Antibiotics and probiotics

[Kittykatindeed]

Two piggies with URIS is torture.
one had a bad reaction with Baytril, including extremely mushy poops. Drop in temperature and lack of appetite. So we took him off of the Baytril , so he’s currently only on doxycycline.
my other boy is on both doxy and Baytril.

my question is, how can I get probiotics into them?
Before the treatment, they’d eat it like candy, now they won’t eat it at all. I’ve put it on veggies. Tried to put it directly in the mouth, and tried to feed it from hands.
but nothing !
So far, they’re both eating okay, maintaining weights, and pooing okay. It’s rather dry , and ones rather mushy(the one who I took off Baytril. But it’s normalizing).
what can I do to make sure their guts remain okay?

 

[Wiebke]

Two piggies with URIS is torture.
one had a bad reaction with Baytril, including extremely mushy poops. Drop in temperature and lack of appetite. So we took him off of the Baytril , so he’s currently only on doxycycline.
my other boy is on both doxy and Baytril.

my question is, how can I get probiotics into them?
Before the treatment, they’d eat it like candy, now they won’t eat it at all. I’ve put it on veggies. Tried to put it directly in the mouth, and tried to feed it from hands.
but nothing !
So far, they’re both eating okay, maintaining weights, and pooing okay. It’s rather dry , and ones rather mushy(the one who I took off Baytril. But it’s normalizing).
what can I do to make sure their guts remain okay?

Hi!

If they are still eating and maintaining their weight, then this is a VERY positive sign. Unfortunately with both being on antibiotics, the most effective measure, 'poo soup' (i.e. live gut microbiome transfer from a healthy guinea pig) is not possible.

Mush up their pellets or offer mushed up pellets additionally and mix in a healthy dose of probiotics into that. This should hopefully be exciting for them and do the trick for you.
If it fails, mix probiotics with 2-4 ml of water and syringe 1 ml of water to each twice daily. That means that will arrive where it belongs as the least pleasant last resort way of giving them.

 

[Kittykatindeed]

Hi!

If they are still eating and maintaining their weight, then this is a VERY positive sign. Unfortunately with both being on antibiotics, the most effective measure, 'poo soup' (i.e. live gut microbiome transfer from a healthy guinea pig) is not possible.

Mush up their pellets or offer mushed up pellets additionally and mix in a healthy dose of probiotics into that. This should hopefully be exciting for them and do the trick for you.
If it fails, mix probiotics with 2-4 ml of water and syringe 1 ml of water to each twice daily. That means that will arrive where it belongs as the least pleasant last resort way of giving them.

I will try this. Unfortunately I have a boy who absolutely HATES the syringe but maybe a pellet smoothie may get him interested.

 

[VickiA]

I agree with Wiebke. Mixed into pellet mash or in a syringe are my favourite ways.

 

[Kittykatindeed]

Me again!
during morning meds, my husband was holding my baby boy, and got worried over a “pop” when grabbing him, thinking he hurt his leg.

my guinea is NOT limping, did NOT cry in pain, is running and walking fine on the leg. No discomfort, other than normal guinea dislike, when I touch his leg to see if he’s in any pain.

is there anything to worry about? My husband is worried sick due to the same guinea spraining a leg not too long ago.

 

[Wiebke]

Me again!
during morning meds, my husband was holding my baby boy, and got worried over a “pop” when grabbing him, thinking he hurt his leg.

my guinea is NOT limping, did NOT cry in pain, is running and walking fine on the leg. No discomfort, other than normal guinea dislike, when I touch his leg to see if he’s in any pain.

is there anything to worry about? My husband is worried sick due to the same guinea spraining a leg not too long ago.

Hi!

I would not worry but just keep a closer eye on your boy for the next day to be on the safe side.

 

[Kittykatindeed]

Hi!

I would not worry but just keep a closer eye on your boy for the next day to be on the safe side.

Thank you! It makes us both feel better!
what should I keep an eye out for?

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you! It makes us both feel better!
what should I keep an eye out for?

Signs of pain or limping.

