Do i have to give antibiotics for other guinea pig if she's fine?

[Agne]

Hi I have a problem and I don't know what to do.Last Thursday I took my two female guinea pigs to see vet,because I noticed that one of them have mites,so the vet checked both of them and gave treatment and also I mentioned to him that the same guinea pig that had mites started sneezing,not always but basically when she's in hands,so he gave me antibiotics which I had to give her the same day(but I didn't gave her till today) so I started the course now for 10 days,and vet said that I have to give antibiotics for the second guinea pig as well,but she's absolutely fine!{:|

 

[helen105281]

I would be wary about treating both if the other has no symptoms as antibiotics can be harsh on the gut. I can see why they suggested it though as infections can be airborne. Was it Baytril you were given? If so the pig having it needs to be given probiotics aswell. Avipro Plus is good and can be found on www.vetuk.co.uk, Also what did the vet give for mites? was it a spot on treatment on the nape of the neck? or an injection?

 

[Wiebke]

No, you do not give antibiotics as a prevention. What is the name of the medication, please? I don't think that your piggy has got a chest infection, or it would have deteriorated much quicker. Untreated URI can kill; please always treat promptly and don;t wait a week! URI (upper respiratory tract infection) is pretty infectious and affect other piggies quickly, so your vet was not completely wrong.

What you HAVE to do, is to repeat the mites treatment (ivermectin) at least twice every 10-14 days in order to catch any emerging eggs, and you do have to do that for all piggies living together. I assume that it was topical (applied to the neck) or did your vet give an injection?

Could you please add your country, state (US/AUS) or general area (UK) to your details. We have members from all over the world and our advice can differ quite a bit accordingly. You can do so in settings (very top of the page)/edit profile/location.

 

[Nicola]

Antibiotics kill everything in their path, including good gut flora which can lead to a bad balance of healthy bacteria.
Respiratory infections go downhill fast, if she had a respiratory infection she wouldn't just be sneezing, she'd have crusty eyes, nasal discharge and be lethargic.

 

[Agne]

Médication given by vet is Baytril,the reason why I waited for a week is that I wasnt sure if she needs them,because she doesnt have other symptoms exept sneezing and she starts sneezing basicly just when you pick her up from cage,i thought the reason why she sneezes is that she doesnt like my parfumé or cream,cause they have very sensitive nosies and i told that to vet too,but he still gave me antibiotics.So yesterday when i was holding her she sneezed and i noticed water drops around her nose, thats why I started the course.

 

[Agne]

And about mites...i noticted that she had lost her hair on left side back leg its on the top,and there was scraches,dandruffs and the skin looked terrible,that area doesnt have hair at all,so the next day i took her to vet,where she got the treatment on her back(another guinea pig got the treatment as well).

 

[Wiebke]

It sounds rather like an allergy. Perhaps you may want to stop using that cream and go for an unperfumed one instead? Or thoroughly wash your hands before you handle her to see whether that makes a difference? I agree that it doesn't sound like a full blown URI.

Please note that both piggies will need another 2-3 repeat treatments with a good ivermectin product (not a low dosed pet shop one) in order to prevent a return of the mites. The correct interval is 10-14 days.

 

[MerryPip]

I agree it doesn't sound like she has a URI, more like an allergy. I would stop using the cream or perfume that seems to bother her. One of my boys gets sneezy with a lot of things including grass, large amounts of hay and dusty bedding so we have him on vet bed with a hay container so he doesn't get too bad. Once you know what sets them off you can make sure you can remove or reduce their exposure to that thing.

The vet will probably have given you Baytril just to make sure that there is no infection as sometimes piggies cover illness well and it's not easy to confirm.