First trip to the vet and a question. (kinda long)

It's Saturday morning I'm getting ready for a trip down to Maple canyon. Mongo (the cutest little hooded dumbo boy you'll ever see) looks a little better from his sneezing. I get out of the shower and there he is hunched over on a ramp gasping for breath. He's opening his mouth every time he tries to breath. I turn the shower back on and and carry him in for some steam. This seems to help a little. Back in his cage he has a fit of trying to sneeze but is too congested to accomplish much except a thin stream of mucus hanging from one nostril. I notice he has porphyrin stains on his forearms.

My climbing partner arrives and agrees to accompany me to the vet. Where does one find a quality rat vet on a Saturday in Orem, UT? After perusing the yellow pages and making a few calls an appointment is made. The exam seems to go well. The vet Greg Latimer of All About Pets used to have rats as did his daughter and seems very competent. He has also done a few necropsies (spelling?) on rats. Max (Mongo's big buddy) is in excellent health although seems to be a wiggler. Mongo does indeed have a respiratory infection and gets an injection and a prescription for Baytril.

The first Baytril dose that evening does not go well. Soy milk, apple sauce, and pudding are all refused. I resort to sticking the syringe directly into the side of his small cheek. In the end I have a wet pissed off rat who will hopefully ingest the Baytril through grooming.

Mongo seems better today although is still pretty sneezy. Using apple sauce with the Baytril goes a little better but is not entirely eaten. Stale bread laced with Baytril works perfectly.

Well Mongo is wrestling with Max and playing paper towel engineer. Hopefully the rest of the Baytril will go down well with bread. I've owned rats less than a week and have already spent $90 at the vets. With luck this won't become a trend. :)~

One thing the vet mentioned is that although nearly all pet rats have mycoplasma pulminosis it not clear what the effect on healthy rats in close proximity to an active mycoplasma flare up is. He suggested that it might be a good idea to seperate them if possible until the infection is under control. Right now I'm keeping them together as they seem to be a lot happier that way. Can anyone comment on this?

Thanks,
Kep.