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Question re dosage of Septrin

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katiepops

katiepops

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Hi all, I'd really like some advice before I start giving Spike the medication that the vet has given him.
He's been in this week for an x-ray, ultra sound and urine tests as he was squeaking when peeing and a two week course of Baytril has made no difference. The vet said she wanted to re x-ray with a GA incase they'd missed a stone and mentioned a procedure about putting something in the bladder to colour it so stones show up? I stopped listening as she started it with " it's not something I've done before..." and decided if we need to go down that route I'll go to an exotics specialist which she agreed would be a good idea.

The vet said we could leave him and see how he is (as he's not squeeking every time!) or try him on a different antibiotic. I obviously don't want to leave him being uncomfortable or in pain.
I'd not heard of the antibiotic she was going to try and asked if she thought it could be cystitis and that I believed Septrin was usually prescribed for that. (thanks to the advice from people on this forum) She said she would be happy for us to try that. When I collected it this afternoon it said 1.6ml twice daily. (Septrin Adult Suspension) and has given me 32ml.
I'm sure people advised between 0.5-0.7ml depending on the weight of the pig so I queried it and she said it was correct. (he weighs 1296g)
I obviously don't want to give him too much or too little. Does anyone know if this amount is ok? Sounds like a lot to me.
She also gave me Metacam Oral Suspension and said to give 1ml daily.

Sorry for the long post, I want to be sure I'm giving him the right thing.
 
I have given 0.5 ml of septrin twice daily to Nerys who is about 1300g, which is about in the middle of what you can prescribe and the dose verified on here, as well as 0.1 ml of metacam once daily. Your vet has got the doses absolutely right!

If you want, you can also give some probiotic to help the gut flora. Thankfully, septrin is a lot gentler on the system than baytril and most piggies LOVE septrin because of its banana flavour!

You may have to do another course of septrin, as it doesn't work as quickly as baytril; 2-4 weeks is usually what you are looking for.

Best wishes for your poorly boy!
 
Wiebke said:
I have given 0.5 ml of septrin twice daily to Nerys who is about 1300g, which is about in the middle of what you can prescribe, as well as 0.1 ml of metacam. Your vet has got the doses absolutely right!

If you want, you can also give some probiotic to help the gut flora. Thankfully, septrin is a lot gentler on the system than baytril and most piggies LOVE septrin because of its banana flavour!

You may have to do another course of septrin, as it doesn't work as quickly as baytril; 2-4 weeks is usually what you are looking for.

Best wishes for your poorly boy!
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Thanks Wiebke. She said to give 1.6ml twice daily not 0.6ml, is that right?!
 
1.6ml would be about the daily dose split into two one in the morning one in the afternoon preferably about 12 hours apart. This is a relatively high dose but I have used this with Fanny adams with great success.
I had paediactric suspension septrin (banana flavour) It should be 40mg/200mg per 5ml strength.

Adult strength septrin is 80mg/400mg and twice the strength of what is usually used. I would use caution and go back to your vet at double the strength you would only need half the ammount 0.25ml tice a day by my estimations but it has been the end of a long day! Sure Laura will be along to put me right if I am wrong :)

1ml of metacam is a huge dose as weibke says 0.1ml per day up to 0.3ml if necessary.

Fanny adams was x-rayed without GA for her bladder stone so no need for GA.

rate watchers diet can also help with bladder stones it was devised by Karen at Reading Guinea Pig Rescue links are on her site.

PLEASE CHECK THE ADULT V'S PAEDIATRIC SUSPENSION DOSAGES BEFORE GIVING ANY TO YOUR GUINEA PIG.
 
Fanny showed no stones on xray but had a large ammount of sludge in her bladder with very small stones which would have been difficult to pass. She had a cystotomy which was a maual flushing of the bladder and this helped her hugely relieveing the irritation which was causing her bladder wall to thicken. This was performed my my exotics vet who is very experienced in Guinea pig surgery and she recovered very well. Off to find you a link for rate watchers :)
 
Vikki said:
1.6ml would be about the daily dose split into two one in the morning one in the afternoon preferably about 12 hours apart. This is a relatively high dose but I have used this with Fanny adams with great success.
I had paediactric suspension septrin (banana flavour) It should be 40mg/200mg per 5ml strength.

