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Unknown infection & difficulty with antibiotics

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Piggies2023

Teenage Guinea Pig
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Nancy my guinea pig has some kind of infection. She has been to see a guinea pig savvy vet. She has had her stomach felt, urine tested and nothing showed up. She has been given 6 days of baytril based on the photo of discharge coming from her bottom the day before I saw the vet which I showed them. She started the antibiotics on Tuesday and she hasn't had any discharge since Wednesday but she smells a little bit again today, but only if you pick her up and smell her bottom (sorry Nancy!)

I'm concerned the last two days I may have not got enough of the antibiotic in her. I've watched YouTube videos on how to give meds to squirmy guinea pigs but I've struggled. She is clamping her mouth shut and moving her head so I get the syringe in but not enough time or far enough back. I did manage to get it in when I got my mum to stand in the room, apparently the presence of others you must behave. I managed the first 3/4 days fine but she's caught on that it's not tasty and is really putting her foot down.

The antibiotic bottle says 6 days which means I've finished the course, however, there is some left. I thought I would check on her again in the morning and perhaps contact my vet to see if we should continue with current antibiotics.

Can I also give her pro-c probiotic as well? Would I give this in a syringe or just in a bowl please?
 
It’s so hard to give antibiotics to wiggy piggies isn’t it 😞 If you struggle, you could try wrapping her in a towel like a burrito.

When I’ve given pro c, I’ve always sprinkled it on their food as it really doesn’t matter if their friend(s) eat some of it too or you could mix with water and syringe straight in to the mouth
 
Thank you. I burritoed her today. But she still was managing to move her head even though she couldn't move the rest of her body. And I also tried holding her head. And if I ask someone to come and help to show me if I'm doing it wrong she would behave for them because they are new. I'm wondering if I need to find something tasty for the syringe so she has something nice and then something not. Nancy is a very clever piggy mind!

Thank you. I'm thinking it may be a good idea to give her some
 
Thank you. I didn't know they could have ribena. Is this the kind of ribena that you dilute? I'm wondering about whizzing up an apple to put in a syringe because she likes apples.

Yes, she's definitely learnt. She's previously been fine when on metacam but this she's like nooooo
 
Lucy3733 said:
Nancy my guinea pig has some kind of infection. She has been to see a guinea pig savvy vet. She has had her stomach felt, urine tested and nothing showed up. She has been given 6 days of baytril based on the photo of discharge coming from her bottom the day before I saw the vet which I showed them. She started the antibiotics on Tuesday and she hasn't had any discharge since Wednesday but she smells a little bit again today, but only if you pick her up and smell her bottom (sorry Nancy!)

I'm concerned the last two days I may have not got enough of the antibiotic in her. I've watched YouTube videos on how to give meds to squirmy guinea pigs but I've struggled. She is clamping her mouth shut and moving her head so I get the syringe in but not enough time or far enough back. I did manage to get it in when I got my mum to stand in the room, apparently the presence of others you must behave. I managed the first 3/4 days fine but she's caught on that it's not tasty and is really putting her foot down.

The antibiotic bottle says 6 days which means I've finished the course, however, there is some left. I thought I would check on her again in the morning and perhaps contact my vet to see if we should continue with current antibiotics.

Can I also give her pro-c probiotic as well? Would I give this in a syringe or just in a bowl please?
Click to expand...

Hi

Please follow the practical tips in our medicating guide. Antibiotics, especially baytril taste horrible. The guide shows you how to force her jaw open gently. We no longer recommend to dilute the antibiotic because it means that you have to try and get a lot more unpleasantly tasting volume into her. Guinea pigs have double the amount of taste bud to us humans and about 5 times that of cats.
It is easier to get the antibiotic in just one fell swoop and then follow it up with water or something stronger tasting to wash the bad taste away.
You may find the very practical how-to tips in our medicating guide with videos and pictures helpful, which include dealing with uncooperate piggies. Here is the link: All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures


We cannot comment on the infection unless you can tell us the symptoms, please.
If the antibiotic has not done the trick, you will have to contact your vet again.
 
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