My guinea pig has recently developed a patch on his nose within the last week. It looks very dry and white... Like the skin is cracking off and with that comes the hair also. He doesn't seem to be affected by it and is still eating and playing normally. At some stages it has been bleeding as there are scabs on there also.
Yesterday I took him to my local vet. He was weighed and examined briefly. The vet said it looks like it could be fungal although he is not certain. He gave him a spot on on the back of his neck to ensure any mites or fleas are eradicated. He then prescribed some baytril antibiotics. He has recommended the dose to me etc so it is all ready to go. However after giving him his first dose (has to be done orally by syringe!) I started looking online and discovered that lots of people unfortunately seem to have had their guinea pig pass away after taking baytril. I feel like a wreck with worries and nerves! I am desperately worried for him and I really don't know what the best thing to do is. Any help would be grateley appreciated!
Hi!
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Sadly ivermectin can at the best only temporarily suppress a fungal infection but it cannot cure it. Neither will an antibiotic.
Please note that the vast majority of guinea pigs do NOT have any problems with baytril; if that was really the case, it would have long been taken off the market and not remained the only officially licensed antibiotic for guinea pigs worldwide! This mirrors my personal experience with baytril as a long time owner as well as that of our other long term members/owners.
If baytril causes loss of appetite, then please see your vet promptly and start support feeding fibre ASAP.
Guinea pigs do NOT die from baytril; they usually die from incorrect home care/not seeing a vet promptly after a bad reaction to baytril (which can happen with any antibiotic) or because they are already very ill and baytril is not strong enough or quick enough to heal. We have seen tens of thousands of cases pass through this forum (which is one of the longest running and liveliest ones) since its inception, but while a rare bad reaction to baytril has in a very few cases contributed to the death from other causes (usually in an already very ill piggy struggling to survive), we haven't ever seen a guinea pig dying simply from taking baytril.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
When doing online research, you have to always account for the fact that you will get all the horror stories but rarely the overwhelming majority of success stories that are not considered worth reporting.You will also not always get the true relation of cause and result from people that are very upset over a loss; they often fixate on one particular aspect. We see this regularly on here in posts from people having just los a piggy.
If you have anxiety/panic issues, please stay away from these places! They only give you a panic attack without giving you the full picture and in that respect they are not helpful at all.
The same goes for reading through our health/illness section - we are usually contacted because there is a problem in the first place. This is not necessarily a reflection of how high the real percentage of complications actually is!
Baytril is still by far the most often prescribed antibiotic, so by its very nature it is getting the highest number of complications and complaints which by now has unfortunately become a self-reinforcing dynamic in certain places.
How piggy savvy is the vet you have seen? I am not impressed by them considering a fungal infection but then not treating for it to be honest!
If you notice that the patch is getting worse despite your medication, then please see a vet promptly - but preferably another one.
Recommended UK Vets:
Recommended Guinea Pig Vets
Recommended vets in some other countries:
Guinea Lynx :: GL's Vet List
If you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details, we may be able to help you with more recommendations if there are local members and we can also tailor any recommendations to brands that are available in your country. We have members and enquiries from all over the world. Please click on your username on the top bar, then go to account details and scroll down to location. this will make them appear with every post you make and allow us to always tailor any advice to what is relevant and available where you are straight away. Thank you!
With 
