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Preventing GI Stasis from Antibiotics?

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PooperPiggies

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Hello,

My piglet Fitzgerald started having sneezing fits about a week ago. I took him to the vet as soon as I could, and his lungs were cloudy, apparently, so he was prescribed a generic version of baytril and a probiotic. The diagnosis is that he probably inhaled some hay dust, so he might have gotten a small infection, I guess. Yesterday he had a nosebleed (I don't think this is too relevant, but mentioning it just in case) - the vet said he didn't need to come back in unless it happened again, and so far, so good. This morning, though, I noticed there weren't many poops in his cage at all. His weight is not lower than it was yesterday nor is it significantly lower than usual. He isn't interested in the oxbow vitamin C treat which he usually likes, but he's still eating hay. Having just seen my other piglet go through GI stasis, I'm feeling pretty confident that his stomach is just upset from the antibiotic. So I gave him some critical care... but no matter what I do, he will not eat it. When I can, miraculously, get through the squirming and struggling and downright screaming and get some into his mouth, he spits it out immediately. Meanwhile, I noticed that he is indeed pooping - but he's eating all of them. In the last 12 hours, I think only two poops have been formed that haven't been eaten. They can't possibly all be cecotrophs, right?

I'm very worried that he's eating less, but I'm just not sure what to do to make him better. Quitting the baytril early doesn't seem like a good option either (today we're on day 4 out of 14)... So I'm curious if anyone knows, before he actually hits GI stasis, what I can do to avoid it. I also already saw the syringe feeding guide and what to do with uncooperative piggies, but he is just not having it, he's screaming and breathing so hard that I'm scared I'm hurting him more.
 
What probiotic are you giving?
Are you ensuring it is given 1-2 hours either before or after the antibiotic but never at the same time as?

New research has shown that piggies do not produce caecotrophs. They simply eat their normal poops for a second run through the gut.
He is doing it in an attempt to settle his digestion but it obviously won’t work given he is on the antibiotics.

Do you have another piggy and is that piggy healthy and not on medication?
If so then use the other piggy’s poops to make poop soup. this is direct microbiome transfer and can help repopulate the gut. put the other piggy in a box with some snacks. The moment poop is produced, put it in water to soak. Leave soaking for 5 minutes and then discard the poops and syringe the water to Fitzgerald.
This can be given a few times a day alongside a commercial probiotic.

Continue with the daily weight checks. If he does lose weight then you will need to syringe feed a recovery feed. If he isn’t losing weight and he is still eating plenty of hay then at this point he may not need syringe feeding.
You can try using his normal pellets mushed with water rather than actual critical care if he doesn’t like it.

Do keep in mind that giving additional and supplementary vitamin c is not recommended long term. A two week course of a vit c supplement during a period of illness is recommended but never give vit c supplementation long term due to the risks it poses when their bodies get used to abnormally and unnecessarily high amounts and then if that level suddenly drops. They get all the vit c they need from their veg, fresh grass and fortified pellets.

Wiebke

Thread 'First Aid: Immediate Care Measures and Non-medication Products'

1 Important Proviso
2 First Aid Kit
- General Items
- Comfort
- Useful to have in stock
3 Illness and Recovery First Aid Tips
- Accessing vet care and when it is too late for help
- Loss of appetite and weight (Feeding support, Recovery foods, digestive aids and rehydration)
- Accident, bites and injury (Wound disinfection and bleeding)
- Eyes and ears
- Breathing
- Acute heart and circulation failure
-...
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Thanks for your advice!

The probiotic is "Pro-Bi", which is Lactobicillus bacteria. I tried poop soup once, but was worried about bloat if I used it in addition to the probiotic since the probiotic foams like soft drinks. I've been giving it to him 2-3 hours after the antibiotic. I'll try poop soup as well.

I wouldn't say he's eating "plenty" of hay, right now he's nibbling on it here and there, but I feel like his stomach might just be full of poop (another 11 hours or so have passed since my post and he has 1 poop on his cage)...
 
That’s not a probiotic I’ve heard of. I don’t think lactobacillus is the right thing for piggies guts. See pigglepuggle’s response which is the last post on the thread I’ve linked in below - she is an expert in this field.

I see you’re in the US - benebac is the most commonly used probiotic for piggies.

I would call your vet and get him checked out. He may need some gut stimulants medication

S

Thread 'Using Acidophilus'

Hi,

My guinea pig is currently on baytril for a UTI.

I have ordered some Bene-Bac but it will not be here until tomorrow.

I picked up some human probiotic (Acidophilus) after reading that it could be used for guinea pigs.

The brand is Spring Valley and these are the ingredients:
Lactobacillus Acidophilus
Cellulose (Plant Origin)
Silica
Vegetable Stearic Acid
Vegetable Magnesium Stearate

I thought these were gel capsules I could use the powder in, but it turns out they are tablets.

Do you think these are safe to give her? I am worried about giving her Baytril without a...
 
That's interesting, it seems like the fermentation products of lactobacillus are the main ingredients in benebac... I think this may just be a generic version. I skipped one dose of the baytril (the vet recommended this) and gave him more poop soup, and he's nibbling on more things and has pooped quite a few times - still not nearly his usual amount, but he seems better. I guess I'll just need to struggle a bit to get him through this course of antibiotics...
 
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