-
Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement
Benebac Plus
- Thread starter ishita
- Start date
Does he have an upset digestive system? ie soft poops signifying a mild upset. Or more symptoms as well such as lack of appetite, reduction in hay intake?
If he does have symptoms then he can have whatever the packaging says. So that’ll be 1g per day. He can have it until symptoms stop.
He should also have veg removed from his diet if his only symptom is soft poops.
Daily weight checks should also be done and being prepared to step in with syringe feeding a recovery feed for more severe symptoms of digestive issues.
If he does not have an upset digestive system then he does not need to have benebac.
You should save it’s use for when he is actually ill
If he does have symptoms then he can have whatever the packaging says. So that’ll be 1g per day. He can have it until symptoms stop.
He should also have veg removed from his diet if his only symptom is soft poops.
Daily weight checks should also be done and being prepared to step in with syringe feeding a recovery feed for more severe symptoms of digestive issues.
If he does not have an upset digestive system then he does not need to have benebac.
You should save it’s use for when he is actually ill
He has a reduced intake of food, so we're giving him Benebac Plus. So I'll follow the package and give him 1g per day. Thanks!
Benebac is not a food replacement.
Benebac is simply a probiotic/supplement and helps replace and rebalance gut bacteria if he is suffering with a digestive upset (soft poops).
You would give a probiotic a couple of times a day (depending on what the packaging says).
You would also need to remove veg from the diet if he has soft poops.
How much weight has he lost?
Hay intake cannot be gauged by eye so the weight checks are essential.
A reduction in hay intake means you need to be weighing him daily and syringe feeding a recovery feed such as oxbow critical care or emeraid (or mushed pellets as the emergency alternative) if he has lost 50g or more in weight.
Aim for 60ml of syringe feed per day but as much as is necessary to stop further weight loss.
You could need to syringe feed a recovery feed every 2-3 hours depending on the situation with his weight loss.
Although last week you said he was 750g in weight so with you saying he weighs 800g today, and on the face of it, it doesn’t sound like he has any reduction in hay/food intake at all, and therefore doesn’t need benebac or syringe feeding - we need further information about his exact weight today and what weight he has lost over the last few days/week to be able to advise more accurately though.
Hi
Benebac plus is an enhanced probiotic product to help with a persistent digestive problem or to counter the effect on the gut from an antibiotic affecting the 'good' digestive bacteria as well as the 'bad' ones that are causing the infection for which the antibiotic has been prescribed.
Please follow instructions on the packaging. If you use recovery formula please check on the packaging whether it already contains probiotics and other enhancements (especially emeprid formulas).
What probiotics cannot do:
- They aren't an appetite stimulant.
- They cannot replace any syringe feed to make up for a diminished hay intake/weight loss.
- They cannot replace any necessary medical treatment for the cause of any loss of appetite, whether that is a pain issue, an infection or a metabolic problem or the result of a heat stroke, just to name the most common categories for loss of appetite.
Guinea Lynx :: Anorexia (not eating)
Probiotics are not a medication; they are a support product with a specific, limited purpose. And they are most definitely not a magic wand measure.
Are you support feeding and how much?
Benebac plus is an enhanced probiotic product to help with a persistent digestive problem or to counter the effect on the gut from an antibiotic affecting the 'good' digestive bacteria as well as the 'bad' ones that are causing the infection for which the antibiotic has been prescribed.
Please follow instructions on the packaging. If you use recovery formula please check on the packaging whether it already contains probiotics and other enhancements (especially emeprid formulas).
What probiotics cannot do:
- They aren't an appetite stimulant.
- They cannot replace any syringe feed to make up for a diminished hay intake/weight loss.
- They cannot replace any necessary medical treatment for the cause of any loss of appetite, whether that is a pain issue, an infection or a metabolic problem or the result of a heat stroke, just to name the most common categories for loss of appetite.
Guinea Lynx :: Anorexia (not eating)
Probiotics are not a medication; they are a support product with a specific, limited purpose. And they are most definitely not a magic wand measure.
Are you support feeding and how much?
Last night he was 800g, and today evening he weighed 795g. The vet suggested giving him probiotics. His poops are a bit soft, but I have slowly removed excess veg from his diet. As per your suggestion, should I not give him Benebac Plus as long as his weight is ok? He eats well enough and his BMI is ok.Benebac is not a food replacement.
Benebac is simply a probiotic/supplement and helps replace and rebalance gut bacteria if he is suffering with a digestive upset (soft poops).
