Worse Before Better?

[NatalieGee]

Sylvester has been battling a respiratory infection for a while and I feel so bad for him. He came down with some wheezy breathing 3 weeks ago, so the vet put him on a 2x/day for 2 weeks dosing of enrofloxacin (baytril) accompanied by a daily dose of meloxicam (metacam) anti-inflammatory. She said his nasal passages were clear of discharge, his eyes were a little watery but no gooey discharge at all, and he was still acting normally other than the rasp.

His first 4 or 5 days on meds, he actually seemed worse than before. He got noticeably less active, but was still eating and drinking and walking around a normal amount (typically he is a zoomie turbo pig). He also sounded worse in terms of the puffing and occasional coughs. I took him back to the vet at that point, but she said his airways were sounding better and that the lethargy was a side effect of the med. After a couple more days, it was like a light switch was flipped and all the sudden he was zooming around, scarfing down salad, wheeking up a storm. He finished his meds and we went back to the vet for a follow-up since his brother was going back in for ringworm culture.

The vet was very pleased with his recovery and said he sounded great, but the next day he started sounding a little wheezey again so I called her and she wrote me a prescription for enrofloxacin again. I already use the lowest dust hay I could find and we're on fleece bedding, so she thinks the first round of antibiotics just didn't quite kick the infection. Now we're on day 2 of meds and he seems worse once again! It's really frustrating that the meds make him feel icky.. I wish I could just give him a pill that would make him feel 100% better instantly. He is getting some critical care to top off his diet while he's a little lethargic, and his weight has been staying steady.

Is it normal, in your experience, for antibiotics to make a pig feel worse for a few days before better?

 

[DM030819]

So he's been on Baytril for just over 3 weeks? If so, an improvement should have happened. I'd ask the vet to try a different med as Baytril isn't working again the infection.

 

[NatalieGee]

@Jaycey He was on Baytril for 2 weeks, having gotten totally better about a week in. The infection came back though a couple days after finishing the first round so he's having a second round now. He's also on itraconazole for preventative ringworm treatment so the vet said his immune system may be spread a little thin and he needed a longer dosing of antibiotic to fully kick the infection

 

[Wiebke]

Baytril/enroflaxin is well known for being an appetite dampener/killer for some guinea pigs. Make sure that you give a pinch of probiotics either one hour before or 1-2 hours after the antibiotic. Individual reactions can vary. You may ask your vet for a different antibiotic in the future.
Here is a list of antibiotics that are safe for guinea pigs: Guinea Lynx :: Antibiotics

I would also recommend to place a bowl of steaming water next to the cage and to refresh it from time to time to see whether that will help to ease the breathing.

Alternatively, there is another underlying issue or something else is going on, especially if the problems keep coming back.

 

[NatalieGee]

@Wiebke Thank you, I will try the hot water! I'm going to the shop at my rescue tomorrow for hay and I believe they sell probiotics so I'll pick some up. Fortunately he has a wonderful appetite today and is devouring a handful of salad right now, and the makers of critical care really know what they're doing because he likes it so much he eats it off a teaspoon!

 

[Wiebke]

@Wiebke Thank you, I will try the hot water! I'm going to the shop at my rescue tomorrow for hay and I believe they sell probiotics so I'll pick some up. Fortunately he has a wonderful appetite today and is devouring a handful of salad right now, and the makers of critical care really know what they're doing because he likes it so much he eats it off a teaspoon!

Well, you can at least take deep breath - no piggy with a serious respiratory infection will have such an appetite!

Have you recently started heating with a radiator? Some guinea pigs can react rather sensitively to the drier air. If the steaming water really helps, I would recommend to invest in a humidifier.

 

[NatalieGee]

Well, you can at least take deep breath - no piggy with a serious respiratory infection will have such an appetite!

Have you recently started heating with a radiator? Some guinea pigs can react rather sensitively to the drier air.

I haven't, as it's still very warm outside, but I live in Arizona where the humidity is generally less than 15% and the air is always very dry. I wonder if putting a humidifier in the living room would help them?

 

[Wiebke]

I haven't, as it's still very warm outside, but I live in Arizona where the humidity is generally less than 15% and the air is always very dry. I wonder if putting a humidifier in the living room would help them?

Dry desert climate and air conditioning can equally cause breathing problems that are not down to respiratory infections. They are not at all uncommon in the US Southwest.

Trying to humidify the air a bit might be worth testing. Start with a bowl and see whether that makes a positive difference.