Squeek - Ear Infection

[Amonymous]

Hey there i have a little piggy known as squeek and hes got a very bad ear infection. Ive been to the vets and theyve given me antibiotics but they did say he might not make it past this.

The questions that ive got to ask is that he keeps flopping over onto the one side I'm guessing this is becuase his balance is off, is it right to have him sitting up right? is that the best recovery position for him or should i let him lay on his side?

Any help would be grateful ive been giving him water as theres no way he can do it himself I'm aware that not stressing himout if the best thing for him i just hate watching :[

 

[Wiebke]

Hey there i have a little piggy known as squeek and hes got a very bad ear infection. Ive been to the vets and theyve given me antibiotics but they did say he might not make it past this.

The questions that ive got to ask is that he keeps flopping over onto the one side I'm guessing this is becuase his balance is off, is it right to have him sitting up right? is that the best recovery position for him or should i let him lay on his side?

Any help would be grateful ive been giving him water as theres no way he can do it himself I'm aware that not stressing himout if the best thing for him i just hate watching :[

Hi! Ear infections often affect the balance. You can gently prop him up with a soft cosy or rug.

Please start not only to water, but also to syringe feed him. Weigh him daily at the same time, so you can see how much you have to feed. It is mostly little but often with a severely ill guinea pig off its food. It is vital that you keep the guts going, as they close down otherwise, and you want him to have the strength to fight back. You can find lots of tips (including what you can do with what you have got at home in an emergency) in our step-by-step syringe feeding guide. Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

Could you please tell us what medication and dosage he is on?

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[Amonymous]

10 x Enrofloxacin 2.5% doesnt say any other percent on it so I'm guessing the rest will be water hes to get it twice a day
Ill look over the guide and try and feed him
As far as putting him in a blanket or rug he just walks/rolls out of it i dont want to keep putting him back in hes never been the type of piggy that likes to be picked up so he must be feeling fairly stressed right now. Is being upright whats best for him right now?

 

[Wiebke]

10 x Enrofloxacin 2.5% doesnt say any other percent on it so I'm guessing the rest will be water hes to get it twice a day
Ill look over the guide and try and feed him
As far as putting him in a blanket or rug he just walks/rolls out of it i dont want to keep putting him back in hes never been the type of piggy that likes to be picked up so he must be feeling fairly stressed right now. Is being upright whats best for him right now?

If he prefers to move, then let him and just gently right him if he flops, but not if he looks stressed.

How much enroflaxin (which is another brand name for baytril) are you giving him and how often have you been told to?

 

[Amonymous]

1ml twice daily

 

[Wiebke]

1ml twice daily

Thanks!

 

[helen105281]

Is he on any anti-inflammatory in addition to the Baytril? I think when my Phoebe had an ear infection she was given Baytril but also had Metacam to tackle any inflammation in the inner ear. If there is no improvement you could maybe ask your vet? there are other antibiotics that could be tried too, I know Zithromax is usually quite effective but a lot of vets like to start with Baytril.

 

[helen105281]

You may also find the Baytril upsets his gut, do you have any probiotics? they usually need to be given at least an hour after the antibiotics. Here is our probiotic guide:

Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links

 

[Amonymous]

I'm going to give him some time to see if the baytril preks him up but if it doesnt ill be taking him back in asap

 

[Guinea-pigGaga]

How much does your guinea pig weigh?

 

[Guinea-pigGaga]

@Amonymous

1ml/2 x Daily is a potentially harmful dose - Are you sure that the dose is not 0.1ml?

 

[Amonymous]

The bottle says 1ml its oral medication if that makes a different the vet was worried that ear drops might push the infection in further

 

[Guinea-pigGaga]

Is Squeek a large guinea pig/ Do you know how much Squeek weighs?

 

[Guinea-pigGaga]

@Amonymous

Please do not administer another dose to Squeek until you have spoken to your veterinarian/veterinary practice (Your veterinary practice should have an out-of-hours/emergency contact number - If you have already administered 2 doses, please contact your veterinarian immediately!).

@Abi_nurse @helen105281 @Wiebke - Can you confirm whether/ do you think the above dose is correct/incorrect?

 

[helen105281]

I am not 100% sure on Baytril dosing as I rarely use it, Phoebe's infection was a few years ago. I will let one of the others answer. I am sure her dose was over 0.1ml twice a day though but it may depend how it is mixed.

 

[Amonymous]

its 2.5% baytril, i mentioned that in one of the first posts, sadly it doesn't matter any more he passed away last night the infection wasn't caught fast enough. Its horrible the day before he was weeting away shouting that the rustling of bags happy as larry :[

Ty for the help everyone i hope it wasnt the medication that pushed him over

 

[helen105281]

I'm so so sorry. It sounds like it hit right out of the blue. I don't think it was the medication. Even if the dose was high it would not have had an effect that quickly. I recently gave Zithromax at about 1ml a day so some doses are higher.

 

[sport_billy]

I am so sorry for your loss.

Unfortunately piggies can go downhill very quickly.

Sleep well Squeek
x x

 

[Guinea-pigGaga]

Offering my deepest sympathy, and sincere condolences.

 

[Abi_nurse]

So sorry to hear this and I didn't get a chance to help.

Rest in peace little one.

x