You would give a probiotic a couple of times a day (depending on what the packaging says).
You would also need to remove veg from the diet if he has soft poops.
How much weight has he lost?
Hay intake cannot be gauged by eye so the weight checks are essential.
A reduction in hay intake means you need to be weighing him daily and syringe feeding a recovery feed such as oxbow critical care or emeraid (or mushed pellets as the emergency alternative) if he has lost 50g or more in weight.
Aim for 60ml of syringe feed per day but as much as is necessary to stop further weight loss.
You could need to syringe feed a recovery feed every 2-3 hours depending on the situation with his weight loss.
Although last week you said he was 750g in weight so with you saying he weighs 800g today, and on the face of it, it doesn’t sound like he has any reduction in hay/food intake at all, and therefore doesn’t need benebac or syringe feeding - we need further information about his exact weight today and what weight he has lost over the last few days/week to be able to advise more accurately though.
I'm not support feeding, but as we recently lost one piggie from gut stasis, the vet suggested to give my other piggie probiotics. I'm not sure why he suggested that, so I'm cross-checking in the forum. His weight, eating habits are all right and he's pretty active too.
He has not lost any weight - the 5g drop is simply normal fluctuation and not of any concern at all. Weight loss isn’t considered weight loss until it is 50g.
He is therefore eating absolutely fine and does not need any intervention.
Benebac is nothing to do with food or weight loss.
If he loses weight he needs critical care or emeraid not benebac.
He only needs a probiotic if he had a digestive upset such as when on antibiotics which deplete the system.
It doesn’t sound like there is anything wrong with him so he doesn’t need it.
Gradually reducing excess veg isn’t how you go about it.
If you have been giving too much veg then that will cause an imbalance and will cause soft poops. Remove all veg from the diet completely, only feed him hay, give him a few days with just any for poops to firm up and then slowly reintroduce veg one type and one small piece at a time.
Thank you! Seeing as his weight is currently ok, I'll keep the Benebac stored for later use when it is actually necessary. He didn't have any veg at all today, except 2 slices cucumbers because he kept wheeking whenever we opened the fridge. He's eating hay and pellets currently.
Also, is Reglan Injection a solution for when a piggie is not eating? We lost one piggie recently, but we later found out that a Reglan injection might have saved him. Our previous vet didn't mention anything, so I wanted to make sure.
Thank you, that makes sense. GI stasis can come with bloating or start with the digestion shortly going into overdrive. It is a problem of the digestive system but can also be caused by an external problem impacting on the gut but probiotics will help to add more 'good' digestive bacteria to a potentially disturbed/derailed environment.
Probiotics are not a medication and cannot stop weight loss; they can only help to stabilise a potentially disturbed gut environment. Give the probiotic on a favourite bit of veg or mixed with a very little water by syringe. Amounts according to recommendation on the package unless there is a specific recommendation from your vet.
If your piggy is losing weight, then they need additional support feeding to make up for a a reduced hay intake. However 5g is just the equivalent of a small pee and doesn't count as weight loss. A guinea pig's body weight normally sings around 30g over the course of a day depending on how full the tummy and bladder are.
This guide here discusses weight loss and how to work out how critical any weight loss is for your own piggy with their personal size/weight.
If he has soft poops you cannot give him any veg at all until things normalise! Giving him the cucumber is counter productive and will not help the problem to be resolved! You have to be strong and ignore his pleas!
As he hasn’t lost any weight at all then there sounds to be no other issue
My piggie is eating well, he's active and his BMI and weight is good. I bought Benebac Plus as the vet suggested it, but as I'm seeing now, it doesn't seem entirely necessary. Thanks!
I'll try his withstand his pleas. I removed veg from his diet around 2-3 days ago, and I'll wait a few more days till I can surely say that his poops aren't soft anymore. Thank you!
Please contact us before you reintroduce any veg so we can tell you how to do it safely. Soft poos are a reason to give probiotics.
Please accept that we are jumping between lots of threads each day on top of our jobs, piggies and private life so we cannot always remember everything, especially after a few ten thousands of posts...
Yeah no problem! I'll write on the forum in the next 3-4 days! Thanks!Please contact us before you reintroduce any veg so we can tell you how to do it safely. Soft poos are a reason to give probiotics.
Please accept that we are jumping between lots of threads each day on top of our jobs, piggies and private life so we cannot always remember everything, especially after a few ten thousands of posts...