About to start antibiotics -- looking for advice (and emotional support) please

[cookie_ladyfriend]

Poor Pepper has a bunch of symptoms. She's 5, and I got her from Petco in New York City in 2020. (We are still in the US, but now in Wisconsin)

I suspect a dental issue primarily, and an inner-ear infection secondarily.

Symptoms:
- head tilt to her left
- frequent chewing. vets have said she has a lot of food in her mouth.
- eye discharge mostly in her right eye (opposite side of the head tilt, if that means anything)
- occasionally spins in circles when overly excited, towards the head tilt side
- when eating, she will sometimes make very quiet whimpers from the pain
- when the pain is particularly bad, she has a spell of squinting/wincing
- a bit of wheezing that has gotten worse in the last week or two

She has been a little wheezy for her whole life but not to this degree. She has also almost always had a wet mouth.

Her appetite is mostly normal, but she is clearly in pain. It seems to come in waves, and from time to time she will be perfectly fine, full of energy. It breaks my heart.

I have her on Meloxidyl which works for a few hours but seems to wear off rather quickly.

The vet was unable to find a tooth issue, but since we did not sedate her, the search was not thorough.

Pepper has never needed antibiotics before, I would greatly appreciate a recommendation on which to ask for. Since the diagnosis is unclear, something that could treat both would be ideal, but I don't know enough to know if this is possible. My understanding is if it's a tooth abscess we would use Zythromax, but I'm not certain (and I could not find anything about this one on Guinea Lynx). If it is a tooth abscess, I assume the antibiotics alone will not resolve the issue, and she'll need some kind of surgery / tooth trim, is that correct?

I love her so so much and I am petrified of losing her, but I can't stand to see her in pain.

Thanks so much in advance.

 

[Betsy]

If you suspect an asbcess @furryfriends (TEAS) is the asbcess queen of the forum. Hope Pepper will be OK.

 

[cookie_ladyfriend]

If you suspect an asbcess @furryfriends (TEAS) is the asbcess queen of the forum. Hope Pepper will be OK.

Thank you!

Just got back from the vet with more Meloxicam, and some Baytril.

I would appreciate it if someone could weigh in on whether antibiotics are a good idea in this situation where I am leaning towards a tooth issue. Then again, the constellation of symptoms (in my uneducated opinion) suggests that there may be multiple things going on...

I will be super vigilant and will give benebac about an hour after Baytril.

 

[Qualcast&Flymo]

Sorry that Pepper is unwell.
I'm not a medical expert - hopefully one will be available soon - but my feeling is that if she has an ear infection, then she does need the antibiotics to resolve that. I wonder if actually any dental problem may be being caused by the ear infection not the other way round. If one side of her her head is in pain due to the infection, she may be avoiding chewing on that side, leading to uneven wear.
There is also the possibility on CBS (calcified bulla syndrome) which has similar symptoms.
Baytril can impact the gut flora and appetite so the Benebac is a good idea, as are daily weighing and top up feeding if she is loosing weight.
What strength and dose of Meloxidyl is she on? She may need a higher dose to control the pain. Guineas can tolerate higher doses than is generally thought in the veterinary field due to their faster metabolism.

Sending Pepper healing vibes

 

[piggieminder]

It does sound like it could be CBS/ I've added the link to the forum information on it below.

CBS (Calcified Bulla Syndrome) and Neurological Problems - Symptoms and Care

 

[Ramia]

My boy has CBS and has had ear infections with balance issues.