Experiences with doxycycline?

[Deleted member 139433]

Hi all,
So Loki is still on doxycycline, frusol, metacam and gut stimulants (cisapride and metoclopramide) after a trip to the emergency vets with breathing difficulties last weekend.
Whilst the antibiotics and frusol are doing wonders for his breathing (huge improvement), he’s really not himself. Very lethargic, dragging himself around, loss of appetite. He is eating a little, but I’m syringing every few hours to keep his weight up.
I feel it’s most likely the doxycycline causing this as we had to take Odin off of it when he was poorly because he stopped eating.
It is helping his breathing though!

anyone else had similar? Is there a similar antibiotic that I could switch to? Or should I just continue supporting him through his course of it?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all,
So Loki is still on doxycycline, frusol, metacam and gut stimulants (cisapride and metoclopramide) after a trip to the emergency vets with breathing difficulties last weekend.
Whilst the antibiotics and frusol are doing wonders for his breathing (huge improvement), he’s really not himself. Very lethargic, dragging himself around, loss of appetite. He is eating a little, but I’m syringing every few hours to keep his weight up.
I feel it’s most likely the doxycycline causing this as we had to take Odin off of it when he was poorly because he stopped eating.
It is helping his breathing though!

anyone else had similar? Is there a similar antibiotic that I could switch to? Or should I just continue supporting him through his course of it?

Hi!

Please contact your vet to discuss the problem. However, as the doxycycline is obviously doing the trick it may be best to push through it with feeding support.

Guinea pigs can have a bad reaction to any antibiotic but it is always a minority. Doxycycline is not used so much for guinea pigs in the UK (it is one of the unlicensed antibiotics) so we don't have the depth of experience apart from episodal that we have with more commonly used antibiotics. Since I have never had it prescribed for piggies of mine, I also don't have any personal experience.

Poo soup and fibreplex are in my own experience the best to help on that score. if your boy doesn't like the fibreplex, mixing it with the syringe feed or some mushed up pellets usually does the trick.
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

I won’t have doxycycline for any of our piggies for exactly this reason. I’ve always found Zithromax the best for anything respiratory but have also had very good results with Marbocyl, initially injected for the first few days and then moving onto the tablet version.

 

[Deleted member 139433]

Thank you both. I have a bottle of Zithromax but don’t really want to swap anything without checking with the vet first (who are now closed for the weekend). I think I’ll just have to keep supporting him through it at the moment. I’ve ordered some more fibreplex. I only have Pro C in at the moment but will keep mixing that with the syringe feed. I did think Marbocyl as it was one Kim and Simon at Cat and Rabbit recommended should Odin need any URI antibiotics. They said it was less likely to upset the guts.

 

[Deleted member 139433]

I managed to speak to the vet and they are reluctant to change from the doxycycline as it’s specific and is helping his breathing. So I’m to just continue supporting him with syringe feeding and making sure he’s passing droppings

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you both. I have a bottle of Zithromax but don’t really want to swap anything without checking with the vet first (who are now closed for the weekend). I think I’ll just have to keep supporting him through it at the moment. I’ve ordered some more fibreplex. I only have Pro C in at the moment but will keep mixing that with the syringe feed. I did think Marbocyl as it was one Kim and Simon at Cat and Rabbit recommended should Odin need any URI antibiotics. They said it was less likely to upset the guts.

Zithromax is well tolerated by most piggies; but when it when wipes the gut it does so rather completely. I have had to nurse some piggies on make or break zithromax treatment through a double course of it. Hopefully you can get through the worst of the doxy over the weekend!

You will still need to carry on with feeding and gut microbiome support as a course of antibiotics builds up to optimal efficiency and then continues to work for a number of days so improvement in terms of eating won't be immediate.