[Mana]

This was really stupid of me and I should have been watching more closely... but my cousin (about 8 years old) was over here and she wanted to hold Sakura. I know she's very good with animals, so I let her, and Sakura seemed to like her. After a while she said she was going to put Sakura in the cage, and I assumed she meant the cage she took Sakura out of, so I said something along the lines of "Yeah, she probably wants to go back home now"... It wasn't until about 10 minutes later when I heard an unusual amount of scuffling in the big cage that I realized it was not between Rokk and the girls, but the girls and Sakura! I grabbed her out quick, but it was way too late. I'm not sure what to do now. Sakura seems healthy, she hasn't sneezed at all, her coat is good, no poryphin or anything... but of course I don't know that she's healthy. It's only been a week.

I still have a lot of Baytril left over from Rokk's neuter - would it be okay to give a bit to the rats? Would it help at all if Sakura does have anything? Is there anything I can do, or should I just now commence with intros and hope no one gets sick?

 

[Forensic]

I wouldn't hand out Baytril. If they don't have anything it'll only help them become resistant. I'm not certain of the proper way to continue here, but I'd keep Sakura separate a while longer, anyway.

 

[Kimmiekins]

Was this a q-tine in separate airspaces? If not, true q-tine is already broken.

 

[Sparker]

Baytril expires (which I don't think a lot of people realize) and hasn't been dosed for her, so I would strongly discourage that.

If it were me (just an opinion) I would probably keep them in the separate QT for the next week or so and watch for anything strange just like normal. Yes, you have broken QT, but all you can really do now is hope for the best.

My main point is that Baytril expires, needs to be properly dosed and continued for the prescribed amount of time or it will do more damage than good. It drives me crazy when people throw antibiotics around like they're candy. I know you weren't doing that - just got sidetracked...

 

[Mana]

She's being kept in a different room, I don't have a completely different house to keep her in for weeks...

I'll just continue with the quarantine and hope for the best.

How long does Baytril stay good? I have it in liquid form, and I've had it for a little over 3 weeks now, refrigerated. It would be nice if it'll keep for a while and I won't need to buy more if any of my rats do get sick. But I won't give them any without a vet order, don't worry! I just thought I'd ask about it.

 

[Sparker]

How long does Baytril stay good?

The general rule is two weeks, but basically - Doctors usually only give you enough for the doses you need until you should stop. I worries me a little that you have some left.

It would be nice if it'll keep for a while and I won't need to buy more if any of my rats do get sick.

I agree, but it needs to be properly dosed for the others. They have different weights and whatnot. Anyway, unless otherwise stated by your doctor, antibiotics are to be given every 12 hours for 14 days. You should throw out what you have.

But I won't give them any without a vet order, don't worry! I just thought I'd ask about it.

I know, which is why you are a good mom.

 

[Kimmiekins]

I asked to see what sort of quarantine you were doing. If you want to get fully technical about it, keeping them in the same airspace doesn't do much, except MAYBE keep mites/lice away from each other, and to prevent bacteria from spreading and ONLY if you change clothes and wash up before exiting the room and even then, it's still possible. The URI risk and the like is going to be much the same if there isn't a separate airspace.

Some people figure that if you can't do a full quarantine, it doesn't matter much to even attempt it. I'm sure you know this. But I'm saying that there wasn't much of a quarantine to break, so I wouldn't worry too much about there being exposure to an illness that wasn't already a possibility anyway. Even if they had been in separate airspaces, I believe that any contact breaks quarantine and continuing it is a moot point.

If it makes you feel better, though, there's no harm. Just realize that a quarantine in the same air space doesn't do a thing for airborne disease. The risks are still there.

http://ratguide.com/health/basics/quarantine.php

In Home Quarantine
Often rat owners will quarantine by putting any new rat(s) in a separate room. This method, along with stringent hand washing, can be useful for preventing the spread of certain bacteria or parasites. It is not effective for containing airborne viruses such as SDA, Sendai or Parvo Virus.

Using a garage, separate room, basement, or porch connected to the colonies living area is not considered a safe alternative. Such locations may reduce the risk of contagion, but as you pass from such areas into the main part of the colonies living area, you will be allowing air that may be contaminated with airborne pathogens to enter with you. This puts the resident rats at risk for infection.

In-home quarantine is not recommended as an advisable method, particularly if one is bringing in rats from high-risk scenarios or if breeding.

I've only dealt with Baytril in powdered (capsule) form, so I can't help you with how good the liquid lasts. However, I agree with Forensic... Don't give a rat something as a preventive without a vet specifically telling you to do so.

