Advice Regarding Septrin

[saman]

My Caramel will be starting a 2 week course of Septrin tomorrow for what looks like a reoccurring UTI. He had Baytril last October but could not tolerate it, and had to come off it. Just wondering if the Septrin will taste as horrid as the Baytril did? and if so does anyone have any recommendations of anything I can give straight after to take taste away? I already give him Avipro plus probiotic.

 

[Katherine]

Septrin is banana flavoured, and they usually love it. It smells very sweet. Caramel may take some convincing to take the syringe though if he's expecting yucky Baytril, but once he gets the taste of Septrin, he might not want to let go!

Hope he gets better soon.

 

[Wiebke]

Pediatric septrin is banana flavoured and generally so much less of a struggle to get down - with some piggies you actually have to play tug-of-war to get the syringe back!
Adverse reactions to septrin are also much less frequent compared to baytril. Avipro is the best probiotic for urinary tract issues.

If you are unlucky, you may be dealing with a cystitis/interstitial cystitis (a recurring inflammation of the bladder walls) which doesn't react much to antibiotics and is rather a problem that you manage than cure. However, it is important to see whether he reacts to septrin first. It has done the trick for piggies of mine where baytril failed.

All the best!

 

[saman]

Thank you both. He loves metacam from the syringe so hopefully it will be ok. I was just worried it would be like the baytril . Had to talk the vet into Septrin, as he said its not licenced, but I really did not want Baytril again after last time.
His xray in October was all clear of stones, so it feels like it is a UTI again. He is in a lot of pain when weeing/pooping, but completely fine inbetween. Poops are very soft tho, would that happen with a UTI?

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you both. He loves metacam from the syringe so hopefully it will be ok. I was just worried it would be like the baytril . Had to talk the vet into Septrin, as he said its not licenced, but I really did not want Baytril again after last time.
His xray in October was all clear of stones, so it feels like it is a UTI again. He is in a lot of pain when weeing/pooping, but completely fine inbetween. Poops are very soft tho, would that happen with a UTI?

Yes, soft poos can be an issue with bladder issues. There is a range of problems lumped under the label of "UTI" and it can be quite a process to find out which particular one your boy has got. The good news is always if no stones are involved.

 

[saman]

ok thank you.I have been giving him cystease since October, and thought we had got on top of the situation. But it has come back with a vengeance. I told the vet I had cut out high calcium foods like spinach and kale, but he said I should give them again as high fibre, and that as its not a stone the calcium is not an issue . Is this correct? I am getting very confused.

 

[Freela]

Mine have taken Septrin better than Baytril (I suspect Baytril really is nasty... I mix my own at home, and the pure Baytril really does smell strongly antiseptic!)

 

[Pebble]

Please do not give fresh kale and spinach to a UTI pig purely on the basis that they need extra fibre.
Spinach and kale are NOT the answer.
If high fibre is needed then your boy should be eating hay, hay and more hay.
Try different hays as a treat (eg Timothy, green oat, orchard grass etc etc)....and readigrass is OK but in small quantities as this high in calcium for urinary pigs.
Also consider dried herbage - eg dandelion delight/clover and plantain mix etc.....and fresh grass

Septrin is a good Abx for UTI - and it tastes lovely so piggies prefer this to baytril.

Is he on metacam for pain relief and anti inflammatory?

x

 

[Wiebke]

I agree with @Pebble re. better foods than high calcium kale and spinach for fibre.

If you are feeding unlimited hay, they get plenty of fibre. Most of us don't feed kale or spinach on a regular basis and still have healthy piggies. A high calcium content in the diet can still lead to issues in the meidum to long term even if he doesn't have a stone now. UTI piggies are at a higher risk as their calcium absorption can be affected at some stages. It is an area that has not been much researched anyway.

PS: @Freela - I have made the mistake of licking up a spilled drop of baytril from my hand once, and I fervently wished I hadn't for the next half hour! It was truly awful and easily the most horrible thing I have ever tasted on my life.

 

[Pebble]

IMPORTANT - RE BAYTRIL

Please Hoomans - please do not EVER try to attempt to taste/take this drug yourselves out of curiousness/necessity

It is registered with the authorities for animals ONLY for a reason (i.,e. NOT for humans) because It can cause severe reactions in hoomans.

My own vet went seriously mental when he thought any of us GP slaves might have "licked the syringe"
x

 

[saman]

Hi, yes I had stopped giving him them last year when he first had this condition, it was just that the vet confused me by suggesting I restart . He is eating lots of hay as usual, alfalfa king timothy hay, that he loves . I have been giving him metacam daily for the last few days, but the vet gave him an injection/dose of Voren suspension today, and said because of that I cannot give him anymore metacam until fri .

 

[saman]

Mine have taken Septrin better than Baytril (I suspect Baytril really is nasty... I mix my own at home, and the pure Baytril really does smell strongly antiseptic!)

Thanks I am hopeful he will like the Septrim, as he will normally gobble anything

 

[Freela]

IMPORTANT - RE BAYTRIL

Please Hoomans - please do not EVER try to attempt to taste/take this drug yourselves out of curiousness/necessity

It is registered with the authorities for animals ONLY for a reason (i.,e. NOT for humans) because It can cause severe reactions in hoomans.

My own vet went seriously mental when he thought any of us GP slaves might have "licked the syringe"
x

Very true... one the drugs my pigs have been on (chloramphenicol) is actually no longer sold to humans in my country because it has been linked to cases of aplastic anemia! My vet even suggested that I wear rubber gloves when administering it, though he did confess it was more for legal liability reasons than the likelihood of me actually getting sick from getting it on my hands. Apparently when taking the human dose, the risk is still pretty small, but I did wash my hands after the use and made sure the meds were stored in a place that was impossible for my kids to get to- especially since the medication itself seemed like one kids might actually it. It smelled kind of sweet. Linney actually loved that stuff!

 

[Freela]

I agree with @Pebble re. better foods than high calcium kale and spinach for fibre.

If you are feeding unlimited hay, they get plenty of fibre. Most of us don't feed kale or spinach on a regular basis and still have healthy piggies. A high calcium content in the diet can still lead to issues in the meidum to long term even if he doesn't have a stone now. UTI piggies are at a higher risk as their calcium absorption can be affected at some stages. It is an area that has not been much researched anyway.

PS: @Freela - I have made the mistake of licking up a spilled drop of baytril from my hand once, and I fervently wished I hadn't for the next half hour! It was truly awful and easily the most horrible thing I have ever tasted on my life.

Yuck- I can't imagine what it tastes like! Sundae is really used to taking meds, as she is on suppressive antibiotics for her bladder, but even she smacks her lips and looks like she is doing the guinea pig equivalent of a shudder when I give it to her!

 

[Wiebke]

I automatically licked the drop running down my wrist to prevent it from falling on my best pair of trousers after Minx had pulled her usual trick of sinking her teeth into my hand while wiggling and jumping madly at the same time. Not the easiest piggy ever to handle, to say the least - and of course I was a lot less experienced in those days!