MerryPip
Adult Guinea Pig
I am not a vet or a doctor and I would not pretend to be. Also I know that there are a lot of knowledgeable people on here so I don't wish to presume to teach people what they already know but...
I see time and time again advice from all and sundry on threads in this section saying ' well my little Freddie had Baytril/Septrin/Zithromax and it sorted his URI/UTI/Abscess so that's what you should ask your vet for...'
I know everyone is just trying to help and you are, however not all antibiotics will treat all infections and it is important to remember that while it worked for you it won't necessarily help the same symptoms in another piggy (it may well do but it also may not!). Just as you would not (and should not) share prescription medication for yourself, the same applies to a large extent with animals.
Antibiotics are bug specific although some act more generally and I realise that many vets without a great deal of specific guinea pig knowledge will often prescribe Baytril for just about anything and it often doesn't work first time round but it is important that a cavy savy vet's prescription of an antibiotic is trusted. There is probably a very good reason why they have not opted for something else and like doctors do in people they will try a safer, less toxic first line antibiotic first and then if there is no improvement then they will move onto something stronger.
All drugs have side effects and a vet or doctor has to balance those against the benefits of it. Guinea pigs have delicate balance of kidney function with many drugs so there is no point in the vet going in all guns blazing with something strong when something simple would do the job.
By all means discuss the choice of antibiotic with your vet at your consultation but please remember they are doing their best for your pet and will have good clinical reasons for the drugs they prescribe.
I see time and time again advice from all and sundry on threads in this section saying ' well my little Freddie had Baytril/Septrin/Zithromax and it sorted his URI/UTI/Abscess so that's what you should ask your vet for...'
I know everyone is just trying to help and you are, however not all antibiotics will treat all infections and it is important to remember that while it worked for you it won't necessarily help the same symptoms in another piggy (it may well do but it also may not!). Just as you would not (and should not) share prescription medication for yourself, the same applies to a large extent with animals.
Antibiotics are bug specific although some act more generally and I realise that many vets without a great deal of specific guinea pig knowledge will often prescribe Baytril for just about anything and it often doesn't work first time round but it is important that a cavy savy vet's prescription of an antibiotic is trusted. There is probably a very good reason why they have not opted for something else and like doctors do in people they will try a safer, less toxic first line antibiotic first and then if there is no improvement then they will move onto something stronger.
All drugs have side effects and a vet or doctor has to balance those against the benefits of it. Guinea pigs have delicate balance of kidney function with many drugs so there is no point in the vet going in all guns blazing with something strong when something simple would do the job.
By all means discuss the choice of antibiotic with your vet at your consultation but please remember they are doing their best for your pet and will have good clinical reasons for the drugs they prescribe.
It's great to have somewhere like the forum to be able to discuss different antibiotic / treatment options - my vet is brilliant, she is very piggy savvy, open to ideas but at the end of the day she is the vet and I am the lay person. If she thinks a particular antibiotic is the one we should be using then that's were we start, she is happy to discuss treatment plans with me, but at the end of the day it's her expertise that I am paying for 