Is Baytril Necessary?

[Adrianne88]

I took my Jellybean to the vet yesterday because she's had a stuffy nose.
The vet said her lungs sounded fine and she had no signs of a URI but that she could be developing allergies. So he recommended starting her on benadryl which I have to pick up today from a compound pharmacy. And he said she could also start Baytril just to avoid it possibly turning into a URI.
But my concern is if she doesn't need it, I certainly don't want to make her take it. I've heard so many bad stories about Baytril. I'm a litte paranoid now. I do have a probiotic I can give her.
I guess I'm looking for a little advise.
She's eating and drinking normally. She's not as active during floor time anymore but I think that could possibly be that she is 4. Again I'm not certain of this.

 

[sport_billy]

Sounds like they are covering bases in case it is a URI brewing. What dose?

 

[Freela]

Honestly, I would give the Baytril, if only because URIs can get out of hand so quickly with guinea pigs. It's possible for a stuffy-sounding nose to be the only real symptom of an infection (Hadley was treated for a URI last year without her lungs sounding congested- still improved on antibiotics.) You really don't want any potential infection to spread to the lungs. Some pigs do have stomach upset from Baytril but other pigs are completely fine on it. Out of my pigs, two were completely fine on Baytril (and one was on it long-term as a suppressive med for chronic UTI.) One did have some stomach upset on it, but nothing severe. The other I suspect also had some minor stomach upset, but the only real symptoms of this was trying to eat non-nutritive items (she was suddenly trying to eat the drywall, trying to eat the bedding, trying to eat the carpet, etc.) None of my pigs ever had any side effect that was more serious than a progressing respiratory infection would have been. Hope this helps a bit!

 

[Wiebke]

I took my Jellybean to the vet yesterday because she's had a stuffy nose.
The vet said her lungs sounded fine and she had no signs of a URI but that she could be developing allergies. So he recommended starting her on benadryl which I have to pick up today from a compound pharmacy. And he said she could also start Baytril just to avoid it possibly turning into a URI.
But my concern is if she doesn't need it, I certainly don't want to make her take it. I've heard so many bad stories about Baytril. I'm a litte paranoid now. I do have a probiotic I can give her.
I guess I'm looking for a little advise.
She's eating and drinking normally. She's not as active during floor time anymore but I think that could possibly be that she is 4. Again I'm not certain of this.

Any vet will treat for URI if there is the least hint or doubt of any, just because it is such a killer. Only when that has been safely excluded will they look further afield.

What you have to be aware of whenever doing your own online research is that you inevitably get all the horror stories, but rarely the success stories; the picture is inevitably badly skewed!
Baytril is still the by far the most prescribed antibiotic because in the vast majority of cases is doesn't cause any problems beyond slightly softer poos at the worst and it is tolerated by most piggies.
Most long term forum members can attest that they have not had any problems with it apart from the ones that have specifically joined this forum for help when their piggy lost its appetite - but that can happen with any antibiotic and is not exclusive to baytril. I've just nursed one of my piggy through two lots of antibiotic (not baytril) despite total loss appetite; but she has been able to keep her eye and didn't need to have it removed at 6 years of age. Her appetite has returned afterwards.

Unless your piggy really has a bad reaction, I would strongly recommend to give the baytril. You can mitigate the impact by either giving a pinch of probiotic 1 hour before (US recommendation) or 1-2 hours after UK recommendation) the antibiotic. It is best given dissolved in 1 ml of water and then syringed.

 

[Adrianne88]

Sounds like they are covering bases in case it is a URI brewing. What dose?

I'm not sure of the dose yet. I have to pick up both medications this afternoon at a compound pharmacy. I can post it when I do find out though.

 

[sport_billy]

Good advice from Wiebke and Freela above there x

 

[Adrianne88]

Any vet will treat for URI if there is the least hint or doubt of any, just because it is such a killer. Only when that has been safely excluded will they look further afield.

What you have to be aware of whenever doing your own online research is that you inevitably get all the horror stories, but rarely the success stories; the picture is inevitably badly skewed!
Baytril is still the by far the most prescribed antibiotic because in the vast majority of cases is doesn't cause any problems beyond slightly softer poos at the worst and it is tolerated by most piggies.
Most long term forum members can attest that they have not had any problems with it apart from the ones that have specifically joined this forum for help when their piggy lost its appetite - but that can happen with any antibiotic and is not exclusive to baytril. I've just nursed one of my piggy through two lots of antibiotic (not baytril) despite total loss appetite; but she has been able to keep her eye and didn't need to have it removed at 6 years of age. Her appetite has returned afterwards.

Unless your piggy really has a bad reaction, I would strongly recommend to give the baytril. You can mitigate the impact by either giving a pinch of probiotic 1 hour before (US recommendation) or 1-2 hours after UK recommendation) the antibiotic. It is best given dissolved in 1 ml of water and then syringed.

This makes me feel a whole lot better. This is very helpful information. I just wanted to see what your thoughts were on this. So I thought I would just ask.
I will post the doses as soon as the medications are called into the pharmacy. Have you ever heard of guinea pigs being put on benadryl? That's a new one for me. It's another one being compounded for her.

