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URI Help! Doxycycline & Baytril?

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wiggypig

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Has anyone had a guinea pig successfully recover from a URI using Baytril? What about Doxycycline? How about when administered together? I have seen a lot of stories about having trouble getting rid of URIs, which leaves me wondering how effective Baytril and Doxycycline are to combat URIs. Are there other antibiotics anyone has had good success with? Has anyone gotten cultures done for a URI?

I'm treating my piggy for a URI and in regular contact with his vet. Doxycycline 0.2ml every 12 hrs isn't taking care of it, so he's starting Baytril at 0.7ml every 12 hours in addition to the Doxy.


Thanks!
 
wiggypig said:
Has anyone had a guinea pig successfully recover from a URI using Baytril? What about Doxycycline? How about when administered together? I have seen a lot of stories about having trouble getting rid of URIs, which leaves me wondering how effective Baytril and Doxycycline are to combat URIs. Are there other antibiotics anyone has had good success with? Has anyone gotten cultures done for a URI?

I'm treating my piggy for a URI and in regular contact with his vet. Doxycycline 0.2ml every 12 hrs isn't taking care of it, so he's starting Baytril at 0.7ml every 12 hours in addition to the Doxy.


Thanks!
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Hi!

Most respiratory infections can be taken care of with standard antibiotics like baytril or doxycycline. There is however a rising number where a lab test may be necessary to work out which of the rodent safe antibiotics the bacteria respond to (baytril, batrim/septrin, doxycycline, marbocyl or zithromax (azithromycin)).

Antibiotics can be giving in combination if their active substances are not related (as in baytril and marbocyl).
 
Thank you @Wiebke. I would have appreciated, in hindsight, if my vet presented lab tests as an option to consider... instead of playing a game of trial and error and potentially drawing things out longer than needed. @FurryFriends, he did have a reduced appetite for a couple days on Doxy, but that improved luckily. I appreciate the insights. I've never heard of Marbocyl, but I've seen Zithromax mentioned before as an effective AB for other types of infections.

I do get the impression that Doxy generally makes him feel crappy (lower energy and not as happy). Hopefully the Baytril works. He took his first dose earlier and so far so good.
 
So an update about Wiggy & his URI treatment for anyone looking for insight in similar situations and also to welcome any advice! Takes a village to raise a piggy so to speak lol.

I've had problems keeping him on both his antibiotics because his tummy is doing poorly on them :(... Smaller poops, reduced appetite, lethargy and nervousness. Still nibbling hay regularly until a few hours on Monday night when he was all hunched and I had to entirely skip doses until he improved. But then his nasal discharge and worse laboured breathing came on (but not hunched) being off the meds for 48hrs. I'm supporting gut heath with probiotics and just started oxbow digestive support tablets (green and white package). The vet agreed stopping and starting is not a good recipe for his progress to beat the URI. However I worried he was on the verge of gut stasis just doing half the amount of Baytril recommended. I let the vet know this and they advised to continue Doxycycline and Baytril at a reduced dosage and update them if he worsens again so we can re-evaluate. Trying my best and feel like we're walking a bit of a tight rope between URI/danger of pneumonia and the treatment itself causing gut stasis. All this sounds very doom-gloom, but I should mention that he is still having lots of stretches of time when he's enjoying floor time and nibbling hay and treats. This is the only time he's ever been sick like this and he's a senior boy, so I'm quite worried. Especially after losing my other piggy on March 29th after a lengthy dental battle that resulted in a terrible abscess and deteriorating health while waiting for his third surgical procedure. On a brighter note, Wiggy has been enjoying some of his favourite herbs, including mint which I've heard can be soothing for tummies.

If anyone has knowledge about any tummy meds that help piggies cope with antibiotics or experience with nebulizing antibiotics, advice is appreciated. I may be a bit busy over the next few days monitoring this guy and doing a bit of spring cleaning, but will peek at any replies when I can!
 
Typo above - where I wrote March 29th, I meant to write February 29th.
 
Hi @wiggypig,

How is your Wiggy now?

When Wiggy was on baytril did the water intake increase at all?

Thank you
 
@Zinnypig Water intake increased a bit. He's been doing better lately. The antibiotics did quite a number on him and we had to take breaks. No way to tell if he was even on the right medications, given that there wasn't a clear and sustained improvement and no lab tests were done. He did worse overall on Doxycycline. Baytril mixed with minimal simple syrup seemed to work best to help dry up his snot. He has had chronic dental issues, so I check his incisors weekly. His sinus infections seem connected to issues he's had with breakage and decay in his top incisors. Hoping he doesn't need a dental trim, but keeping a close eye in case he does. He's been off Baytril for a week now, finally, and has been pretty stable. Still runny nose and sneezing, but definitely getting by, especially considering chronic dental issues. Pellets prior to antibiotics and probiotics 1.5hrs after antibiotics have been key for helping his tummy cope along with only giving gassy/sugary veg after probiotics. Garden Select Guinea Pig Food (pellets) by Oxbow helped improve his poop too.

Just found some concerning links between the antibiotics he has been on and eye health, including vision loss and blindness in cats and humans. Seems much less studied (if at all) in guinea pigs... His vision has gotten worse and his iris and pupils look different in both eyes - misshapen pupils and darker irises than before. He's older and had an eye injury, so I think the changes didn't raise red flags to me until my friend questioned if there could be a connection to the antibiotics. His right eye had an injury (surface scratches and small ulceration) that was healing quite well. Now, he's lost all vision in the right eye, which makes him nervous at times, since he can't see what is happening on his right side and gets startled more easily because of that.

His appetite and energy levels/mood have been good these days, so that is good. He eats well as long as certain veggies are cut up. LOVES basil and most stemmed veggies, especially.

His vet has Baytril as needed and Metacam on his file if needed and a note to come in for a dental trim any time without need for an additional charge for physical exam. His condition has been chronic at this point and the vet is on board with that plan. Metacam does also carry risks (head tilt/balance, stomach ulcers, kidney problems), so that's really just a last resort if chronic dental issues (and possible arthritis in his hips) become a problem for his quality of life.
 
@wiggypig I’m new to this forum and been doing research on stubborn URI’s and came across this thread. It’s been a long while since you posted, just wanted to ask you a question. I have a guinea pig who’s had a stubborn URI for almost 2 months now. She started on Bactrim, didn’t work. Then Chloramphenicol, didn’t work. And now Doxycycline. She just started on Doxycycline (2 days ago) I’m hoping it will work. What was the status of your guinea pig Wiggy after being both on Doxycycline and Baytril? Did his URI go away?
 
I agree re doxycycline; I found it really impacts the gut. I also agree re results with the use of Azithromycin. I've found they tolerate it better and it to be effective in URI treatment. My vets also recommended nebulising for both URIs and LRIs. I found 10 mins in a steamy bathroom also worked wonders for clearing airways.
 
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