Administering auriotics - help!

[Kay701]

My guinea pigs (who I've had for two weeks) came with bacterial ear infections, which the vet identified a few days ago. I have to administer antibiotics to each ear of both piggies twice a day for two weeks. On day 3 and they're hating it so much. I'm worried it's ruining lap time, which I was starting to build up, as now whenever I pick them up they have stuff dripped in their ears and can't get off when they want to. One piggy is more docile and will just about let me, although she still tries to get away. The other piggy is terrified of it, I feed her lettuce during it but she still squeals and wriggles and today she bit me I got my husband to help to hold her still so I could do it, which worked but obviously was still terrifying for her. My husband isn't always around when I have to give them the medication. Any advice on how I can do it better on my own? Ideally I want the process to be as quick as possible instead of a long ordeal which makes them more scared. It's so heartbreaking as I'm trying to help them to get better from the infection but they can't understand that, poor things, and it's just terrifying for them. Other than that they're eating from my hands and getting more comfortable being out during the day, seen a bit of popcorning, so I don't think this will ruin our relationship. Just want to minimise their stress (

 

[Wiebke]

My guinea pigs (who I've had for two weeks) came with bacterial ear infections, which the vet identified a few days ago. I have to administer antibiotics to each ear of both piggies twice a day for two weeks. On day 3 and they're hating it so much. I'm worried it's ruining lap time, which I was starting to build up, as now whenever I pick them up they have stuff dripped in their ears and can't get off when they want to. One piggy is more docile and will just about let me, although she still tries to get away. The other piggy is terrified of it, I feed her lettuce during it but she still squeals and wriggles and today she bit me I got my husband to help to hold her still so I could do it, which worked but obviously was still terrifying for her. My husband isn't always around when I have to give them the medication. Any advice on how I can do it better on my own? Ideally I want the process to be as quick as possible instead of a long ordeal which makes them more scared. It's so heartbreaking as I'm trying to help them to get better from the infection but they can't understand that, poor things, and it's just terrifying for them. Other than that they're eating from my hands and getting more comfortable being out during the day, seen a bit of popcorning, so I don't think this will ruin our relationship. Just want to minimise their stress (

Hi

Drops, especially into a small ear channel like a guinea pig's can make the pain worse. Could you contact your vet clinic tomorrow and ask whether they have got a spray or could prescribe oral antibioitics instead?

 

[Kay701]

Hi

Drops, especially into a small ear channel like a guinea pig's can make the pain worse. Could you contact your vet clinic tomorrow and ask whether they have got a spray or could prescribe oral antibioitics instead?

Not sure how I missed this comment - thank you so much for your advice. No wonder they hated it. I wish I'd seen this comment! It's too late now unfortunately but I am going to take them back to the vets soon as I'm worried that the infection, which had gone, might be coming back. The same thing happened with their mites - based on other threads in the forum I think the dosage was too low (xeno 50 not 450). If they have got the infection back I will definitely ask for alternatives to ear drops because it was so awful for them, whereas the mite treatment was so much easier to administer. My poor little girls

 

[Wiebke]

Not sure how I missed this comment - thank you so much for your advice. No wonder they hated it. I wish I'd seen this comment! It's too late now unfortunately but I am going to take them back to the vets soon as I'm worried that the infection, which had gone, might be coming back. The same thing happened with their mites - based on other threads in the forum I think the dosage was too low (xeno 50 not 450). If they have got the infection back I will definitely ask for alternatives to ear drops because it was so awful for them, whereas the mite treatment was so much easier to administer. My poor little girls

Ears are very sensitive and extremely painful with an infection. I have had a couple of nasty ear infections myself, so I can speak from personal experience. Whether your vet has a suitable spray available is another question since most vets have had to downsize what they hold in stock because it is one of the biggest cost factors in running a clinic. But it is alwas worth asking.

Are you dealing with mange or hay mites? The concentration and the amount goes by weight. Ivermectin is one of the treatments where overdosing really does harm. Our problem is that most guinea pigs fall inbetween the 50 and the 450 concentration available so you need to either scale up or scale down.
Mange mites are generally already in the body of guinea pigs and are usually being kept under control by a fully working immune system. Hay mites - the name says it - usually come with the hay you are using. In the latter case, you want to look at what hay and where from you are getting your hay.
New piggy problems: URI - ringworm - skin parasites

 

[Kay701]

Ears are very sensitive and extremely painful with an infection. I have had a couple of nasty ear infections myself, so I can speak from personal experience. Whether your vet has a suitable spray available is another question since most vets have had to downsize what they hold in stock because it is one of the biggest cost factors in running a clinic. But it is alwas worth asking.

Are you dealing with mange or hay mites? The concentration and the amount goes by weight. Ivermectin is one of the treatments where overdosing really does harm. Our problem is that most guinea pigs fall inbetween the 50 and the 450 concentration available so you need to either scale up or scale down.
Mange mites are generally already in the body of guinea pigs and are usually being kept under control by a fully working immune system. Hay mites - the name says it - usually come with the hay you are using. In the latter case, you want to look at what hay and where from you are getting your hay.
New piggy problems: URI - ringworm - skin parasites

Yeah... it turns out we did use xeno 450 having looked at it, the vet switched us over to that, round three coming up this week... maybe what I'm seeing is leftover egg cases? they're hay mites. will the egg cases come out on their own or do I need to bathe the piggies once the treatment is over? they're shelties so they get stuck to their hair! I have considered the hay, but the mites came with girls from their previous home so I thought we would see if the treatment made them go, then change hay if they come back again. I don't want to change hay unnecessary as not sure where else we could get it from in our area.

 

[Kay701]

I think the hay mites are finally gone (with a combination of xeno 450 and aggressive hair trimming!) but I'm still concerned that their ear infections are coming back as there are small amounts of gunk in the affected ears again. What is normal in terms of wax/gunk inside their ears? Do I need to be cleaning them? I think given their previous infection I will probably take them back to the vets for a check up if the gunk seems persistent and abnormal.