Length of time for baytril/metacam (ear infection)

[caitlinrhoswen]

Hi,

My guinea pig Butter (3yo neutered boar) has an ear infection. We went to our exotic vet on 21st and he was given 10ml baytril (0.5ml x1 per day) and 10ml metacam (0.5ml x2 per day).

He's actually finished his painkillers now (30th December) but I have extra at home. The vet didn't tell me how long to give the meds and the receptionist said "just keep going until it's finished".

I feel bad making him go "cold turkey" on the painkillers today so I've given him 1 dose of 0.5ml along with the baytril. Does anyone have guidance on how long he can/should be on these meds? There is another 10 days of baytril left which seems like a long time, 20 days? His previous UTIs were maybe 14 days of baytril.

He weighs upwards of 1.2kg and has been eating well since the painkillers set it last week.

The exotic vet has suddenly moved practice and I would rather not take a day off work to go and ask a simple question if possible.

Any advice would be welcome.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi,

My guinea pig Butter (3yo neutered boar) has an ear infection. We went to our exotic vet on 21st and he was given 10ml baytril (0.5ml x1 per day) and 10ml metacam (0.5ml x2 per day).

He's actually finished his painkillers now (30th December) but I have extra at home. The vet didn't tell me how long to give the meds and the receptionist said "just keep going until it's finished".

I feel bad making him go "cold turkey" on the painkillers today so I've given him 1 dose of 0.5ml along with the baytril. Does anyone have guidance on how long he can/should be on these meds? There is another 10 days of baytril left which seems like a long time, 20 days? His previous UTIs were maybe 14 days of baytril.

He weighs upwards of 1.2kg and has been eating well since the painkillers set it last week.

The exotic vet has suddenly moved practice and I would rather not take a day off work to go and ask a simple question if possible.

Any advice would be welcome.

Hi
Please continue with the medication you have been prescribed. If not stated differently, you will always get as much as you need for the course of treatment. Do not stop early on spec if your vet wants to make sure that the ear infection cannot return just because you have been prescribed shorter courses before. Your vet is trained to make these kind of decisions, weighing up the needs against the potential risks when prescribing any medication.

There are no side effects of you stopping metacam once you come to the end of the prescribed course.

If in any doubt, please give the clinic a call.

 

[Princess Dustmop]

I haven't had a piggy with an ear infection, but I've had piggies that have been on Baytril for UTI for anywhere from 10 to 21 days, and one piggy who ended up needing a second 14-day course after getting a 10 or 14 day course and having symptoms recur. So if they told you to finish the bottle and that would be 20 days, I would finish the course as prescribed unless you can get confirmation from them that it should be stopped.

You could call them if you're concerned, shouldn't require an actual visit for a simple question, or at least it wouldn't for any vet I've worked with.

 

[caitlinrhoswen]

I haven't had a piggy with an ear infection, but I've had piggies that have been on Baytril for UTI for anywhere from 10 to 21 days, and one piggy who ended up needing a second 14-day course after getting a 10 or 14 day course and having symptoms recur. So if they told you to finish the bottle and that would be 20 days, I would finish the course as prescribed unless you can get confirmation from them that it should be stopped.

You could call them if you're concerned, shouldn't require an actual visit for a simple question, or at least it wouldn't for any vet I've worked with.

Thank you this is helpful. I asked at the practice and the receptionist said she did not know and the exotic vet has now left the practice so there wouldn't be anyone to ask, it's why I came here. Thanks for your help

 

[caitlinrhoswen]

I haven't had a piggy with an ear infection, but I've had piggies that have been on Baytril for UTI for anywhere from 10 to 21 days, and one piggy who ended up needing a second 14-day course after getting a 10 or 14 day course and having symptoms recur. So if they told you to finish the bottle and that would be 20 days, I would finish the course as prescribed unless you can get confirmation from them that it should be stopped.

You could call them if you're concerned, shouldn't require an actual visit for a simple question, or at least it wouldn't for any vet I've worked with.

Thanks for your help
I asked at the practice and the receptionist said she did not know and the exotic vet has now left the practice so there wouldn't be anyone to ask if I called them, it's why I came here.

 

[caitlinrhoswen]

Hi
Please continue with the medication you have been prescribed. If not stated differently, you will always get as much as you need for the course of treatment. Do not stop early on spec if your vet wants to make sure that the ear infection cannot return just because you have been prescribed shorter courses before. Your vet is trained to make these kind of decisions, weighing up the needs against the potential risks when prescribing any medication.

There are no side effects of you stopping metacam once you come to the end of the prescribed course.

If in any doubt, please give the clinic a call.

Thanks for your help
I asked at the practice and the receptionist said she did not know and the exotic vet has now left the practice so there wouldn't be anyone to ask if I called them, it's why I came here.