Enrofloxacin (baytril)

[Smore86]

Hi all- I’m new to this group and very happy that I found it.

My Guinea pig S’more had signs of a URI, I took her to the vet as soon as I notice and they prescribed her Baytril for two weeks. She finished the meds and I wasn’t confident that the URI was gone (but she was eating, pooping and doing everything normal on that medication). I took her back in for a check up and the doctor said she didn’t have the gunk in the eyes anymore, and didn’t notice anything but if I wasn’t confident all the symptoms were gone she will prescribe enrofloxacin. So she’s been on enrofloxacin for two days and I’m noticing she’s not eating much, laying around more and doesn’t seem like her happy self, I read some side effects may be loss of appetite and depression in guinea pigs... my question is, should I stop the medication because she seems worse on it?

 

[Siikibam]

Please don’t stop the medicine unless you’ve spoken to the vet. Some antibiotics can lead to loss of appetite. You’ll have to step in and syringe feed her. Weigh her daily at the same time and adjust the syringe feed accordingly. You are aiming to help her maintain so feed her every couple of hours during the day.

I’ve no experience with enroflaxin nor the side effects so can’t help you with that I’m afraid. What made you think the URI wasn’t gone? What symptoms did she still have? Did the vet check her over again before prescribing the enroflaxin?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Enrofloxacin is the active ingredient in the product brand named Baytril. You’ve been given the same medication this time as you were given for the first two weeks.

You need a vet to confirm whether the lungs are clear and whether piggy is better or not before deciding whether to use more medication. You must not stop giving a medication without consulting a vet.

Antibiotics can wipe out their good gut bacteria and disrupt their appetite. Please step in with syringe feeding her and weigh her daily so you can ensure she is getting enough food. You can also give a probiotic as that can help settle the gut.
Once she is fully recovered from the URI, and is off the meds, her appetite will return.

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all- I’m new to this group and very happy that I found it.

My Guinea pig S’more had signs of a URI, I took her to the vet as soon as I notice and they prescribed her Baytril for two weeks. She finished the meds and I wasn’t confident that the URI was gone (but she was eating, pooping and doing everything normal on that medication). I took her back in for a check up and the doctor said she didn’t have the gunk in the eyes anymore, and didn’t notice anything but if I wasn’t confident all the symptoms were gone she will prescribe enrofloxacin. So she’s been on enrofloxacin for two days and I’m noticing she’s not eating much, laying around more and doesn’t seem like her happy self, I read some side effects may be loss of appetite and depression in guinea pigs... my question is, should I stop the medication because she seems worse on it?

Hi

Enrofloxacin is the active ingredient in baytril; so your piggy is basically on a second course of it.

If you have concerns, contact your vet clinic on their advice whether you should stop or not. We are not qualified to tell you to stop a prescribed treatment.

Please step in with feeding and watering support as much as needed. Use your kitchen scales to weigh your boy daily at the same time in the feeding cycle (I prefer to do this first thing in the morning when the weight is lowest) and adjust the feeding frequency to how much your piggy takes with every session and how his weight is (loss or ideally stabilising).

The green guide links in the post above give you all the practical step-by-step information, including where exactly to cut off the syringe tip if you have to improvise with mushed up pellets to allow the rougher fibre strands in pellets to pass through the narrow bit of the syringe.

All the best!

 

[geagleiam]

Do you have any idea whether the medicine Enrofloxacin will retain its effect if it is dissolved in warm water?
Thanks in advance for your attention!

 

[sport_billy]

Do you have any idea whether the medicine Enrofloxacin will retain its effect if it is dissolved in warm water?
Thanks in advance for your attention!

Unsure why you would want to dilute this anti biotic with water? Is there a reason for this question?
Also this thread is four years old. If you are after health and illness advice then please start a new thread.

 

[Wiebke]

Do you have any idea whether the medicine Enrofloxacin will retain its effect if it is dissolved in warm water?
Thanks in advance for your attention!

Hi

Baytril is as bad tasting as they come. Dissolving it with water (cold or warm) won't make it go down any easier and no self-respecting piggy will touch it.

The best way is to syringe it pure (so it goes inside in one fell swoop, follow up with cool water to wash the taste away and then with a favourite treat. If you skip the mouth rinse, unfortunately the treat will end up tasting of baytril.

Thread 'All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures'

Mar 9, 2022

Introduction
1 Choosing the right place to medicate/feed your piggy
2 Guinea pig whispering and asserting your authority
3 Recovery products and emergency improvisation
4 Syringe recommendations
5 Weight monitoring: your biggest ally
6 Weight loss guidelines and when to step in with feeding
7 Syringe feeding amounts/frequency advice
8 Practical medication and syringing tips (incl. missed a dose)
9 Medicating and feeding cooperative guinea pigs (videos)
10 Medicating and feeding uncooperative guinea pigs (hold pictures and tips)
11 The line between...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 0
• Forum: Health & Illness Support Corner

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All the best.

