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Baytril And Metacam

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Elna0613

Elna0613

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One of my Guinea pigs injured his foot last night, there was a lot of blood :-( as the swelling hadn't gone down and he still seemed to be constantly licking his foot, we've had a trip to the vet this morning. Vet says the foot is infected and is concerned about it spreading to his bone, she's prescribed a 10 day course of 0.16ml Metacam and 1ml of 2.5% baytril, both to be given daily.
I'm now beside myself with worry particularly about the baytril as I've googled and seen a lot of horror stories about it having negative and sometimes fatal effects on otherwise healthy piggies! Also the dosage she's recommended seems quite high as a lot of forums suggest only 0.40ml.... Does anyone have any advice or experience? Thank you
 
@Wiebke @helen105281
dosage isn't my forte, so I've tagged in the more experienced owners.
But whenever a piggy is on any medication, I'd recommend some avipro to settle your piggies stomach as meds can often be a little rough on their stomachs. Keep some rescue critical care also in case they go off their food and daily weighing will be vital to indicate if they are eating properly which is important and don't lose weight.
Keep a comfy bed or favourite bed near both food, water and hay, and their favourite nibbles, but not too much veg though. I find meds and veg in their normal quantity can make their poo's a little too soft for my liking.
 
The baytril dosage is indeed high but I am unsure on dose range,. It depends on weight etc... Is the dose split on the baytril?
Where are you based please?
 
Here are a list of cavy savy vets near to you

  • Rose Cottage Veterinary Centre
    Jen Quayle
    Chester Rd
    Sutton Weaver, Runcorn
    Chershire West and Chester, WA7 3EQ
    01928 71758

  • B
    Birch Heath Veterinary Clinic
    Suzetta Cameron or Vicki Baldrey
    Birch Heath Road

    Tarporley, Cheshire CW6 9UU
    01829 733 777
    www.bircheathexoticvets.com
    Directions

  • The veterinary health centre
    4 Greenways
    Lytham St Annes, Lancashire FY8 3LY
    01253 729309
    www.tvhc.co.uk
    Directions
May also be worth contact the vet school in liverpool to see if they have anyone cavy savy there Small Animal Practice - University of Liverpool

i would want them seen again in next few days with the swelling not going down. Also worth contacting the vet again regarding the high dose on baytril just to make sure. Are they eating okay?
 
Thank you... Have to take him back next week for review and she also said to go in the meantime if the foot gets worse and any adverse reactions to the medication. So far he's eating ok but will keep an eye on this
 
Elna0613 said:
One of my Guinea pigs injured his foot last night, there was a lot of blood :-( as the swelling hadn't gone down and he still seemed to be constantly licking his foot, we've had a trip to the vet this morning. Vet says the foot is infected and is concerned about it spreading to his bone, she's prescribed a 10 day course of 0.16ml Metacam and 1ml of 2.5% baytril, both to be given daily.
I'm now beside myself with worry particularly about the baytril as I've googled and seen a lot of horror stories about it having negative and sometimes fatal effects on otherwise healthy piggies! Also the dosage she's recommended seems quite high as a lot of forums suggest only 0.40ml.... Does anyone have any advice or experience? Thank you
Click to expand...

Hi! I am very sorry - that sounds nasty and you must be very upset!

1 ml of baytril is as high as your vet can go for a good-sized guinea of over 1200g. I would however recommend to split the dosage into two and give 0.5 ml twice daily as guinea pigs have a very fast metabolism. 0.4 ml twice daily is the appropriate maximum dose for a guinea of 1 kg, which is mostly used for urinary tract infections.
Baytril is still a good antibiotic against infections. It has got a bit of a bad reputation as an appetite killer, but please remind yourself that you hear about all the negatives online (especially the horror stories), but usually NOT about the positive outcomes. Most guinea pigs have no problems with baytril, as I can testify personally from my own guinea pigs using it! The worst I ever had was some slightly softer poos for a couple of days. You have to be aware that negative responses can happen to any antibiotic, but that they are not the rule - not even with baytril!

You can bolster the effects of baytril by given a pinch of probiotic 1-2 hours after the antibiotic; in an emergency, you can probiotics from a pet shop - they are perfectly adequate.
You can also help the digestion by re-stocking the guts with the "right" stuff by syringing water in which you have soaked fresh poos from a healthy companion. It is a bit gross, but mimics natural behaviour and has the advantage of being available at any time.

Baytril is about as horrible tasting as it can get. Either give it in one fell swoop and then syringe some ribena stright afterwards, or syringe the baytril and ribena together, so it goes in a bit easier.
Administering Medications

The metacam dose is OK - it is a fairly low one. You can give it safely twice daily for a short while if your boy is in real pain.

Speak to your vet promptly if your boy loses his appetite completely, asap if there is any deterioration or if there is no improvement after a week.
Start syringe feeding asap if your boy stops eating; you can use either one of the available recovery formula brands, mushed up pellets or a mix of both, whatever works best for your piggy.
Monitor his weight/food intake by weighing daily at the same time. You step in as soon as he is losing over 50g from one day to the next. You can find all the necessary tips and information in our very detailed guide, including information on probiotics, recovery food etc.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
 
Thanks for the detailed response really helpful and reassuring! Will pick up some probiotic, and not heard about the 'poo water' tip before! He's a good size - just over 1300g which must be why they've given the max dosage but I will do as you suggested and split the dose to 0.5 twice a day!
 
Elna0613 said:
Thanks for the detailed response really helpful and reassuring! Will pick up some probiotic, and not heard about the 'poo water' tip before! He's a good size - just over 1300g which must be why they've given the max dosage but I will do as you suggested and split the dose to 0.5 twice a day!
Click to expand...

Yes, he is getting the correct maximum dose for his weight. Most antibiotics are better split; the same goes also for metacam. ;)

All the best! Please keep us updated on this thread or ask if you have any further questions or concerns.
 
Thanks everyone- will let you know how he gets on!
 
Hi there - just an update - Charlie has now finished his antibiotics and managed really well - appetite still healthy as ever :) however, the vet is not happy that the swelling in his foot hasn't gone down much (it doesn't seem to be bothering him but it does look bigger than the other foot), she thinks something may be stuck inside his foot like a bit of hay or something.... She has suggested another week of the Metacam and if it's no better next week then she said they can put him under anesthetic for an X-ray then flush out whatever's in his foot! I'm not sure how I feel about him going under anesthetic and don't want to cause potential problems for him when he seems fine in himself . Any further advice would be great?
 
See how it goes. If the swelling is not going down, then it is time to investigate, as it could cause worse problems in the longer term.

Most vets are now much better with anaesthetics in small animals.
 
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