URI or something else?

[JandfpiggiesUK]

Hi everyone.

I posted last week that my piggy Jaffa has been given some sulfatrim as a precaution for a possible URI. He’s been on it 10 days, he’s no longer coughing, sneezing and no longer has any clear discharge but still has a little bit of noisy breathing.

What’s the most successful antibiotics for a URI? Could it be a case of piggy hay fever?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi everyone.

I posted last week that my piggy Jaffa has been given some sulfatrim as a precaution for a possible URI. He’s been on it 10 days, he’s no longer coughing, sneezing and no longer has any clear discharge but still has a little bit of noisy breathing.

What’s the most successful antibiotics for a URI? Could it be a case of piggy hay fever? View attachment 112158

It can often take a bit longer to clear a URI until all symptoms have disappeared. Please have Jaffa checked again and discuss with your vet whether an extension of her currents meds is indicated. The fact that Jaffa is already a lot better means that her current antibiotic is working.

Only if another course of the same is not doing the trick or if symptoms return after the end of the course do you and you vet need to look for other avenues. You work your way gradually down from the most common/easy to treat to the less common and less easy to treat with illnesses. The next step is another course of the same.

There is no 'ideal' URI antibiotic; different strains of bacteria can react to different antibiotics. You would require a rather expensive lab test to find the best one for Jaffa if problems persist in the longer term, apart from checking for damage to the respiratory tract, other bugs causing the respiratory problems, and allergy to hay dust or pollen only if the sneezing/rhinitis persists.

 

[JandfpiggiesUK]

It can often take a bit longer to clear a URI until all symptoms have disappeared. Please have Jaffa checked again and discuss with your vet whether an extension of her currents meds is indicated. The fact that Jaffa is already a lot better means that her current antibiotic is working.

Only if another course of the same is not doing the trick or if symptoms return after the end of the course do you and you vet need to look for other avenues. You work your way gradually down from the most common/easy to treat to the less common and less easy to treat with illnesses. The next step is another course of the same.

There is no 'ideal' URI antibiotic; different strains of bacteria can react to different antibiotics. You would require a rather expensive lab test to find the best one for Jaffa if problems persist in the longer term, apart from checking for damage to the respiratory tract, other bugs causing the respiratory problems, and allergy to hay dust or pollen only if the sneezing/rhinitis persists.

I hope so too. The vet suggested taking a culture the last time he was poorly, she said he’d have to be sedated in order to take the culture from up his nasal passages. Otherwise it wouldn’t be pleasant for him to have it taken whilst he would still be conscious.

What do you mean by other problems causing damage?

 

[Wiebke]

I hope so too. The vet suggested taking a culture the last time he was poorly, she said he’d have to be sedated in order to take the culture from up his nasal passages. Otherwise it wouldn’t be pleasant for him to have it taken whilst he would still be conscious.

What do you mean by other problems causing damage?

Untreated or not properly healed out URIs etc. can cause damage to the lungs in the long term. But these are not primary concerns; your primary concern is to get on top of the chest infection. If the problem keeps returning, then I would suggest a culture as your vet has proposed. They sound competent to me.

Any vet will use as little sedation as absolutely and do the job as quickly as possible in order for the least impact/need to do the job without the piggy jerking reactively when taking the sample.

Since we haven't seen your piggy, we cannot tell you what to do and we rely as much on your vet's findings and suggestions as you do. Medicine is not a magic wand; it is more often like dealing with an ongoing criminal investigation to try and catch the perpetrator once you get to the more complicated cases.

If you want you more information on what other respiratory issues are out there (most of which will not apply to your case, though, as the majority of the real nasties would have been fatal by now), then I would recommend ordering issue 38 of Guinea Pig Magazine which has a good article on all the respiratory problems there are; although if you have anxiety problems, I would strongly suggest to not go there!
Back Issues – Guinea Pig Mag

 

[JandfpiggiesUK]

Update: contacted the vet and Jaffa is back tomorrow for a check up. He’s been on sulfatrim since Tuesday last week. I unfortunately ran out two days ago so he has missed two doses.