And Jellybean says hi and thanks you for your advise!❤

 

[sport_billy]

I have seen benadryl mentioned on guinea lynx forums

 

[sport_billy]

Jellybean is lush, sending her love x

 

[Wiebke]

This makes me feel a whole lot better. This is very helpful information. I just wanted to see what your thoughts were on this. So I thought I would just ask.
I will post the doses as soon as the medications are called into the pharmacy. Have you ever heard of guinea pigs being put on benadryl? That's a new one for me. It's another one being compounded for her.

And Jellybean says hi and thanks you for your advise!❤ View attachment 81809

Benadryl is used as allergy relief; so your vet is doing a two-pronged approach.

 

[Adrianne88]

I just gave her the first dose of each. I spoke to the pharmacist which surprisingly enough actually knew quite a bit about guinea pigs and he said these 2 medications are a good recommendation from her vet. She's taking Enrofloxacin 0.19ml every 24 hours and diphenhydramine 0.05ml every 12 hours.

 

[Adrianne88]

Jellybean is lush, sending her love x

Thanks so much!❤

 

[Adrianne88]

I've noticed jellybean is a lot more playful than she has been lately, however she's not pooping nearly as much. After dinner there's usually a present left behind but there's nothing.

 

[Adrianne88]

Any vet will treat for URI if there is the least hint or doubt of any, just because it is such a killer. Only when that has been safely excluded will they look further afield.

What you have to be aware of whenever doing your own online research is that you inevitably get all the horror stories, but rarely the success stories; the picture is inevitably badly skewed!
Baytril is still the by far the most prescribed antibiotic because in the vast majority of cases is doesn't cause any problems beyond slightly softer poos at the worst and it is tolerated by most piggies.
Most long term forum members can attest that they have not had any problems with it apart from the ones that have specifically joined this forum for help when their piggy lost its appetite - but that can happen with any antibiotic and is not exclusive to baytril. I've just nursed one of my piggy through two lots of antibiotic (not baytril) despite total loss appetite; but she has been able to keep her eye and didn't need to have it removed at 6 years of age. Her appetite has returned afterwards.

Unless your piggy really has a bad reaction, I would strongly recommend to give the baytril. You can mitigate the impact by either giving a pinch of probiotic 1 hour before (US recommendation) or 1-2 hours after UK recommendation) the antibiotic. It is best given dissolved in 1 ml of water and then syringed.

I've noticed jellybean is a lot more playful than she has been lately, however she's not pooping nearly as much. After dinner there's usually a present left behind but there's nothing. She's also not wanting to eat her hay as much or her pellets. She's eating her veggies just fine though. I started giving her a probiotic. Not sure of the name, but it's like a banana flavored cream in a tube. Do you have any suggestions?

 

[Wiebke]

I've noticed jellybean is a lot more playful than she has been lately, however she's not pooping nearly as much. After dinner there's usually a present left behind but there's nothing. She's also not wanting to eat her hay as much or her pellets. She's eating her veggies just fine though. I started giving her a probiotic. Not sure of the name, but it's like a banana flavored cream in a tube. Do you have any suggestions?

Please weigh her daily at the same time like before you feed their breakfast or dinner (as you cannot reliably control the food intake, especially of hay, any other way) and if necessary start topping her up with mushed up pellets or recovery formula powder, as much as she wants to help stabilise the weight if she has lost over 50g/2 oz. You may need to prep the syringe tip as shown in our syringe feeding guide if necessary to allow fibre to come through.
Your poo output always reflects what she has eaten 1-2 days ago. You can mix the probiotic into the syringe feed top up if you wish to. Cheap kitchen scales from a supermarket will do the trick as you look for relative changes from one day to the next.

The appetite will return again after the end of the course of antibiotic and the weight will come back in due time.

Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig

 

[Adrianne88]

Please weigh her daily at the same time like before you feed their breakfast or dinner (as you cannot reliably control the food intake, especially of hay, any other way) and if necessary start topping her up with mushed up pellets or recovery formula powder, as much as she wants to help stabilise the weight if she has lost over 50g/2 oz. You may need to prep the syringe tip as shown in our syringe feeding guide if necessary to allow fibre to come through.
Your poo output always reflects what she has eaten 1-2 days ago. You can mix the probiotic into the syringe feed top up if you wish to. Cheap kitchen scales from a supermarket will do the trick as you look for relative changes from one day to the next.

The appetite will return again after the end of the course of antibiotic and the weight will come back in due time.

Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig

Jellybean went downhill really fast and isn' moving. She's scooting around but lethargic and lifeless. She fine about 2 hours ago so I am taking her to the animal hospital and hopefully I can stop being hysterical so I get her and me there safely

 

[Wiebke]

Jellybean went downhill really fast and isn' moving. She's scooting around but lethargic and lifeless. She fine about 2 hours ago so I am taking her to the animal hospital and hopefully I can stop being hysterical so I get her and me there safely

HUGS

All the best! You are doing the right thing. Lethargy is always a most worrying sign that needs to be seen as a life and death emergency.

