We will never replace a vet. If your rat is unwell, has a swollen limb, exposed bone, damaged eyeball, deep wounds, dizziness, tilted head, barrel rolling, extreme lethargy, difficulty breathing, or is experiencing any other form of emergency or extreme health event, please take them to a vet. I cannot be guaranteed to respond quickly enough to make a difference in a life or death situation. Please have an emergency vet fund prepared in case of unexpected injury or illness. We do not have access to all of the below supplies ourselves, they are merely suggestions to have if you're able to locate them. Revolution is available OTC at most vets. Following the information on this page is at your own discretion. I repeat, we will never replace a vet.
First aid supplies
GRAM SCALE - easily purchased at Walmart for $25 or less, we have and prefer to use a digital scale
SYRINGES - we keep 1cc syringes for easy dosing of most medicines, though it's good to also have 3cc
STETHOSCOPE - "rat phone" works well to gather information on respiratory health but to be more effective in heading off respiratory issues, a stethoscope can give a greater insight to lung health and air passages
NAIL CLIPPERS - for nails that get too long, or if your rat suffers from malocclusion sometimes you will need to be able to trim their teeth - a vet can and will do this, but if you are comfortable at home, you may try - ONLY if you're confident in your abilities
MEDICATION JARS - mixed medications often need to be refrigerated in an airtight container. We have several old echinacea bottles lying around that work wonderfully for this once cleaned and sterilized, but any airtight container/jar will do. Baby food jar or spice jars would work very well.
Cotton balls & Q-Tips - for external use only
· SALINE - Used to sterilize/flush open wounds.
· BETADINE - An antiseptic wash that is animal safe.
· BENADRYL - To be used for the same purposes as humans
· INFANT IBUPROFEN - Reduces inflammation and treats pain safely and effectively
· ENROFLOXACIN (BAYTRIL) - An antibiotic, works best in tandem with Doxycyline
· DOXYCYCLINE - An antibiotic, works best in tandem with Amoxicillin/Enrofloxacin
· AMOXICILLIN - - An antibiotic, works best in tandem with Doxycyline/Enrofloxacin
· PINK KITTEN REVOLUTION - An anti-parasitic that works on mites and lice
AMOX
A m o x i c i l l i n
1. Prepare 5ml water per 250mg amoxicillin (250mg to 5ml, 500mg to 10ml). Using your syringe is a good method to measure the water out accurately.
2. Weigh your rat in grams - this is where a gram scale comes in handy - you will need an accurate number in grams to accurately dose your rat using this guide.
3. Open the amoxicillin capsule and add to the water. Stir well until no chunks remain. There is a faint, unpleasant odour and the mixture will be milky white. Make sure all amoxicillin is removed from inside the capsule.
4. Read dosage chart below and accurately measure out the amount needed for your rat.
5. Treat 2x daily for 2 weeks even if symptoms lessen or disappear.
6. Unused portions can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
D O S I N G C H A R T
RAT WEIGHT DOSE (ml)
600 grams 0.36 ml
550 grams 0.33 ml
500 grams 0.3 ml
450 grams 0.27 ml
400 grams 0.24 ml
350 grams 0.21 ml
300 grams 0.18 ml
250 grams 0.15 ml
200 grams 0.12 ml
150 grams 0.09 ml
100 grams 0.06 ml
50 grams 0.03 ml
36 grams 0.02 ml
D o x y c y c l i n e
1. Prepare 5ml water per 100mg doxycycline. Using your syringe is a good method to measure the water out accurately.
2. Weigh your rat in grams - this is where a gram scale comes in handy - you will need an accurate number in grams to accurately dose your rat using this guide.
3. Open the doxycycline capsule and add to the water. Stir well until no chunks remain. The mixture will be yellow. Make sure all doxycycline is removed from inside the capsule if using capsule form.
4. Read dosage chart below and accurately measure out the amount needed for your rat.
5. Treat 2x daily for 2 weeks even if symptoms lessen or disappear.
6. Unused portions can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
D O S I N G C H A R T
RAT WEIGHT DOSE (ml)
1000 grams 0.5 ml
950 grams 0.47 ml
900 grams 0.45 ml
850 grams 0.42 ml
800 grams 0.4 ml
750 grams 0.37 ml
700 grams 0.35 ml
650 grams 0.33 ml
600 grams 0.3 ml
550 grams 0.27 ml
500 grams 0.25 ml
450 grams 0.23 ml
400 grams 0.2 ml
350 grams 0.17 ml
300 grams 0.15 ml
250 grams 0.13 ml
200 grams 0.1 ml
E n r o f l o x a c i n
1. Prepare 4ml of water or flavoured liquid in a small bowl/similar.
2. Weigh your rat in grams - this is where a gram scale comes in handy - you will need an accurate number in grams to accurately dose your rat using this guide.
3. Measure out 1ml of enrofloxacin 10% and mix into the 4ml of water/flavoured liquid, stir until thoroughly mixed.
4. Read dosage chart below and accurately measure out the amount needed for your rat - do NOT dose directly into the rats mouth, mix with baby food or add to a high value treat.
5. Treat 2x daily while symptoms persist, 3 weeks up to 6 weeks if necessary.
6. Baytril works exceptionally well to combat respiratory infections in conjuction with other antibiotics.
D O S I N G C H A R T
undiluted - do not give directly to rat
RAT WEIGHT DOSE (ml)
700 grams 0.10 ml
600 grams 0.09 mll
500 grams 0.07 ml
400 grams 0.06 ml
300 grams 0.04 ml
200 grams 0.03 ml
R e v o l u t i o n
1. Weigh your rat using a gram scale and record their weight to accurately dose them.
2. Measure out the dosage accurately in a 1cc syringe.
3. Pull haircoat between the shoulders back toward the ears if possible and apply between the shoulder blades against the skin. Allow it to set in for around 10 minutes before returning the rat to the mischief.
4. Treat ALL RATS IN THE HOME as parasites will exist on everyone even if only a couple are showing signs. Better safe than sorry in all instances.
5. Repeat every 2 weeks until the parasites are no longer visible on any rats.
D O S I N G C H A R T
RAT WEIGHT DOSE (ml)
1000 grams+ 0.1 ml
900 grams 0.09 ml
800 grams 0.08 ml
700 grams 0.07 ml
600 grams 0.06 ml
500 grams 0.05 ml
400 grams 0.04 ml
300 grams 0.03 ml
200 grams 0.02 ml
150 grams 0.01 ml