Antibiotics & Piggies Appetite Loss

[Celine298]

Hey all!

I brought my piggy to the vet yesterday with a skin ailment, fungal infection with possible mange mites. Although mites have been more or less ruled out (vet is getting a second opinion just to be safe) I've begun treating his fungal infection.

I was prescribed Baytril (0.8mls twice a day) and so far he's been a dream to medicate, laps the stuff into him from the syringe.

I have noticed he's gone off his fresh veg and pellets though. He's drinking and will munch on some hay but that's about it. Do these antibiotics affect their appetite? Or give them sick tummies?

I don't know if it's the infection or medication that's causing this.

 

[Guinea pig slave]

That is quite a high dose - how heavy is your piggy ?
Baytril can cause loss of appetite so a probiotic is essential. Antibiotics destroy the good bacteria as well as the bad ones hence may cause upset tums, soft poops etc. Any signs of this, please stop the Baytril.
Probiotics help save the good bugs so maintains the gut flora Can be bought from pet stores or on line (always useful to have some in stock at home)
Try mashing the pellets with cool boiled water then see if your boy will eat for himself or you may have to syringe feed carefully - piggies need food constantly or can suffer from gut stasis which can be fatal
Hay is 80% of the main diet for them so is good he is munching it - if you weigh him too at the same time daily, you can monitor any loss or gain.
I'm not experienced with fungal but believe a cream is more effective if any one can help more with this...?
I'm a little puzzled as to why the vet prescribed antibiotics as Ivermectin is used effectively for mites.

 

[Wiebke]

Hey all!

I brought my piggy to the vet yesterday with a skin ailment, fungal infection with possible mange mites. Although mites have been more or less ruled out (vet is getting a second opinion just to be safe) I've begun treating his fungal infection.

I was prescribed Baytril (0.8mls twice a day) and so far he's been a dream to medicate, laps the stuff into him from the syringe.

I have noticed he's gone off his fresh veg and pellets though. He's drinking and will munch on some hay but that's about it. Do these antibiotics affect their appetite? Or give them sick tummies?

I don't know if it's the infection or medication that's causing this.

Baytril is well known for being an appetite killer. Please weigh daily at the same time and switch to toping up with syringe feed. Contact the vet if things don't get better (unfortunately, it is a bank holiday).
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

What fungal treatment has your piggy been put on?

 

[Celine298]

He had little crust on his feet and white blooms on his ears so I suspected fungal myself rather than mites, I just asked her to check for mites at the same time to rule them out.

Last year I spent many months on antibiotics myself and suffered serious gut problems from it so I know all about probiotics my vet asked me to come back in four days for a check up to see how he's doing so I will ask her for a course of probiotics. I'm in ireland (no bank holiday) and my vet has a 24 hour service so if he deteriorates I can get him seen quickly.

Since I put the post up I tried him with some fresh grass and he devoured it. Perhaps the pellets and fresh veg are a little heavy for his tummy right now? So long as he's drinking and munching hay and grass I'm happy enough!

I know from my own fungal infections that if they get to a certain stage, cream isn't effective, it needs to be treated internally first.