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Should I Keep Extra Baytril?

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Tiny

Tiny

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Willow had an abscess, is now better. She was on Baytril for about three weeks following her op. A few questions here -

* Should I keep the excess Baytril for any reason? As part of my 'piggy kit'? If it's strictly prescription-only or potent I don't want to be hanging onto it for any home-treating purposes. I want to make sure it has no safe, reasonable use before disposing of it.

* If it is safe/advisable to keep, how should I keep it? Refrigerated?

* If I need to dispose of it, is it safe to dilute and pour away? If in doubt, shall I take it back to the vets for disposal? (I'm just guessing this is an option as us humans can take meds to a pharmacy)

I'm thinking I will need to dispose of it as Willow's course is finished - just wanted to be sure :)
 
I always keep any left over antibiotics in case it's needed in an emergency when I can't get to the vets. If it's needed over a weekend or late at night, I ring the Emergency vet first to check that they are happy for me to use the medicine and they have always been pleased that I have the antibiotic and tell me to use it until I can go in for an appointment. I never use it if it has expired though and I don't keep it in the fridge.
 
Technically it's yours so you can keep it for as long as you like. But, it's not recommended to self medicate so you should ask your vet's opinion.

I always dispose of any Baytril, as it's especially not a good idea to self medicate Baytril. You can cause more problems if you decide to start using it when you think there is a problem, and then the vet decides that a different antibiotic would be best.

I have a couple of med's at home, which the vet has let me keep, and has advised on how and when to use. This is because I have a bloat prone pig and I usually have to react quickly on it..
 
You can keep it, but if it's mixed it loses potency very quickly (over a couple of weeks) so I definitely wouldn't substitute it for new meds in the future if it's needed.

One of my pigs is on long-term suppressive antibiotics with Baytril for bladder issues, and in order to keep the meds potent I receive the pure Baytril and the flavored base separately and then mix them myself so that I never have more than a week or two already mixed. According to my vet, after a couple of weeks mixed with the base it begins to lose potency. The vet also wraps up the ampules of pure Baytril in tape because apparently exposure to light and heat causes it to lose some potency even prior to mixing.
 
I have Septrin at home but the last time I used it, I checked with my vet first that it would be OK to use as her appointment wasn't until the next morning.

My vet assured me it would be fine and she prescribed me a fresh supply at her appointment.

As stated above, it is always advisable to check with your vet first before self medicating x
 
I have lots of meds from when Kiwi was ill, I topped up on everything but then didn't use them as she passed away by then. I'm holding onto them as they weren't cheap but would take them to the vet on another visit in case they can be used then.
 
Thanks for all your advice. I think I'll keep it (it's in a dark bottle, in a cupboard, not mixed with anything, not expired) but only use it if advised by a vet. Don't worry, there's no way I'd self-administer without vet direction :)
 
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