Adult strength septrin is 80mg/400mg and twice the strength of what is usually used. I would use caution and go back to your vet at double the strength you would only need half the ammount 0.25ml tice a day by my estimations but it has been the end of a long day! Sure Laura will be along to put me right if I am wrong :)

1ml of metacam is a huge dose as weibke says 0.1ml per day up to 0.3ml if necessary.

Fanny adams was x-rayed without GA for her bladder stone so no need for GA.

rate watchers diet can also help with bladder stones it was devised by Karen at Reading Guinea Pig Rescue links are on her site.

PLEASE CHECK THE ADULT V'S PAEDIATRIC SUSPENSION DOSAGES BEFORE GIVING ANY TO YOUR GUINEA PIG.
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Thank you Vikki, I'm glad I'm no the only one who thinks it didn't sound right. I didn't know about the adult one being twice as strong - it's not in the original bottle so the label doesn't say the strength, only the dosage. I'm not giving him anything until I know that it's right. I'll check with one of the other vets I think. It wasn't the normal vet I saw and I don't have a lot of confidence in her, hence me triple checking what she'd given me.
They're already on the rate watchers diet after my other piggy had a bladder stone last November, it's really helpful to have it all worked out for you.
I think I might take him to the vets that Reading Guinea Pig Rescue recommend if I don't get any further.
 
Wonderful to hear they are rate watchers it is a good things for all piggys if they have bladders stones or not :)

Good Luck and if Reading GPR have recommended a vet they would definately be worth a visit if you are still not 100% happy.
 
" as well as 0.1 ml of metacam once daily. Your vet has got the doses absolutely right!"
The vet said 1ml, not 0.1ml.

That is how mistakes occur, not reading where the decimal point is placed and not reading the name of the drug correctly, ie Adult suspension.
PLEASE READ ALL DRUG DOSE POSTS CAREFULLY.

..................................................................................................................

Septrin Paediatric Suspension dose:

0.5ml twice daily for 10 to 14 days.
 
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alcesterpigs said:
" as well as 0.1 ml of metacam once daily. Your vet has got the doses absolutely right!"
The vet said 1ml, not 0.1ml.

That is how mistakes occur, not reading where the decimal point is placed.

..................................................................................................................

Septrin Paediatric Suspension dose:

0.5ml twice daily for 10 to 14 days.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for clearing that up.
It's the Septrin Adult Suspension I've been given. Is it still the same dose or is Vikki right that it's twice as strong?
 
Mistakes such as mis-reading the name of a drug and incorrectly reading the dose would be classed as gross negligence in a professional setting.
If you are not used to drugs/doses then may I suggest you do not quote anything which could be a potential source of harm.
 
I have given the Septrin adult suspension to a pig with bladder trouble, the dose was half the dose for the paediatric version. The dose for paediatric is most usually 0.5ml - 0.7ml twice daily. The dose for the adult suspension will usually be 0.25ml - 0.35ml twice daily. I remember my sow was given 0.3ml twice daily for a stubborn, albeit not severe, case of cystitis.

Another way to look at it is, if the Septrin Adult is 80mg/ml, then 0.25ml is equal to 20mg, which sounds about right given the majority of common medicines are dosed at 10-20mg.
 
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The dose rate for the adult Septrin is one half of that of the Paediatric suspension, which, obviously, translates into 0.25ml twice daily.
 
"which sounds about right given the majority of common medicines are dosed at 10-20mg."

Never, ever make that assumption about any drug. If you do then one day you will make a mistake.
 
Thank you guys for all your advice and thank goodness for this forum. I hate to think what would have happened if I'd not read up about it first and had given him the quantities that the vet had pescribed. I am assuming it could have killed him, or at least made him rather unwell!
I have decided to call Tilehurst Vets in Reading, who Reading resscue recommend as they have a very cavy savvy vet there. I'm going to register with them tomorrow and see if my current vets will send his test results over so someone who knows more about what they're looking at can treat him.
I will of course feedback to my current vet so she doesn't make the same mistake again.

By the way, who knew Metacam tasted so nice, I gave him 0.1ml last night when he was squeaking and he tried to eat the syringe!
 
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