One runny nostril, gentamicin?

[Laszlo&Pollen]

Hello all,

My 1.5-2yo (rescue so unsure of exact age) boar Pollen developed clear, thin discharge from only his right nostril 2 nights ago. He also seems to have some increased tearing of his right eye. He is otherwise behaving totally normally, eating/drinking normally, and peeing and pooping normally.

I was concerned for early URI vs something like a small piece of hay that I couldn’t see stuck in his nostril and wanted to get him checked out ASAP, so I took him to the vet today (first available appointment). The vet didn’t find anything in his nostril on exam, and said his lungs sound perfectly clear and that he looks great. He thought it was likely irritation rather than a URI, but prescribed gentamicin drops to apply twice daily to his eyes as well as to each nostril for a total of 14 days, with plan to start systemic oral antibiotics if he has any worsening symptoms.

We have an appt to follow up with him in 11 days for a recheck, but I wanted to get everyone’s thoughts on/experiences with using gentamicin nasally. I know it’s commonly used for ophthalmic stuff, and am well aware of its toxicity when given orally…I have read a few things about it being used nasally in guinea pigs, but just wanted to get more thoughts from experienced folks. Thank you in advance!

 

[Wiebke]

Hello all,

My 1.5-2yo (rescue so unsure of exact age) boar Pollen developed clear, thin discharge from only his right nostril 2 nights ago. He also seems to have some increased tearing of his right eye. He is otherwise behaving totally normally, eating/drinking normally, and peeing and pooping normally.

I was concerned for early URI vs something like a small piece of hay that I couldn’t see stuck in his nostril and wanted to get him checked out ASAP, so I took him to the vet today (first available appointment). The vet didn’t find anything in his nostril on exam, and said his lungs sound perfectly clear and that he looks great. He thought it was likely irritation rather than a URI, but prescribed gentamicin drops to apply twice daily to his eyes as well as to each nostril for a total of 14 days, with plan to start systemic oral antibiotics if he has any worsening symptoms.

We have an appt to follow up with him in 11 days for a recheck, but I wanted to get everyone’s thoughts on/experiences with using gentamicin nasally. I know it’s commonly used for ophthalmic stuff, and am well aware of its toxicity when given orally…I have read a few things about it being used nasally in guinea pigs, but just wanted to get more thoughts from experienced folks. Thank you in advance!

Hi
Being located in the UK, I do not have any experience with gentamicin in guinea pigs; this brand and the active ingredient are not used over here. They are antibiotic eye drops for topical (i.e. on the skin/eye) use but not for swallowing.

The eyes and the nasal tract are connected; so if it is safe for the eyes, it is also safe to dab a little on the nostril.

 

[Laszlo&Pollen]

Thanks so much for responding! I appreciate the input and help. He seems to be doing fine with it so far.

 

[Laszlo&Pollen]

Hello, just wanted to update. After a few days with the gentamicin drops, the clear discharge briefly turned more whitish. I took him to the vet and he was prescribed Bactrim x 10 day course, which he finished 3 days ago.

The clear nasal discharge is still there - it is still only from 1 nostril and not associated with any other symptoms. He had a recheck appt on his last day of antibiotics, at which time the vet agreed he still sees clear discharge, and recommended saline drops in his runny nostril to help decrease any localized inflammation.

Interestingly he also began to scratch himself pretty frequently recently - the vet didn’t see anything on a tape test, but gave him an appropriately weight-based dose of Revolution (kitten dose) just in case which we will repeat in 2 weeks.

Due to both the runny nostril and the increased itching, I ditched the entire bag of hay I’d opened shortly before this all started, and thoroughly cleaned all his fleece and other cage items just in case. I’m a bit at a loss as to what else could be causing this at this point.