 

[Mana]

Sparker - I followed the dosing instructions, and have over half the bottle left. Honestly though, that vet did not impress me at all. Especially with what you just said, because I was intructed to give him Baytril once a day for 10 days. But the next time one of my ratties needs medical attention, there's another place I'm going to try out that I've heard really good things about from rat owners ^_^

And I really didn't know that QT is basically pointless except for fleas/mites and such. I haven't read of many people quarantining in a completely different house or building - most people only have one house ^^; I don't even know where else someone *could* quarantine, unless you happen to have a relative/friend willing to do it, who doesn't have pets?

I'm confused about this, because there was a just a post about someone not quarantining where some people got very upset. But if keeping them in the same house isn't actually quarantining anyway, I don't really understand why everyone got so upset anymore...

If you don't have a separate house to quarantine, should you not get new rats?

 

[Forensic]

The idea behind QT is to keep them as separate as possible. A separate airspace is preferable as it keeps them from passing airborne viruses like Sendai and SDA. The separate airspace QT can be done in separate homes, or it can be approached by keeping them in as far separate rooms in the house as possible and washing/changing clothes whenever you go from the new rat to the old rats.

For some people a true QT isn't possible. They have to accept the consequences that might go with it, however.

 

[Kimmiekins]

For some people a true QT isn't possible. They have to accept the consequences that might go with it, however.

Exactly my point. Sure, you can get rats. But you need to realize that there is always going to be risks. There's risks even with proper quarentine, but it's much much much lower.

People get upset because they want to do what's best, but can't always. That's fine, and if it makes a person feel better to keep new rats in separate rooms, then there's nothing wrong with it. Sure, preventing mites/flease isn't pointless - I wasn't trying to say that. But unless you do change clothes and wash up each time, you may not even be preventing that.

I just want people to know that an in-home quarantine will never be 100%, and will not prevent the spreading of URIs, SDA, Sendai and the like.

 

[Mana]

I know to keep them as far apart as possible, and I do wash and change after handling Sakura or doing anything with her cage. I just didn't know it was so important to keep them THAT far apart. Even a garage or basement isn't okay?

I know it's much too late with Sakura, and I got lucky with Rokk and Coconut, but this is worrying me now because I'm planning on getting two baby girls in a few weeks. But there really isn't anywhere else I could keep them except in this house. At least nowhere I could go on a daily basis to make sure they're being cared for properly and interact with them enough.

How do you all quarantine? Where do you keep your rats during those few weeks?

 

[Kimmiekins]

Oh, and friends, relatives, neighbors... All good sources for quarantines. Also, finding rat owners that live near you and do full quarantines may be able to "share" their quarantine homes with you. If you owned your own business in a separate location, that would work well.

The site I linked goes into detail on what makes for a proper quarantine, and what protocols should be followed by those quarantine and those who have pet rats in general (such as waiting 3 hours after exposure to rats that aren't yours or pet stores, blowing your nose, changing clothes, etc).

It's all part of battling evil diseases like SDA, Sendai, etc.

 

[Sparker]

I keep the new one at work for the QT period. We don't treat rats, so it works out. I am lucky that I have that option.

 

[Kimmiekins]

Oops, posted when you did.

Before we ran a rescue, we used a neighbor's house. And it wasn't a 100% quarantine, because while it was a separate airspace, I didn't wait 3 hours before returning home. It was the best I could do, so I DO understand people who just can't do full q-tines. I don't judge anyone. We don't turn anyone down if they want to adopt, even. We just let them know that there are risks, this is what they are, we can't be held responsible for improper quarantines, etc. It's a personal choice (either one you make, or one that's really made for you, because you have no other choice).

Now, we have quarantine homes for the rescue. We do follow protocol to keep them safe when we visit them, and we follow protocol before coming home, so that we do not expose the rats already here (rescues and our own pet rats) to disease. We ask our quarantine homes not to visit pet stores during the 3 weeks, etc.

Of course, the risk is extremely high for us, because we do run a rescue. Even with all we do, there's still a risk.

 

[Mana]

Thank you guys so much for all of this information! I can't believe I didn't know just how important it was to keep them so far apart. Since I can't think of anyone I would trust to take care of any of my ratties for a few weeks, I'll just keep doing the best I can here. Even if they're technically in the same airspace, is it still better to keep them as far apart as possible? Sakura is in another room down the hall, but with my new girls I could keep them in the basement.. would that be better? Or is it close enough still that it won't matter much?

Also, my sister (who pretty much dumped Sakura on me in the first place) brings her other rat over here sometimes. Since she never came in contact with any of my rats or anywhere they would go, I never thought much of it, since I would wash and change after playing with her. Should I tell her not to bring Bella over anymore?

 

[Forensic]

Well, I'd think that if Bella had an illness you'd want to keep her away, but if she's healthy...

 

[Mana]

Well she seems healthy. I definitely wouldn't let her in here if I thought she was sick.

 

[Sparker]

I figure that if your sister has had her longer than the recommended QT time, then it is like she was QT'd at your sister's and she should be good to go.