Antibiotics and losing weight

[SaffronC17]

Hey, so my boys Dash and Felix are both on antibiotics, and are both losing weight. They've been on the antibiotics for a week now and I'm weighting them twice a week to check on their weight. They're still young and growing and before the antibiotics they were gaining weight healthily and steadily.
Another thing we really struggle with is getting Dash to take his antibiotics. We've tried everything and it's turning into a real battle, both me and my partner are getting bit a scratched and don't know what to do. We've tried giving it to him with a bit of fruit or veg which is how Felix has his but Dash still resists. We really don't want to but the vet recommended one of us pinning him down and the other squirt the antibiotics in his mouth. We tried it and it was just horrible and we still didn't get it in. He need the antibiotics twice a day and it's just making him and us stressed.

 

[Veggies Galore]

It's always a dread of mine when my guineas need medication - particularly Baytril which, apparently tastes awful


This thread may help you ...

Administering Medications And Syringe Feed

 

[Claire W]

What antibiotic is he on? Whenever I have had to give baytril in the past (which is foul tasting) my vet recommends sucking up the baytril in to the syringe and then a little unsweetened Ribena so that it masks the taste

 

[Wiebke]

Hey, so my boys Dash and Felix are both on antibiotics, and are both losing weight. They've been on the antibiotics for a week now and I'm weighting them twice a week to check on their weight. They're still young and growing and before the antibiotics they were gaining weight healthily and steadily.
Another thing we really struggle with is getting Dash to take his antibiotics. We've tried everything and it's turning into a real battle, both me and my partner are getting bit a scratched and don't know what to do. We've tried giving it to him with a bit of fruit or veg which is how Felix has his but Dash still resists. We really don't want to but the vet recommended one of us pinning him down and the other squirt the antibiotics in his mouth. We tried it and it was just horrible and we still didn't get it in. He need the antibiotics twice a day and it's just making him and us stressed.

Hi!

What antibiotic are they on and what are they being treated for? How much of a weight loss are we talking about? A guinea pig swings around 30-40g over the course of a day depending on a full or empty bladder and tummy, so we speak of weight loss only once it surpasses 50g/2 oz.

Please be aware that any antibiotic not only kills the 'bad' bacteria but also impacts on the 'good' bacteria in the gut that are crucial for the digestion; this is why taking antibiotics can have an impact on the appetite. If you are treating for a respiratory tract infection, then the need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly the need to eat, so your piggies are dealing with a double whammy.

If you are facing only a mild loss of appetite offer a bowl with some extra mushed up pellets once or twice daily; that usually goes down well. If the weight loss is larger, then you may want to top up with offering extra syringe feed with a timothy based recovery formula; just as much as they will take as long as they are still eating on their own. You can also try whether a pinch of some probiotic either 1 hours before (US recommendation) or 1-2 hours after the antibiotic (UK reommendations) can help with bolstering up the guts.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide (includes links to probiotics and recovery foods).

But please don't panic - your boys are going to pick up again once the course is finished and they are healthy and well again!

PS: Baytril is the most horrible tasting medication you can find. Please don't try it; it is harmful to humans.
It can be a struggle to get it in. Use the tricks of the medicating as well as the piggy whispering guide - assert your authority with plenty of love, fuss and praise and follow up the bad taste with the same amount of ribena.
Administering Medications And Syringe Feed
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

 

[Claire W]

Hi!

What antibiotic are they on and what are they being treated for? How much of a weight loss are we talking about? A guinea pig swings around 30-40g over the course of a day depending on a full or empty bladder and tummy, so we speak of weight loss only once it surpasses 50g/2 oz.

Please be aware that any antibiotic not only kills the 'bad' bacteria but also impacts on the 'good' bacteria in the gut that are crucial for the digestion; this is why taking antibiotics can have an impact on the appetite. If you are treating for a respiratory tract infection, then the need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly the need to eat, so your piggies are dealing with a double whammy.

If you are facing only a mild loss of appetite offer a bowl with some extra mushed up pellets once or twice daily; that usually goes down well. If the weight loss is larger, then you may want to top up with offering extra syringe feed with a timothy based recovery formula; just as much as they will take as long as they are still eating on their own. You can also try whether a pinch of some probiotic either 1 hours before (US recommendation) or 1-2 hours after the antibiotic (UK reommendations) can help with bolstering up the guts.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide (includes links to probiotics and recovery foods).

But please don't panic - your boys are going to pick up again once the course is finished and they are healthy and well again!

PS: Baytril is the most horrible tasting medication you can find. Please don't try it; it is harmful to humans.
It can be a struggle to get it in. Use the tricks of the medicating as well as the piggy whispering guide - assert your authority with plenty of love, fuss and praise and follow up the bad taste with the same amount of ribena.
Administering Medications And Syringe Feed
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

Since Ellen isn’t enjoying her medication this time round, I am using your piggy whispering techniques with her and I got a cute kiss from her this morning