish I would have gotten the larger one) needle and syringe and started oral treatment. 2 tsp (I will get back with you for the ml amount) per 1 gallon of water mixed with a little sugar to take the bitterness out and changed daily.

http://www.rmca.org/Articles/dchart.htm

It has been a little over a week since I started treating and most if not all the sneezing has gone away. I will continue treatment for the next 3 weeks as recommended.

I listened to their lungs and did not hear a rattle in their lungs and I also believe I caught it and started treatment soon enough. I do not believe someone will have the same luck with rats that are not treated quickly or are seriously ill, or it may take more time and a different medication to fix.


Just a little more information to what you can expect with the liquid Tylan.

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Originally Posted by aldebono

I just got my rat colony started with about 15 rats of different ages. They are being kept on my screened in porch while the weather is nice.

We had a very unexpected cold snap one night where it got down into the 50's (I would have brought them in had I known) and the sneezing (myco flair up) started the next day. Previously, there was no sneezing.

I went to Tractor Supply Store and bought the Tylan 50 (50 is the small bottle, wish I would have gotten the larger one) needle and syringe and started oral treatment. 2 tsp (I will get back with you for the ml amount) per 1 gallon of water mixed with a little sugar to take the bitterness out and changed daily.

http://www.rmca.org/Articles/dchart.htm

It has been a little over a week since I started treating and most if not all the sneezing has gone away. I will continue treatment for the next 3 weeks as recommended.

I listened to their lungs and did not hear a rattle in their lungs and I also believe I caught it and started treatment soon enough. I do not believe someone will have the same luck with rats that are not treated quickly or are seriously ill, or it may take more time and a different medication to fix.


Just a little more information to what you can expect with the liquid Tylan.

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I've used both water bottle and oral treatment. The oral treatment is highly effective (so Ive found) but it is harsher. I would cut your treatment short by a week if you are actively breeding. Tylan does affect fetal development. Rats treated for two weeks or longer seem to loose fetal weight and drop a smaller number of pinks. Some are effected more so than others by Tylan. I had one female drop 15 with no issues and another who lost fetal weight and dropped 4.

Good post. Thanks for sharing your experience. Do you think it was the quick drop in temp? Mine are in 50's almost always in the evenings since they stay in my garage and I've never had any issues.

Regards,

B

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Originally Posted by bokuza

I've used both water bottle and oral treatment. The oral treatment is highly effective (so Ive found) but it is harsher. I would cut your treatment short by a week if you are actively breeding. Tylan does affect fetal development. Rats treated for two weeks or longer seem to loose fetal weight and drop a smaller number of pinks. Some are effected more so than others by Tylan. I had one female drop 15 with no issues and another who lost fetal weight and dropped 4.

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OK thank you I will do that. I just know it is not good to cut antibiotic short of its recommended dose because there is a possibility to create a more resistant strain. This is true in humans at least and I would imagine animals as well. I guess because we are not going to get rid of the myco, it can be cut short.

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Originally Posted by Simple Man

Good post. Thanks for sharing your experience. Do you think it was the quick drop in temp? Mine are in 50's almost always in the evenings since they stay in my garage and I've never had any issues.

Regards,

B

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I think it was a combination between (stress=lowered immune system) being moved to my house, not in a rack so I am stacking and restacking to feed every day, a dog who just wants to watch, and then the cold snap. When they are settled in, I shouldn't have a problem.

Thanks you guys. I just wanted to make a good searchable account of the Tylan use.

Sorry to bring up an ended thread but may I ask this forum a question?

In your opinion and experience which works better, Tyaln 50 or Doxycycline?

Update on rats.

They have been on the Tylan for a little less than 2.5 weeks. I haven't been breeding long so I couldn't tell you how it impacted (if at all) pinks.

Sneezing has stopped completely. It takes the Tylan about a week to see any progress.

Where can you get Doxycycline? TSC? I may pick up a bottle to try just in case this comes around again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by aldebono

Update on rats.

They have been on the Tylan for a little less than 2.5 weeks. I haven't been breeding long so I couldn't tell you how it impacted (if at all) pinks.

Sneezing has stopped completely. It takes the Tylan about a week to see any progress.

Where can you get Doxycycline? TSC? I may pick up a bottle to try just in case this comes around again.

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Nice! Glad to hear it.

Doxy is a prescription drug in 100mg capsules for rats. Theratshop.com has them for sale. Not worth it if you have a large group to medicate.

I don't have much experience with it. Im trying it for the first time. Since I just started I cant say anything. Im just wondering how Tylan compares.

We can definitely compare notes.

I haven't heard sneezing in over a week. All the rats took really well to it and there were no adverse reactions to it. I added a little sugar to the water and kept a gallon jug of it in the refrigerator and did 100% water bottle changes every day.

I have had a few rats die and a litter eaten but this was due to old age and a first time mom who I didn't separate in time.

Any other questions just ask. Hopefully this will be a good record for people needing to start their rats on an antibiotic.

Just googled it and 1 US teaspoon = 4.92892159 ml. I just eyeballed it and said it was 4ml = 1 tsp per half gallon and so 2 tsp=8ml per one gallon. I was under dosing them but not by much.

Tylan 50/200 or Doxycycline are basically going to do the same for the rats. It just depends on how advanced the infection is where one will not work over the other.