That said, if he isn't limping now, he shouldn't have any issues whatsoever.

 

[Kittykatindeed]

My boys been on antibiotics for about 7 days now.
we stopped Baytril about 4 days ago due to lose stool.
now he’s only on doxy twice a day.

but he’s losing weight. He has lost about 70 grams in a week, and has been having more diarrhea since.
We have started hand feeding.


what should be done?

 

[DMS260820]

Maybe try a probiotic aswell

 

[Kittykatindeed]

Maybe try a probitoic

I have. I’ve been mixing it in with the hand feeding. But he’s not taking it that easily.

 

[Wiebke]

Support feeding piggies that haven't got an appetite is very tough, exhausting and frustrating for any owner, but you have to keep doing it and try to get ideally 40-60ml into them in 24 hours.
As long as they are on the antibiotic, they struggle to rebuild their gut biome which is impacted with any new dose of medication. Afterwards it will take some time to rebuild the gut microbiome and the weight; that doesn't happen overnight but it is going to return.

But you CANNOT stop of the antibiotic early because the consequences could be potentially fatal in the long term if the reservoir of harmful bacteria is not wiped out properly. While lack of appetite and loose stool is not pleasant, it is something your piggies will recover from once the URI has been dealt with. They are not an illness in themselves but a side-effect of the antibiotic.

How are you giving the antibiotic, once daily ot twice daily? If you are not already on a twice daily regime, then you can split the dosage and give half every 12 hours. That is a bit less of a whammy for the gut.

 

[Kittykatindeed]

Support feeding piggies that haven't got an appetite is very tough, exhausting and frustrating for any owner, but you have to keep doing it and try to get ideally 40-60ml into them in 24 hours.
As long as they are on the antibiotic, they struggle to rebuild their gut biome which is impacted with any new dose of medication. Afterwards it will take some time to rebuild the gut microbiome and the weight; that doesn't happen overnight but it is going to return.

But you CANNOT stop of the antibiotic early because the consequences could be potentially fatal in the long term if the reservoir of harmful bacteria is not wiped out properly. While lack of appetite and loose stool is not pleasant, it is something your piggies will recover from once the URI has been dealt with. They are not an illness in themselves but a side-effect of the antibiotic.

How are you giving the antibiotic, once daily ot twice daily? If you are not already on a twice daily regime, then you can split the dosage and give half every 12 hours. That is a bit less of a whammy for the gut.

They are in it 2 times a day. .2 ml of doxycycline since he was taken off of the Baytril itself.
I’ve been trying my best and cleaning his bum the best I can when I see it is messy.

 

[Kittykatindeed]

They are in it 2 times a day. .2 ml of doxycycline since he was taken off of the Baytril itself.
I’ve been trying my best and cleaning his bum the best I can when I see it is messy.

It seems he’s only turned off of his hay. He eats his veggies in the morning, and nibbles on the hay through the day. But not like before the URI

 

[Wiebke]

It seems he’s only turned off of his hay. He eats his veggies in the morning, and nibbles on the hay through the day. But not like before the URI

It is the lack of hay that is the issue but that is not uncommon during AB treatment. Unfortunately some piggies are far more sensitive than others. You have unfortunately got one of the very sensitive ones. it is one of these between a rock and a hard place situations.

The good news is that the diarrhea should disappear once the antibiotic stops and the appetite for hay comes back.
Have you tried mixing recovery formula, probiotics and mushed pellets together and see whether that is best accepted?

A course or two of fibreplex can help in some cases with antibiotic based gut issues, as I know from my own experienced with loss of appetite.

Just give the bum a gentle wash twice daily.

Here is our advice for piggies with urine scald and soreness (which I have copied from the mobility care guide; the advice comes from an experienced piggy savvy exotics vet nurse):
Treat any bare and sore areas (urine scald and mechanical abrasure from lying). Sore skin is best left to heal just gently cleaned and dried.
- Sudocrem (or any unscented nappy cream) should only be applied very, very thinly and not on any open sores.
If it is used too regularly or applied too thickly, it tends to dry out the skin and causes tiny cracks that will allow germs to get into the skin. The same goes for any foot creams, too, by the way.
- For open sores we recommend asking your vet for soothing flamazine (silver sulfadiazine) cream to prevent infection from taking hold.

