# RI's - Use of Baytril



## Pandapop (Jul 27, 2012)

I have a serious problem. Or at least I'm assuming it's serious.

The bf and I unfortunately live in an apartment that is basically an old renovated barn... and even more unfortunate, we get cold drafts quite frequently through the floorboards. A week ago it was pretty bad. Very cold. The warmest place is upstairs where my mice are kept, but it wasn't warm enough to keep them from sniffling. Just one or two mice with sniffles, and I took them away from the others (but kept them together, since they were both sick, and would be depressed alone anyway).

Now two days ago about 2/3 of my mice are sniffling. Some are chirping. My three oldest does are making an awful rattling sound, and I know what's causing it.

I've never used Baytril on my mice before. I've never used Baytril on _anything_ before.

I searched it up online and it comes in tabs and liquids. I'm assuming it's the liquid that I would need to use?

Do I need to water it down? If so, by how much?

Is it safe to treat the ones that are not sniffling? Should I?

I'm seriously concerned. I don't want to lose all of my mice.

I put a portable heater upstairs to keep them warm, and the temperature has been pretty steady since that cold night. I changed all the bedding, cleaned all the water bottles and food dishes, gave them clean things to play with, cleaned the cages...


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## pro-petz (Nov 14, 2012)

As far as I am aware Baytril is a prescription drug and as such will be prescribed by your veterinary surgeon whom will advise the dosage required after examining the mice.

I have been fortunate in not getting any RI`s so far, but would not separate cage mates if one appeared as it would only be a matter of time before all the cage occupants caught it, but would transfer the entire cage to quarantine immediately.

Sealing up any places that drafts can come through will help in preventing RI`s, cardboard or hardboard/plywood taping all joints covering the floor will help reduce the drafts between the cracks in the floor.


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## WoodWitch (Oct 18, 2009)

pro-petz said:


> As far as I am aware Baytril is a prescription drug and as such will be prescribed by your veterinary surgeon whom will advise the dosage required after examining the mice


I don't think that's the case in the States


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## pro-petz (Nov 14, 2012)

Thanks WoodWitch I`ll remember that.


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## morning-star (Apr 9, 2011)

from experience; baytril only works if you can treat them in the first 30 hours or so of contracting the R.I....
if you treat after that time the odds are slim that it'll cure the are R.I and often soon as you stop the treatment it comes back (often worse) as they become dependent on the baytril. (and you can't keep them on it for the rest of their lives) 
only sure-fire way to get rid of it is to put down the infected mice to stop it spreading.

if you wish to try treatment use the liquid form, get a syringe and put in two drops directly into their mouth once a day for a few weeks. (0.2ml) that way you know they are getting the full treatment.


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

It won't be the temperature that's done it it will be the drafts, I lost half my siamese stock to ri once when my shed door swelled and couldn't close properly.

Use to use baytril for it but due to the cost hear in the UK of getting it from my vets, and losing the mice befor I now normally separate for a week in another shed and if not better cull, if I know of some going spair I'll give them some baytril. When I was using baytril I think the does my vet said was 0.05ml orally or 0.5ml in a hamster bottle of 15ml.ment to change the bottle every day.

The ri can leave scaring and the will rattle when breathing forever, I've got one like it now at work and had them before, they don't sneeze and don't seem to infect anyone however my current one is prone to getting them and will go sneezy for a week or to them clear up for a while than get sick again.

If your going to try treating I'd treat them all as they have shared the same space as them so they will properly either get it or all ready have it but not sneezing yet. But the longer you have snufferly mice the more risk of it spreding


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