Rat has lost a lot of weight. What are her chances of survival?

My rat, Bandit, has lost 0.7 ounces in under 2 weeks. She was struggling with Mycoplasma, and I treated her for 2 weeks with oral Baytril, which seemed to help. At the beginning of the treatment she weighed 9.1 ounces, and by the end she weighed 9.4. I took this to be a good sign. She had also stopped wheezing and sneezing.

I took her off the Baytril, deciding to see how she went. Now, about a week and a half later, I weighed her to find she''s only 8.7 ounces! She lost 0.7 ounces in under 2 weeks!

How can this be fixed apart from putting her back on the Baytril? And what are her chances of survival? She looks miserable, and she is once again breathing heavily and wheezing.

:( One of my other rats died of Mycoplasma and I don''t want Bandit to die as well. PLEASE HELP D:

-Also I don''t have a rat vet anywhere close =(
The rat is about 1 year old to the best of my knowledge.
---She is also no longer interested in food. I tried to give her apple today, which she used to LOVE, and she wouldn''t touch it. Do you think she''ll survive this if I force-feed her medication?
Thanks for the answers guys. =( I''m sorry to say she died this afternoon.

Why Losing Weight Fast is Bad!

Recommended Answer:
It''s generally a good idea to persist with an antibiotics well past the moments symptoms recede. Sounds like you stopped too soon. If the myco symptoms are back, they are not going anywhere without more Baytril, but you will need to stick to it a lot longer this time.

As for the diet, that''s not surprising considering the fact that she is ill and being medicated. It''s harsh on her body, but all she may need is some extra care to stimulate her appetite and keep her well-fed. On top of the usual diet, start offering softer, tastier, fattier foods. Hard boiled egg, plain oatmeal, plain yogurt, etc (read up on safe vitamin-rich foods). It''s also crucial that she is getting enough fluids. Dehydration will easily kill a small animal, and if she is ill she may not be able to reach up to the bottle.

Edit: Yeah, apple and other fruits/veggies are NOT what you need to feed to a rat who has lost appetite. You need plenty of fluids and fatty foods.

• you didn''t say how old is your rat. I think they have a life expectancy of around two years. all I can say is try the net for info on rats and I hope this helps.
• well found some websites you can try ......hope it helps
• Sorry to say but when rats get sick there really is very little we can do for them. I see it all the time and especially the wheezing it sounds like she''s got pneumonia and I''m really sorry
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