Baytril & Probiotic?

[Cuddles With Cavies]

After a week on pain and bloat meds, Rosie was back at the vets today as she's still in pain whilst peeing. The vets thinks it's stones but isn't 100% sure as she disclosed today that she wasn't an exotic specialist despite me requesting to see one when I first booked Rosie in! Anyway, I'm going to take her back to my regular exotic vet who's seen her before (he's just a lot further away).

In the mean time though, Rosie's been given a course of Baytril to have 0.26ml twice daily to rule out any possible infections. I'm slightly wary of antibiotics especially from vets who aren't cavy specialists.

I can't get Rosie back in with my regular vet until next Monday due to my work shift and not having anyone else willing to take her. Do I continue with the course of Baytril just to see if it helps? Do I need a probiotic with it and what type?

Rosie is still eating, drinking, active and a healthy weight. She's fine in herself other than she's in discomfort when peeing but there's no blood.

 

[Wiebke]

After a week on pain and bloat meds, Rosie was back at the vets today as she's still in pain whilst peeing. The vets thinks it's stones but isn't 100% sure as she disclosed today that she wasn't an exotic specialist despite me requesting to see one when I first booked Rosie in! Anyway, I'm going to take her back to my regular exotic vet who's seen her before (he's just a lot further away).

In the mean time though, Rosie's been given a course of Baytril to have 0.26ml twice daily to rule out any possible infections. I'm slightly wary of antibiotics especially from vets who aren't cavy specialists.

I can't get Rosie back in with my regular vet until next Monday due to my work shift and not having anyone else willing to take her. Do I continue with the course of Baytril just to see if it helps? Do I need a probiotic with it and what type?

Rosie is still eating, drinking, active and a healthy weight. She's fine in herself other than she's in discomfort when peeing but there's no blood.

Please continue with the antibiotic. You can give probiotics at your discretion (about 1 pinch either 1 hour before (US recommendation) or 1-2 hours after the antibiotic (UK recommendation) but if Rosie is not showing any problems with the baytril, it is not necessary.
If she has a very bad reaction to an antibiotic (total loss of appetite), I have found that a course of fibreplex is the most efficient way of getting the guts working again.

Please keep in mind that most piggies have no problems with antibiotics, but any antibiotic can cause a bad reaction in a few guinea pigs. Antibiotics do not just work on the bacteria that cause an infection but also on the gut bacteria that are integral for the digestion.
However, what you come across online is generally all the horror stories when you look into things but not the success stories, so you get a rather skewed picture when it comes to illnesses. That is something you have to always be aware of!

Baytril is still the only officially licensed and therefore most widely prescribed antibiotic for guinea pigs. It can cause softened poos in more cases than other antibiotics in my experience, but in all the years I have been prescribed baytril, I have never had a piggy with more than slightly squishier poos than normal and a slightly suppressed appetite at the worst; nothing that needed any drastic measures of mine because it would automatically right itself afterwards. This experience is mirrored by many long term forum members.

Rosie is either suffering from a stone or from IC (interstitial cystitis).

IC is a recurring inflammation of the bladder walls that does not react to antibiotics and that flares up every few weeks/months; it is usually treated with metacam, which is not just a painkiller but also an anti-inflammatory.
IC is currently not curable but will eventually disappear again by itself; it does NOT cause stones or is potentially fatal. IC causes the same symptoms as URI (which is a bacterial infection cause by faecal bacteria getting into the urinary tract) and bladder stones/sludge, but can only be diagnosed by default once you have excluded UTI and stones. It has become a lot more common over the last decade but we do not yet know what causes it and can therefore only treat the symptoms. A scan should bring clarity re. a stone.

We can help you with tips re. a long term urinary tract problem diet and what support supplements you can give to help the poor beleaguered bladder once you have a diagnosis. We have also got tips for post-op care if it is a stone that causes your symptoms.
You can access our forum guides in a new section or via a shortcut on the top bar now when researching a particular issue. We have included tips for guinea pigs with long term bladder issues in our general diet guide. Guinea Pig Care & Information Guides

 

[gizzy]

Protexin Fibreplex For Rabbits - 15ml Syringe - Animed Direct

This is the best probiotic l've ever used
You can get it from many places! on ebay, pets at home, good pet shops , or off your vet

 

[Cuddles With Cavies]

Please continue with the antibiotic. You can give probiotics at your discretion (about 1 pinch either 1 hour before (US recommendation) or 1-2 hours after the antibiotic (UK recommendation) but if Rosie is not showing any problems with the baytril, it is not necessary.
If she has a very bad reaction to an antibiotic (total loss of appetite), I have found that a course of fibreplex is the most efficient way of getting the guts working again.