 

[Kittykatindeed]

It is the lack of hay that is the issue but that is not uncommon during AB treatment. Unfortunately some piggies are far more sensitive than others. You have unfortunately got one of the very sensitive ones. it is one of these between a rock and a hard place situations.

The good news is that the diarrhea should disappear once the antibiotic stops and the appetite for hay comes back.
Have you tried mixing recovery formula, probiotics and mushed pellets together and see whether that is best accepted?

A course or two of fibreplex can help in some cases with antibiotic based gut issues, as I know from my own experienced with loss of appetite.

Just give the bum a gentle wash twice daily.

Here is our advice for piggies with urine scald and soreness (which I have copied from the mobility care guide; the advice comes from an experienced piggy savvy exotics vet nurse):
Treat any bare and sore areas (urine scald and mechanical abrasure from lying). Sore skin is best left to heal just gently cleaned and dried.
- Sudocrem (or any unscented nappy cream) should only be applied very, very thinly and not on any open sores.
If it is used too regularly or applied too thickly, it tends to dry out the skin and causes tiny cracks that will allow germs to get into the skin. The same goes for any foot creams, too, by the way.
- For open sores we recommend asking your vet for soothing flamazine (silver sulfadiazine) cream to prevent infection from taking hold.

Unfortunately I do not have recovery food at the moment, though in the process of getting it.

He eats the mushed up pellets with probiotics well. And I will be feeding him it very often until he gets his appetite back.

 

[DMS260820]

I have. I’ve been mixing it in with the hand feeding. But he’s not taking it that easily.

Sorry I thought i was replying to a fresh thread.

 

[Kittykatindeed]

It is the lack of hay that is the issue but that is not uncommon during AB treatment. Unfortunately some piggies are far more sensitive than others. You have unfortunately got one of the very sensitive ones. it is one of these between a rock and a hard place situations.

The good news is that the diarrhea should disappear once the antibiotic stops and the appetite for hay comes back.
Have you tried mixing recovery formula, probiotics and mushed pellets together and see whether that is best accepted?

A course or two of fibreplex can help in some cases with antibiotic based gut issues, as I know from my own experienced with loss of appetite.

Just give the bum a gentle wash twice daily.

Here is our advice for piggies with urine scald and soreness (which I have copied from the mobility care guide; the advice comes from an experienced piggy savvy exotics vet nurse):
Treat any bare and sore areas (urine scald and mechanical abrasure from lying). Sore skin is best left to heal just gently cleaned and dried.
- Sudocrem (or any unscented nappy cream) should only be applied very, very thinly and not on any open sores.
If it is used too regularly or applied too thickly, it tends to dry out the skin and causes tiny cracks that will allow germs to get into the skin. The same goes for any foot creams, too, by the way.
- For open sores we recommend asking your vet for soothing flamazine (silver sulfadiazine) cream to prevent infection from taking hold.

Sorry I thought i was replying to a fresh thread.

News. We started hand feeding yesterday morning, only was able to feed 25 mL. But! With added probiotic water, he actually gained about 10 grams in 30 hours. Of course it could be his bladder, but I’m just glad he didn’t lose more weight after dropping from 889 to 811.

this morning, he weighed 829. And I weighed at the same time before breakfast, meds, and more pellet soup.

 

[Kittykatindeed]

News. We started hand feeding yesterday morning, only was able to feed 25 mL. But! With added probiotic water, he actually gained about 10 grams in 30 hours. Of course it could be his bladder, but I’m just glad he didn’t lose more weight after dropping from 889 to 811.

this morning, he weighed 829. And I weighed at the same time before breakfast, meds, and more pellet soup.

my other boy who’s still on both Baytril and doxy is maintaining his weight at 815 g. Which is normal, he is a smaller male. A exotics specialist verified he’ll always be smaller than others.

his tummy is doing so much better than my sensitive boy, I’m so happy