NSAIDs and antibiotic advice

[Olaysha]

Hi everybody,

I was wondering what people’s experiences with NSAIDs and antibiotics for their guinea pigs have been like.

My 6month old guinea pig Chestnut started making choking sounds and hooting last night and I took her to the vet this morning. He checked her up and said that her lungs sounded normal but bc I mentioned that she has been sitting in her hutch a lot more and I showed him the sound she’s been making, he’s a bit worried about her developing a respiratory infection. I attached a pic of the medication. I don’t know how to attach the sound. (She hasn’t really made this sound before)

So he gave her some pain relief (Metacam oral 1.5mg/MI) on the spot and gave me both the Metacam and an antibiotic called Septrim (Bactrim) to her give her twice a day. I was just going through the guinea pig forum now and read the article that NSAIDs could be potentially life threatening to guinea pigs. Should I only give her the Septrin? I don’t think she needs Metacam bc she doesn’t seem to be in any pain and I’m worried about the effects.

Any advice about anything related would be amazing. They’ve never been sick before and I’m really lost about what’s right or not.

I’ve been feeding her crittacare as a supplement as well.

Should I separate my piggies if she’s sick?

 

[Olaysha]

Just as an add-on: She'd been eating normally and moving around normally looking curious and alert, but spending more time in her hutch then she usually would. She usually sits outside.
She was making a hooting, heavy breathing noise for a while this morning, but stopped when she got scared by something on the way to the vet, and hasn't made it audibly in the last two hours since. Could she have had something in her throat which got dislodged?

 

[Lady Kelly]

Metacam is licensed for use in guinea pigs in certain situations in the UK and is perfectly safe to give.

I wouldn't separate at all. If it's something contagious the cage mate will be infected before you know she's ill so it would be pretty pointless and only serve to stress them both out

 

[Lady Kelly]

Forgot to add that the forum cannot support video files. The clip needs to be uploaded to a public provider like Facebook or YouTube first and the liked to your post

 

[Swissgreys]

Both of those medications are perfectly safe for guinea pigs.
I would continue to give both, as recommended by the vet.

Well done for having her seen by a vet and I hope she picks up soon.

 

[tabelmabel]

My vet also dispenses a painkiller with an antibiotic. Loxicom is the usual one my vet goes for but there is a shortage atm so my piggy is on rheumicon. She had a 2 week course of septrin and is now on doxycycline.

Like your piggy, mine has never stopped eating and moving about but these uris are stubborn to shift sometimes!

I hope the streptin works for your piggy. Metacam will deal with any temperature as well as pain so it will help your piggy feel better until the anti biotics kick in.

 

[Bradshaw Piggies]

NSAIDs are considered safer for piggies because they don't have the steroidal element that some drugs have. Metacam and Loxicom are two of the brand names that are well recognised and licensed for use in piggies.

Septrins are also usually well tolerated, but as with any antibiotic, they can upset the natural bacterial populations of the gut. It is therefore recommended to supplement with probiotics whilst the guinea pig is on antibiotics.

Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links

If the vet has prescribed both, you should definitely be following the advice and giving both. Guinea pigs have very narrow airways and the Metacam is an anti-inflammatory as well as a pain killer - your vet has mostly likely prescribed it to reduce any inflammation and irritation in the airways.

Sometimes piggies can get hay/dust etc lodged in the narrow airways and make a hooting sound. One of my boys is prone to it as he likes to be head first in piles of hay!

Your vet is the only one who can correctly diagnose and treat so definitely follow the guidelines and medicate as you have been instructed. There is absolutely no need to separate the pigs. Anything infectious will have already transmitted if it was going to (but usually pigs with healthy immune systems can fend off a lot of antigens). It causes additional stress and is detrimental to separate the pigs.

Please also weigh your pig daily throughout treatment and contact the vet if there is appetite/weight loss.

The boys and I are sending lots of love and hope your little one improves soon!

 

[Olaysha]

Forgot to add that the forum cannot support video files. The clip needs to be uploaded to a public provider like Facebook or YouTube first and the liked to your post

oohhh okay thanks!

 

[Olaysha]

Metacam is licensed for use in guinea pigs in certain situations in the UK and is perfectly safe to give.

I wouldn't separate at all. If it's something contagious the cage mate will be infected before you know she's ill so it would be pretty pointless and only serve to stress them both out

Both of those medications are perfectly safe for guinea pigs.
I would continue to give both, as recommended by the vet.

Well done for having her seen by a vet and I hope she picks up soon.

My vet also dispenses a painkiller with an antibiotic. Loxicom is the usual one my vet goes for but there is a shortage atm so my piggy is on rheumicon. She had a 2 week course of septrin and is now on doxycycline.

Like your piggy, mine has never stopped eating and moving about but these uris are stubborn to shift sometimes!

I hope the streptin works for your piggy. Metacam will deal with any temperature as well as pain so it will help your piggy feel better until the anti biotics kick in.

NSAIDs are considered safer for piggies because they don't have the steroidal element that some drugs have. Metacam and Loxicom are two of the brand names that are well recognised and licensed for use in piggies.

Septrins are also usually well tolerated, but as with any antibiotic, they can upset the natural bacterial populations of the gut. It is therefore recommended to supplement with probiotics whilst the guinea pig is on antibiotics.

Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links

If the vet has prescribed both, you should definitely be following the advice and giving both. Guinea pigs have very narrow airways and the Metacam is an anti-inflammatory as well as a pain killer - your vet has mostly likely prescribed it to reduce any inflammation and irritation in the airways.

Sometimes piggies can get hay/dust etc lodged in the narrow airways and make a hooting sound. One of my boys is prone to it as he likes to be head first in piles of hay!

Your vet is the only one who can correctly diagnose and treat so definitely follow the guidelines and medicate as you have been instructed. There is absolutely no need to separate the pigs. Anything infectious will have already transmitted if it was going to (but usually pigs with healthy immune systems can fend off a lot of antigens). It causes additional stress and is detrimental to separate the pigs.

Please also weigh your pig daily throughout treatment and contact the vet if there is appetite/weight loss.

The boys and I are sending lots of love and hope your little one improves soon!

Thanks everyone for the advice and well wishes! Its reassuring that the brands are well-known and I'm glad I don't have to separate the girls. I also have Oxbrow crittacare and she really likes that so we'll use that as a supplement. Sending love