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Anyone heard of this?

Katiedid

Katiedid

Adult Guinea Pig
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Ok so I have had a URI go through the herd, I got a new pig and whether he started it (sadly he passed) or Zigg got stressed and started it I don’t know. But Zigg has had it twice, Biscuit once Binky is fine. Zigg has lost her voice again as did Bert before he passed. So today willow looses her voice. I call the out of hours vet to ask whether I can give baytril and see them at the clinic tomorrow.

Basically I get short shrift, I shouldn’t have been given baytril for any of them, it will cause issues with resistance. It could be viral, bacterial or fungal. Now ok I get this and I am all on board, I would much rather not use antibiotics and indeed when Zigg was little we did a nebulising rather than antibiotics when we weren’t sure one time.

He said don’t bring Willow in there was no point they couldn’t tell me anything, don’t give her antibiotics just nebulise with F10 4 times a day and that will kill fungal and mild bacterial and ease breathing if it’s a virus,

I’m now confused because had they told me this was an option I would have jumped at it (indeed for Zigg we do nebulise). Is what he is saying right, do guinea pigs get virus? Is this a legitimate way to treat them.

Why in the past 10 months has no one else suggested it? Or do I need a new vet?
 
My vets won't prescribe antibiotics now for URIs unless they are really bad, they then take a swab sample and prescribe the right antibiotic for the bacteria. The same goes for UTIs, they want a sample analised, no more jumping in with Baytril in case it works!
2 of my boars have had, and quite frequently get hooty breathing when eating and have been treated with nebulised F10 2x daily, 15 mins a time as soon as I notice, as instructed by the vet. These vets are at a very well respected vetinary hospital which takes referrals from all over the country and so I suspect this is the new way, one I have had success with and really approve of. I would of course take any of mine to the vet if I was worried the nebulising wasn't working quickly.
I don't think you need a new vet. Is this the vet you have been seeing for the last 10 months or a more enlightened one in the practise? Maybe the message is only just filtering through about F10.

Sending healing vibes to Willow. X
 
piggieminder said:
My vets won't prescribe antibiotics now for URIs unless they are really bad, they then take a swab sample and prescribe the right antibiotic for the bacteria. The same goes for UTIs, they want a sample analised, no more jumping in with Baytril in case it works!
2 of my boars have had, and quite frequently get hooty breathing when eating and have been treated with nebulised F10 2x daily, 15 mins a time as soon as I notice, as instructed by the vet. These vets are at a very well respected vetinary hospital which takes referrals from all over the country and so I suspect this is the new way, one I have had success with and really approve of. I would of course take any of mine to the vet if I was worried the nebulising wasn't working quickly.
I don't think you need a new vet. Is this the vet you have been seeing for the last 10 months or a more enlightened one in the practise? Maybe the message is only just filtering through about F10.

Sending healing vibes to Willow. X
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Thank you! No he isn’t the vet I’ve seen over the past 10 months (I’ve only seen him when Binky injured her leg and Biscuit collapsed and when I met him I liked him). The others are suggested nebulisation with antibiotics. To be fair Ziggy was hospitalised and not very well (she had a crackle on her lungs). I’ve never pushed for antibiotics but I have taken them down there when I’m not sure if they are ok (for example I took Binky down on Friday as she had a bad episode of hooting, now she often hoots we (the vets and I) think it is benign but as the others had been ill i wanted them to listen. If they say a pig is fine I’m happy.

If this is a legitimate method of treatment then I am over the moon as I loathe and detest baytril and giving them antibiotics in general (Bert would still be with us if we hadn’t given baytril). It’s just that out of 5 or 6 vets I’ve seen whilst all have been very good in terms of no treatment if they can’t hear it, this is the first who has said nebulising only is fine.
 
When I took Bracken and was advised to buy a nebuliser the vet suspected he may have a long term problem and there was no way she wanted to put a piggy with breathing problems under GA to get a swab, I had caught it so early there was no nasal discharge but she could hear a slight crackle. She is happy for me to nebulise him and monitor at the first sign of a breathing problem and take him in if I'm worried. Caspy has suspected allergies and is having the same treatment, it's not not worked for them yet, the nebuliser though expensive has saved a fortune in vets fees. This vet told me nebulising with F10 wouldn't do them any harm and in fact I could give them a weekly maintenance dose if I felt it was necessary.

I can understand your concern and wanting the vet to listen and see if there's a problem these little furries are such a worry sometimes. I can only say my vet is saying F10 first, the right antibiotics later if F10 doesn't work. I was also warned it sounds worse with the F10 before it gets better as the nebulising loosens any gunk in the airways and it did! I almost chickened out and took Bracken back to the vet the first time, she wanted to see him after 2 weeks. When we went back there was still a very slight crackle, she said to reduce the nebulising to once a day for another week and then gradually reduce it.

I guess different vets have different ideas about things and the latest thinking takes a while to filter through. I'm all for avoiding Baytril unless absolutely necessary and am very glad to have found a vet who dislikes it too!
 
Perfect thank you! I’ll nebulise her and hopefully she will pick up. How long do you nebulise for (as I’m how many days?)
 
Bracken's first encounter with the worst infection was 2 weeks 2 x daily then one week one times daily then I tailed it off. Since then it's been a week which has done the trick. I think better a bit too long than too short and have to start again.
 
Omron C28P (just had to go and look!). It was recommended by the vet, it's got a finer mist than most, apparently a lot don't mist fine enough for piggies. Not the cheapest on the market but she says good. I got mine in Boots on the way home from the vets as I needed it urgently at 7pm and it was on the shelf. It's a bit cheaper on line on sites like Amazon.
 
I have the omron nebuliser, too and I do use it with saline or F10 antiseptics when the piggies show signs of illness while waiting to get to the vets. I also use it during Vet treatment to help. Mine have always seemed to tolerate it well.
 
VickiA said:
I have the omron nebuliser, too and I do use it with saline or F10 antiseptics when the piggies show signs of illness while waiting to get to the vets. I also use it during Vet treatment to help. Mine have always seemed to tolerate it well.
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Thank you I’ve used it with treatment just never as sole treatment.
 
If it is an infection then antibiotics will be needed as F10 is only antibacterial, so won't kill infections.

However some antibiotics can be nebulised so that's an option for the future.

If your piggies don't have an infection like the vet suggests then F10 in the nebuliser should help. One of my boars had breathing issues due to damaged airways. His nebuliser helped quite a lot
 
Jaycey said:
If it is an infection then antibiotics will be needed as F10 is only antibacterial, so won't kill infections.

However some antibiotics can be nebulised so that's an option for the future.

If your piggies don't have an infection like the vet suggests then F10 in the nebuliser should help. One of my boars had breathing issues due to damaged airways. His nebuliser helped quite a lot
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Whatever it is has gone from pig to pig to pig. The vet last night suggested for mild bacterial infections it would work. He also pointed out quite rightly that for viral or fungal infections antibiotics don’t work. Your advice is what we were given when they first became ill 10 months ago hence me questioning the vet last night. It’s all so confusing and conflicting.
 
The way my vet explained it was F10 kills bacterial infections, viral infections won't be helped by antibiotics but nebulising will help the breathing. There's no point using antibiotics on an infection when you don't know what you are dealing with and unless there is nasal discharge they need to get a swab using GA - not a good idea on a piggy with breathing difficulties. She said vets are becoming more and more concerned by antibiotic resistance and won't prescribe them unless absolutely necessary. I really rate this vet practise, certainly the most piggy savvy I've used. I feel it's important for us all to find a vet we are comfortable with and that we are able to go with what they advise.
I hope your piggies get well very soon @Katiedid.
 
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