Treating Bumblefoot: Part 3 of 3
The third and final installment of a 3-part article covering: -- VET TREATMENTS OF BUMBLEFOOT using medications you’ll need a presciption for. -- SOME HELPFUL TIPS that will make treating bumblefoot a bit easier -- the GENTIAN VIOLET EXPERIMENT THAT NEVER HAPPENED: a treatment you might want to help evaluate.
VET TREATMENTS OF BUMBLEFOOT
IRBY’S VET’S TREATMENT a) AMOXICILLIN TRIHYDRATE (CLAVAMOX) administered 2 x a day. This is particularly good for soft tissue/skin infections: that’s basically what Bumblefoot is.
b) An ANTIINFLAMMATORY administered 2 x a day. Irby’s vet likes to stay away from the steroidal antinflammatories such as prednisone because even a short course can cause diabetes and cataracts in rats. His vet tends to go with METACAM which has a pain releiver in it as well. Another antinflammatory you can ask your vet about is a corticosteroid called DEXAMETHASONE which is slightly different to prednisone. Discuss this with your vet making sure that whatever combination you go with that there aren’t any side effects or adverse reactions with the drugs used in combination,
c) If your rat’s on antibiotics for more than a few weeks at a time its a good idea to give some YOGURT to help replenish the good bacteria that the antibiotics kill off,
d)Irby also applied BLU-KOTE daily. Condition was cured in 2 months.
CHAD’S VET’S METHOD a) OTTOMAX, a topical antibiotic b) DOMOSO, DIMETHYL SULVOXIDE, an absorbtion agent to get the antibiotics into the surrounding tissue before the rats lick or wipe it off Chad reports that the bumble closed up pretty quickly, and there was (slower) improvement with the size.
SOME HELPFUL BUMBLEFOOT TIPS
BEDDING: Some ratlisters report that bedding on Aspen seemed to make the foot bleed more. During treatment, I switched to shredded paper towels.
LINDA’S TIP: Blu-Kote usually comes in an aeresol spray. You can't spray an area as small as a rat's heel without getting the permanently-staining stuff all over the place. My solution: Go to a stationary store and purchase a tool that moistens stamps so you don't have to lick them. It has a screw-on lid that is a sponge applicator. you fill the bottle with Blu-Kote (sprayed in gently so as to not form a cloud of spray), put the cap back on and dab the blu-coat laden sponge onto his heel. Voila, no mess.
DAUBER TIP: you can get Blu-Kote in a “dauber” bottle, now.
Q-TIP: Some Listers hate touching the wound over and over with the dauber so they’d rather apply with a fresh Q-tip each time.
THE GENTIAN VIOLET EXPERIMENT THAT NEVER HAPPENED
Reportedly, the main ingredient in Blu-Kote is Gentian Violet in alcohol. So I figured, why not just get Gentian Violet, which I could order from Rite-Aid Pharmacy (in New York City) for $3?
Currently, Gentian Violet is used in treating infections inside the mouth of breastfeeding infants. So I figured Gentian Violet should be safe in case the rat licks his feet.
You can get 1% or 2% Gentian Violet in either aqueous (water) solution or alcohol. I bought 2%. The breastfeeding people cautioned me that: <> But remember, this info is about putting the Gentian Violet directly into a baby’s mouth.
I asked Ratlisters what they thought about Gentian Violet and here are the answers I got. Unfortunately, Shadow passed away before I really evaluate Gentian Violet: but it’s something else you can try.
NANCY: Blu-Kote also has some anti-bacterials which keep the open wound from becoming infected until it heals over. You might try adding a bit of iodine or other infection fighter to the gentian violet. Note that before Monistat was available in drug stores: yeast infections were treated by painting the area with gentian violet.
HEIDE: My father-in-law says in the "old days" they used to use gentian violet on kids with tonsilitis. So we know from that its safe to ingest. I don't know what percentage they used, though. The stuff I had was 2% and I used it to get rid of a rash (works GREAT for any rash if you don't mind being purple. I'd call my vet and ask [about the strength of the Gentian Violet solution]. If 1% is safer, you can dilute the 2% with sterile or filtered water (aqueous sol)
hope you never have to use these treatments...but if you do hope this information helps you.
