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Probiotics with Orbax?

Sakano

Sakano

Junior Guinea Pig
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I took my guinea pig back to the vet today because he's been getting worse. The vet told him to continue giving him orbax. I showed him that I was giving him probiotic too after the orbax and he said to stop giving it to him because it was taxing his system and they didn't need it with orbax. What do you think? I'm really concerned.

My guinea pig has lost a lot of weight since Monday. He went from 2lbs to 1.14 lbs. I've been feeding him critical care but it doesn't seem to be helping him retain weight. The vet took an ultrasound today and said his bladder walls were thick from an infection. Anyone else have that issue with their guinea pigs?
 
@Sakano A quick Google shows that Orbax is a prettt strong antibiotic and some pigs can't tolerate it and so stop eating. Probiotics are recommended. I'm not sure why your vet would say to stop them as my vet says that they do no harm.

Is your pig eating at all? You'll need to increase the syring feeding if not.
 
I tend to agree.
Probiotics don't tax the system - they support it.
How cavy savvy is your vet?

I would continue with the probiotic (an hour before or after the antibiotics) and also increase the syringe feeding to try and stabilize the weight.

Ideally if your guinea pig is not eating much then you need to syringe - 80 - 100mls per day. I personally found that the only realitic way to achive this in a very poorly piggy was to syringe feed every 4 hours during the day, and then have a 6 hour break overnight (I tedned to feed at midnight and then again at 6am becasue this fitted my routine).
 
I don't think he's very cavy savvy, but unfortunately he's the only one around here who will even see guinea pigs.

I've been syringe feeding him, but I don't think things are looking too good for him today. I got up to syringe feed and when I would feed him before he would chew his food but this time I'm not even sure if he swallowed it. It kind of was just sitting in his mouth . He eventually swallowed after I gave him some water to help.

He stopped eating before he took the orbax. He was taking bactrim before for a UTI.
 
I'm really upset. He started to eat on his own on Thursday and I thought he was over the worst of it. But then the next day he was in even worse shape than before.
 
Oh no - have you had a look at the recommended vets on this forum to see if there is one in travelling distance? Everything is much harder at weekends too. I found a cavy savvy vet an hour from my home using the vet checker on here and, honestly, the difference between him and my local vet is night and day. Its so worth travelling further if at all possible.

All the best, hope your piggy can get some treatment to start recovering.
 
Unfortunately all those vets are in the UK and I'm in the US.
There is another vet about an hour away that treats guinea pigs. I'm hoping they will give him an IV if that's something that can be done for guinea pigs. If not I don't think he's going to last.
 
You can only do so much. Hopefully this vet can help. Guinea lynx has recommended US vets i think. Best wishes
 
I took him to an emergency vet but they said he had a kidney stone and pneumonia. They said he was too far gone and put him down
 
I am sorry for your loss. Take comfort in the fact you got him to a place where his suffering was ended. He is at peace now.
 
Sakano said:
I took him to an emergency vet but they said he had a kidney stone and pneumonia. They said he was too far gone and put him down
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I am really sorry to hear that but he was clearly very ill and both of those conditions are a lot to deal with on their own let alone together. Having him put to sleep was the last kindness you could give him, we have a rainbow bridge section when/if you feel the need to share a tribute
 
Thanks. .. I just wish there was something more I could have done for him. I wish I had taken him to the emergency vet earlier..maybe something could have been done to save him. He was only two years old, he was so young
 
Sakano said:
Thanks. .. I just wish there was something more I could have done for him. I wish I had taken him to the emergency vet earlier..maybe something could have been done to save him. He was only two years old, he was so young
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He was young but with stones they often require surgery and with pneumonia it would have been very difficult for him to take anaesthetic. You did what you could and sometimes it doesn't matter what we do it will never be enough. I lost a piggy to pneumonia a few years ago and she had several health problems. The vet was very clear with me that we needed to get on top of the pneumonia before we could even contemplate surgery, she died that same night
 
That's really sad. I'm sorry to hear about your pig too.
 
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