 

[BossHogg]

What's the one that smelt like banana, my piggies would have their mouths open ready and that was just opening the bottle!

 

[Qualcast&Flymo]

What's the one that smelt like banana, my piggies would have their mouths open ready and that was just opening the bottle!

I think that was Septrin or Sulfatrim

 

[BossHogg]

Whatever it was, my lot were like baby sparrows mouth wide open waiting to be fed by mama bird.

 

[Wiebke]

What's the one that smelt like banana, my piggies would have their mouths open ready and that was just opening the bottle!

Unfortunately that was pediatric septrin (UK brand name for bactrim - active ingredient: trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or TMP/SMX)

 

[BossHogg]

It was prescribed by the vet.

 

[Wiebke]

It was prescribed by the vet.

That was in the days before it was officially licensed - the adult concentration and produced for vets in the UK under brand name sulfatrim.

But it has nothing to do with Baytril (active ingredient: enrofloxacin). They are currently the two officially licensed antibiotics for guinea pigs.

 

[HollysKingdom]

I’ve been told by several different vets in the past few years to dilute baytril with water because its caustic. I’ve just found the most recent bottle in the kitchen cupboard and the data sheet says -

“The undiluted vetinary medicinal product is strongly alkaline and, therefore to avoid caustic effects, it is essential to dilute the product with at least 4 parts water prior to administration. In the case of smaller animals (wieghing less than 500g), it may be appropriate to dilute 0.1ml of the neat product with >4 parts water and administer a proportion of the total volume.”

So, they want us to dilute it before getting it in the piggy’s mouth. It doesn’t say anything about the temperature of the water though. Hope this is useful.

And Bandit has been having the sticky banana flavoured one (co trimoxazole) recently - she hates it “you tricked me hooman, just gimme the metacam”

 

[piggieminder]

That's a different version of the Baytril most vets prescribe, the normal one is already mixed to the correct strength (in a suspension?). I was given that type once when there was a shortage of the normal one and it was all my vet could get. I just mixed it with cold water I don't remember there being any mention of water temperature.

 

[piggieminder]

That's a different version of the Baytril most vets prescribe, the normal one is already mixed to the correct strength (in a suspension?). I was given that type once when there was a shortage of the normal one and it was all my vet could get. I just mixed it with cold water I don't remember there being any mention of water temperature.

 

[Wiebke]

I’ve been told by several different vets in the past few years to dilute baytril with water because its caustic. I’ve just found the most recent bottle in the kitchen cupboard and the data sheet says -

“The undiluted vetinary medicinal product is strongly alkaline and, therefore to avoid caustic effects, it is essential to dilute the product with at least 4 parts water prior to administration. In the case of smaller animals (wieghing less than 500g), it may be appropriate to dilute 0.1ml of the neat product with >4 parts water and administer a proportion of the total volume.”

So, they want us to dilute it before getting it in the piggy’s mouth. It doesn’t say anything about the temperature of the water though. Hope this is useful.

And Bandit has been having the sticky banana flavoured one (co trimoxazole) recently - she hates it “you tricked me hooman, just gimme the metacam”

OK - You have been given a version that is not yet diluted, unlike what vets usually dispense. You are the first on here who has been given this version, hence the confusion.

Use normal cold tap water unless stated differently on the sheet.

 

[HollysKingdom]

That's a different version of the Baytril most vets prescribe, the normal one is already mixed to the correct strength (in a suspension?). I was given that type once when there was a shortage of the normal one and it was all my vet could get. I just mixed it with cold water I don't remember there being any mention of water temperature.

Ah ok, that makes sense, thank you I’m struggling to remember when we last had baytril in a little brown pill bottle. Maybe the concentrated one became the norm for us (lets blame covid). So, like dog vs cat metacam, be careful of which one we’re dealing with, huh? Also, I guess they can still have some plain water after?

 

[piggieminder]

Yes you can wash it down with water after if you wish. If mine are on Baytril and Metacam I tend to give the Baytril followed by Metacam as they love that and will take the Baytril quickly in anticipation!

 

[HollysKingdom]

Yes you can wash it down with water after if you wish. If mine are on Baytril and Metacam I tend to give the Baytril followed by Metacam as they love that and will take the Baytril quickly in anticipation!

Thank you, and yes so do we, Bandit wasn’t falling for that trick with the banana stuff though