 

[Adrianne88]

HUGS

All the best! You are doing the right thing. Lethargy is always a most worrying sign that needs to be seen as a life and death emergency.

Thank you so much for your support.
She wasn't able to move her legs last night and was laying on her side. She was kind if dragging herself to move around. I took her in and the x-rays showed extreme bloat and gas. So she has to have a procedure done today to help remove the gas because it's so bad. She has GI Stasis. But they found a partial contorsion of her stomach.
I just don't even know what to think or say. I'm heartbroken. I' completely devastated about this

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much for your support.
She wasn't able to move her legs last night and was laying on her side. She was kind if dragging herself to move around. I took her in and the x-rays showed extreme bloat and gas. So she has to have a procedure done today to help remove the gas because it's so bad. She has GI Stasis. But they found a partial contorsion of her stomach.
I just don't even know what to think or say. I'm heartbroken. I' completely devastated about this

HUGS!

Contorsions are bad news even in humans. It is not something that you can prevent or foresee; they happen out of the blue and can happen to anybody.

Please keep sending her loving thoughts, but brace yourself for the likely possibility that she may not make it. Please feel as sad and upset as you need to, but do not feel that you have failed her in anyway. It is one of these nightmares that we all dread. I am ever so sorry it is happening to you.

 

[Wilbur&Otis]

So sorry to read this. You have acted quickly and given jellybean the best possible chance. Got my fingers and toes crossed that she makes it. X

 

[Adrianne88]

Thank you so much for your support.
She wasn't able to move her legs last night and was laying on her side. She was kind if dragging herself to move around. I took her in and the x-rays showed extreme bloat and gas. So she has to have a procedure done today to help remove the gas because it's so bad. She has GI Stasis. But they found a partial contorsion of her stomach.
I just don't even know what to think or say. I'm heartbroken. I' completely devastated about this

She made it through the procedure and they were able to fix the contortion. They eliminated about half the gas built up and she's about half the size she was when she went in. This is a miracle. It truly is. The doctors were amazing to her and she amazed them with her strength and will to live. She spent 2 nights in the hospital. And I finally have her back home.
She still has gas built up so we have her taking a probiotic, pain medication, gas drops and an antibiotic because of the surgery she had. Anesthesia was too risky so she was sedated and they made a small incision in her side to help relieve the gas. She has one staple that will need to be removed in about 10 days. And will have more x rays then.
In the meantime she is eating and drinking. And she is pooping normally. (Don't think I've ever been so happy about poop before.)
She's also on something to help the metabolism speed up. And it all seems to be working but she is very doppy.
I am hopeful she will make a full recovery. Thank you for your support.
I love her so much. I was truly hysterical when I thought I was going to lose her.

 

[Adrianne88]

So sorry to read this. You have acted quickly and given jellybean the best possible chance. Got my fingers and toes crossed that she makes it. X

Thank you so much. She' truly a miracle guinea pig. She's a fighter and made it out of surgery and is back home with me.

 

[Adrianne88]

HUGS

All the best! You are doing the right thing. Lethargy is always a most worrying sign that needs to be seen as a life and death emergency.

I keep having people tell me she's just a rodent. And I hate it. I really do. This guinea pig means the world to me. She will be 4 this month. And I will spend as much money as it takes to keep her healthy. It was very costly she's had several x-rays and here in the United States it' quite expensive. Ended up costing about $1200.00 but she's worth every bit of that and more.

 

[Wiebke]

I keep having people tell me she's just a rodent. And I hate it. I really do. This guinea pig means the world to me. She will be 4 this month. And I will spend as much money as it takes to keep her healthy. It was very costly she's had several x-rays and here in the United States it' quite expensive. Ended up costing about $1200.00 but she's worth every bit of that and more.

Just get used to it and don't let it get to you! The poor ignorant sods have no idea what they are missing out on!

Also get used to - usually men - telling you that they eat guinea pigs in Peru.
If they areally annoy me (usually when they tell me that they tasted great), I tell them that until two or three generations ago they still eat people's heads in the Pacific and that brain was considered a delicacy... But that it would be very nice if it would become unnecessary to bring these things up in civilised company!
The other way you can silence them is to ask them for a pound/dollar towards your collection jar; every twenty dollars of somebody finding it necessary to inform you of this particular fact, you are sending a donation to a guinea pig rescue that is looking after all the dumped, neglected or unwanted children's pets that are so cheaply sold in pet shops.
If they are online, I just delete and ban them without getting upset!

Just think of the fun I am having when I am telling people that I currently have around 30 piggies. And no, I am not breeding them (that is generally the second question); my boars are all neutered because all my cavies are rescue adoptees ranging from dumped kiddies' pets to the sorry results of uncontrolled breeding with about everything in between! The last thing I want is even more unplanned babies. Somebody, after all, HAS to pick up the pieces of a throwaway society that too often has not the first idea about the pets they buy!
That generally silences any snickering and makes them hopefully think a little bit!