Please keep in mind that most piggies have no problems with antibiotics, but any antibiotic can cause a bad reaction in a few guinea pigs. Antibiotics do not just work on the bacteria that cause an infection but also on the gut bacteria that are integral for the digestion.
However, what you come across online is generally all the horror stories when you look into things but not the success stories, so you get a rather skewed picture when it comes to illnesses. That is something you have to always be aware of!

Baytril is still the only officially licensed and therefore most widely prescribed antibiotic for guinea pigs. It can cause softened poos in more cases than other antibiotics in my experience, but in all the years I have been prescribed baytril, I have never had a piggy with more than slightly squishier poos than normal and a slightly suppressed appetite at the worst; nothing that needed any drastic measures of mine because it would automatically right itself afterwards. This experience is mirrored by many long term forum members.

Rosie is either suffering from a stone or from IC (interstitial cystitis).

IC is a recurring inflammation of the bladder walls that does not react to antibiotics and that flares up every few weeks/months; it is usually treated with metacam, which is not just a painkiller but also an anti-inflammatory.
IC is currently not curable but will eventually disappear again by itself; it does NOT cause stones or is potentially fatal. IC causes the same symptoms as URI (which is a bacterial infection cause by faecal bacteria getting into the urinary tract) and bladder stones/sludge, but can only be diagnosed by default once you have excluded UTI and stones. It has become a lot more common over the last decade but we do not yet know what causes it and can therefore only treat the symptoms. A scan should bring clarity re. a stone.

We can help you with tips re. a long term urinary tract problem diet and what support supplements you can give to help the poor beleaguered bladder once you have a diagnosis. We have also got tips for post-op care if it is a stone that causes your symptoms.
You can access our forum guides in a new section or via a shortcut on the top bar now when researching a particular issue. We have included tips for guinea pigs with long term bladder issues in our general diet guide. Guinea Pig Care & Information Guides

Thank you for so much info it's really appreciated! I feel like I've been battling this for most of this year now we little to no improvement. Rosie went to the vets in April who found stones and was able to flush them out without cutting her open. She seemed better since then but has relapsed over the past week or so.

But this vet I just saw wanted to cut her open to see if there where any stones! I asked about an X-ray first to confirm the problem and she said she'd have to ask the specialist. Like please let's not butcher the poor mite if there's no need to

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for so much info it's really appreciated! I feel like I've been battling this for most of this year now we little to no improvement. Rosie went to the vets in April who found stones and was able to flush them out without cutting her open. She seemed better since then but has relapsed over the past week or so.

But this vet I just saw wanted to cut her open to see if there where any stones! I asked about an X-ray first to confirm the problem and she said she'd have to ask the specialist. Like please let's not butcher the poor mite if there's no need to

If you are lucky, Rosie has just passed a small stone. In this case, the bladder will turn out looking extremely clean on a scan/x-ray. But you certainly want to have a look first before you commit to an operation!

 

[Freela]

Baytril is a safe antibiotic for guinea pigs and can help for UTIs. Some pigs get stomach upset from it and others do not (I've been unable to find probiotics for herbivores where I live so have given my pigs Baytril without in the past... two were fine, one did develop some soft poops and got fed 'poop soup' from her healthy cagemate, and the other had normal poops but got very obsessed with trying to eat non-nutritive items, like drywall and carpet, so I'm pretty sure it did bother her stomach.) Hopefully yours will be one of the pigs that tolerates it well!
I agree that an x-ray to look for stones is a smarter approach than a major operation to look for stones! They will look bright white, like bone, on a scan.

 

[Cuddles With Cavies]

Update!

Rosie so far (touch wood) has been fine on the Baytril - no soft poops or loss of appetite. Her discomfort whilst peeing has also seemed to have cleared up, so either she’s passed a small stone or the antibiotics have done their job and sorted out any infection she had. She’s back at the vets on Monday to get the all clear (hopefully!) but right now she’s back to her normal, crazy and mischievous self!