Will this make a difference? I have metacam so I can give him that in the mean time, he has been getting that alongside sulfatrim.

What can I mention to the vet? Antibiotics or possibilities of why he’s like this?

 

[Wiebke]

Update: contacted the vet and Jaffa is back tomorrow for a check up. He’s been on sulfatrim since Tuesday last week. I unfortunately ran out two days ago so he has missed two doses.

Will this make a difference? I have metacam so I can give him that in the mean time, he has been getting that alongside sulfatrim.

What can I mention to the vet? Antibiotics or possibilities of why he’s like this?

Hi!

Metacam is an analgesic (painkiller and anti-inflammatory) and not an antibiotic; they don't do the same job. If possible always try to make an appointment before you come to the very end of a course of antibiotics and the symptoms have not fully subsided. The antibiotic builds up and will work another day or two, but it also takes that long to build up again.

You can discuss antibiotics with your vet; especially whether testing for the best antibiotic might be indicated at this stage.

 

[JandfpiggiesUK]

Hi!

Metacam is an analgesic (painkiller and anti-inflammatory) and not an antibiotic; they don't do the same job. If possible always try to make an appointment before you come to the very end of a course of antibiotics and the symptoms have not fully subsided. The antibiotic builds up and will work another day or two, but it also takes that long to build up again.

You can discuss antibiotics with your vet; especially whether testing for the best antibiotic might be indicated at this stage.

Thanks. They had no available appointments for today so I’ve booked him in tomorrow with the vet he normally sees.

For now I’m giving him a little extra vitamin c as I’ve heard it can help their immune system to fight off infection. Is this true?

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks. They had no available appointments for today so I’ve booked him in tomorrow with the vet he normally sees.

For now I’m giving him a little extra vitamin c as I’ve heard it can help their immune system to fight off infection. Is this true?

A 2-3 weeks course can help boost the immune system but again, the same as with the metacam applies. All the best!

 

[JandfpiggiesUK]

A 2-3 weeks course can help boost the immune system but again, the same as with the metacam applies. All the best!

The last time I had Jaffa to the vets for a stubborn URI baytril and Bactrim didn’t work. So her last resorts were erythromycin or a culture.

I’m fully aware penicillin based medication is toxic to pigs and I was very unsure of why the vet suggested it.

I’ve heard a lot about Zithromax? But from doing the research it seems to be a form of penicillin.

Some advice would be much appreciated.

 

[Wiebke]

The last time I had Jaffa to the vets for a stubborn URI baytril and Bactrim didn’t work. So her last resorts were erythromycin or a culture.

I’m fully aware penicillin based medication is toxic to pigs and I was very unsure of why the vet suggested it.

I’ve heard a lot about Zithromax? But from doing the research it seems to be a form of penicillin.

Some advice would be much appreciated.

Zithromax (azithromycin) is safe for guinea pigs. It is a very strong 'last ditch' antibiotic but it has definitely saved the lives of a few of my own piggies.
Most piggies respond well to it, but it can really kill the appetite in some. Ideally you split the daily dosage in two in order to soften the impact. If it happens, you will have to push through with syringe feeding and fibreplex - I had to in a couple of cases in order to save a badly infected or injured eye in piggies where an eye operation would have been to risky; thankfully it has worked in both cases and given them another 1-2 years of extra life that they would have otherwise not have had.

Personally I would strongly recommend to opt for a culture to make sure that you treat with an antibiotic that responds most to your specific strain.

 

[JandfpiggiesUK]

Update:

Just back from the vet with Jaffa.

Vet said that he still sounds congested & it seems as though the sulfatrim hasn’t done the job of clearing him completely.

She has prescribed Zithromax, he has to have 0.63ml twice a day for a week.

Also he is not blind, the vet did an eye test with light and said his pupils respond well.

Otherwise he’s well, eating lots, pooping and peeing lots (TMI sorry) and being his usually cheeky charming self.