Guinea pigs on baytril

[maharvey83]

My piggies are on baytril for suspected UTI. We are on day three currently. They were both off their veggies before we took them to the vets. Yesterday they both gobbled a leaf of lettuce and some small pieces of cucumber. Throughout the days I have seen them eating hay as well.
We weighed them for the first time yesterday to monitor weight loss and will weigh daily from now on…but how much weight loss is a worry? And what do I do about it?

The vet gave us some powder stuff to mix with water if they weren’t eating anything but it says it needs to be used within 12 hours. How many times a day should I give this? And is this for if they start to lose weight?

I have also read about poo soup and crushing their food pellets in water - are these the same thing? And is this preferable over the powder mix?

I am also concerned as I am not sure they are weeing enough. I never see my piggies drink but they may be sneaking out to do it while I’m not looking. How can I tell what their wee output is? Do I need to be syringe feeding them water?

How long after starting anti-biotics should we see an improvement in their eating habits?

 

[Piggies&buns]

You need to weigh them every day. Weight loss is only once they lose 50g. Anything up to 50g is just normal fluctuation.

What is the powder the vet gave you called?

Probiotics - fibreplex, pro c

So, when piggies are on antibiotics, it’s common to give a probiotic alongside. Antibiotics can kill the good gut bacteria and cause them to lose their appetite (not every pig’s appetite will be affected though). A probiotic can help replace the gut bacteria the antibiotic can kill and make them feel more settled.
You give a probiotic 1-2 hours either before or after a dose of antibiotic. Never at the same time as.

Poop soup is not the same thing as the mushed pellets. Poop soup is probiotic. It directly replaces gut bacteria from a healthy companion to the poorly piggy via poop soaked water .
Poop soup is not an option for you in this case though because both your piggies are on antibiotics. Poop soup can only be made from the very fresh poops of a healthy companion.
You will need a commercial probiotic.

Recovery feed

If they do lose appetite, and subsequently lose weight then it’s because their hay intake has dropped. You then need to step in and syringe feed them a fibre rich recovery feed - either Oxbow critical care (or such other commercial recovery feed) or mushed pellets. This is replacing their hay intake and you feed them as much in each 24 period as is necessary to stop the weight loss.
If a piggy isn’t eating enough, then syringe feeding a recovery feed/mushed pellets is as important as the medicine.
How much you need to syringe feed each day depends on how much the appetite is affected and how much hay they are still eating independently. A recovery feed such as Oxbow critical care contains a higher fibre content than mushed pellets does but, mushed pellets will have a familiar flavour so might be more readily accepted by the piggies.

Seeing them eat veg does not count if their hay intake reduces because veg won’t keep their weight on.

Not all piggies appetites are affected by baytril though, but do keep a daily check on their weight and syringe feed if necessary

The guides below will help further

Weight - Monitoring and Management
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links