VET TREATMENTS OF BUMBLEFOOT
IRBY’S VET’S TREATMENT a) AMOXICILLIN TRIHYDRATE (CLAVAMOX) administered 2 x a day. This is particularly good for soft tissue/skin infections: that’s basically what Bumblefoot is.
b) An ANTIINFLAMMATORY administered 2 x a day. Irby’s vet likes to stay away from the steroidal antinflammatories such as prednisone because even a short course can cause diabetes and cataracts in rats. His vet tends to go with METACAM which has a pain releiver in it as well. Another antinflammatory you can ask your vet about is a corticosteroid called DEXAMETHASONE which is slightly different to prednisone. Discuss this with your vet making sure that whatever combination you go with that there aren’t any side effects or adverse reactions with the drugs used in combination,
c) If your rat’s on antibiotics for more than a few weeks at a time its a good idea to give some YOGURT to help replenish the good bacteria that the antibiotics kill off,
d)Irby also applied BLU-KOTE daily. Condition was cured in 2 months.
CHAD’S VET’S METHOD a) OTTOMAX, a topical antibiotic b) DOMOSO, DIMETHYL SULVOXIDE, an absorbtion agent to get the antibiotics into the surrounding tissue before the rats lick or wipe it off Chad reports that the bumble closed up pretty quickly, and there was (slower) improvement with the size.
SOME HELPFUL BUMBLEFOOT TIPS
BEDDING: Some ratlisters report that bedding on Aspen seemed to make the foot bleed more. During treatment, I switched to shredded paper towels.
LINDA’S TIP: Blu-Kote usually comes in an aeresol spray. You can't spray an area as small as a rat's heel without getting the permanently-staining stuff all over the place. My solution: Go to a stationary store and purchase a tool that moistens stamps so you don't have to lick them. It has a screw-on lid that is a sponge applicator. you fill the bottle with Blu-Kote (sprayed in gently so as to not form a cloud of spray), put the cap back on and dab the blu-coat laden sponge onto his heel. Voila, no mess.
DAUBER TIP: you can get Blu-Kote in a “dauber” bottle, now.
Q-TIP: Some Listers hate touching the wound over and over with the dauber so they’d rather apply with a fresh Q-tip each time.
THE GENTIAN VIOLET EXPERIMENT THAT NEVER HAPPENED
Reportedly, the main ingredient in Blu-Kote is Gentian Violet in alcohol. So I figured, why not just get Gentian Violet, which I could order from Rite-Aid Pharmacy (in New York City) for $3?
Currently, Gentian Violet is used in treating infections inside the mouth of breastfeeding infants. So I figured Gentian Violet should be safe in case the rat licks his feet.
You can get 1% or 2% Gentian Violet in either aqueous (water) solution or alcohol. I bought 2%. The breastfeeding people cautioned me that: <> But remember, this info is about putting the Gentian Violet directly into a baby’s mouth.
I asked Ratlisters what they thought about Gentian Violet and here are the answers I got. Unfortunately, Shadow passed away before I really evaluate Gentian Violet: but it’s something else you can try.
NANCY: Blu-Kote also has some anti-bacterials which keep the open wound from becoming infected until it heals over. You might try adding a bit of iodine or other infection fighter to the gentian violet. Note that before Monistat was available in drug stores: yeast infections were treated by painting the area with gentian violet.
HEIDE: My father-in-law says in the "old days" they used to use gentian violet on kids with tonsilitis. So we know from that its safe to ingest. I don't know what percentage they used, though. The stuff I had was 2% and I used it to get rid of a rash (works GREAT for any rash if you don't mind being purple. I'd call my vet and ask [about the strength of the Gentian Violet solution]. If 1% is safer, you can dilute the 2% with sterile or filtered water (aqueous sol)
hope you never have to use these treatments...but if you do hope this information helps you.
posted by Lee at 7:47 AM
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