How to Treat Mycoplasma in Rats

Mycoplasma pulmonis, a deadly respiratory disease that affects rats, needs to be treated as soon as possible. The disease comes from an organism called murine respiratory mycoplasmosis, which lives in mice, guinea pigs and rabbits and passes through sneezes or through the womb to an infant rat. Symptoms of the disease include sneezing, crusty nose and watery eyes, and it can eventually lead to wheezing, pneumonia and emphysema in your rat. Treating this disease will help prolong the life of your pet.

Things You'll Need

  • Enrofloxacin
  • Doxycycline
  • Nebulizer
  • Sterile saline
  • Gentocin
  • Albuterol
  • Dexamethasone
  • Sterile needle
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Instructions

    • 1

      Give the rat 15 mg of enrofloxacin or 5 mg of doxycycline, taken orally, for 10 to 30 days during early or middle stages of the disease. Give the rat both medications at the same doses if it does not respond to the treatment initially. You will need to see a vet first and have him prescribe these medications. Your vet may have special instructions for giving these medications to your rat.

    • 2

      Continue this treatment and add a nebulization mixture if the rat is still not responding. Nebulize the rat for 15 minutes two to three times a day for two weeks, using 8 mL sterile saline, 0.5 mL gentocin and 0.5 mL albuterol. Refrigerate any excess nebulization mixture.

    • 3

      Have your vet give the rat an intraperitoneal injection of dexamethasone if the pet isn't responding to treatment and is showing mild or moderate lung problems, or inject the rat yourself with the sterile needle if you are experienced enough to do so. Give it 0.5 mg/lb. per day for six days before weaning it down to 0.25 mg/lb. per day, and finally to 0.25 mg/lb. every other day for three more doses.