ongoing URI, A/B's not working??

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grace505

Post   » Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:09 pm


Just talked to the vet, am switching Turbo back to the Baytril right away, as he's not doing so great. I'm going to do Baytril for a couple weeks and get him as good as he can get in regards to his congested and labored breathing and clear that up as much as possible and then do the culture. Reason is, the vet is worried he might need a little sedation and we both agreed that better breathing equals less risk with the sedation. If anyone has any answers to any of my above questions, though, i'd appreciate it!! Thanks!

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:23 pm


Have you thought of nebulizing him? Has any kind of culture been done? I am so sorry he is having such a difficult time.

grace505

Post   » Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:14 pm


I have thought about nebulizing him, i just had a hard time getting specifics about which meds, how much meds, how much saline, how long, etc, etc. Lana gave me some good info finally, and so have some others, but it's been so long fighting this thing that i decided that it's time to get the culture done, even though i don't really have the money. But i've spent so much time and money trying to avoid spending that $180, that i could have saved probably much, much more by getting the culture sooner, like over $800 probably.

Since the Baytril/Doxy just didn't ever cure it, although it helped a lot, i decided to try the Cipro since it was so cheap, like only fifteen dollars for the meds and syrup, to try it, but that didn't work and before starting to try all the probably endless combos of meds, oral, nebulizing, etc, i'm just going to get the culture and know for sure which direction i need to go in. Plus Lana has brought up the fact that i could create a superbug playing with all the different meds and that's certainly not what i want, this is hard enough to beat without that on top!!

I've talked with the vet and he's brought up the fact that it could just be something that's never cured, and i'm okay with that, but feel that if i can cure it, that's better all around.

Thank you for your sympthy for my little Turbo, the good news is that he's been pretty okay, eating, drinking, pooping well, it's just the snot and sneezing that's never went away, so at least i'm not handfeeding and he's feeling crappy all the time!

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LS in AK
Upside-down & Backwards

Post   » Wed Aug 22, 2012 3:53 am


Grace, have you discussed with your vet the possibility of using gentamicin sulfate eyedrops? My little boy had a crusty eye a few weeks ago. We decided to go with the eyedrops to treat the eye and try to get some antibiotics into his sinus cavity, and his condition has improved. Less sneezing. More energy. It seems to be working. I nebulize him with 3 cc sterile saline every day, also, and that really helps with the general congestion.

grace505

Post   » Wed Aug 22, 2012 9:53 am


LS, i've actually used those eye drops for him for an eye thing he had going on to prevent infection and have heard PinkRufus say the same thing about sinus cavity stuff. I had a hard time getting the eye drops in and not rolling out, but otherwise didn't really notice that they helped with the congestion and sneezing.

The crusty eye showed up when i took him off the Baytril/Doxy and tried the Cipro, so i'm sure it's just that, now that he's back on the Bay trip, i bet it disappears pronto! The same goes with the congestion and labored breathing, it's been a while since that was happening, but the Cipro just really didn't seem to be doing anything.

I have been interested in nebulizing him for quite some time, but as i said, have had a hard time getting specific doses, etc, and my vet doesn't know anything about nebulizing either. Before i spend the $50 on a nebulizer, etc, and start into the whole i could try this, this, this, this, etc, i'm going to get the cultures and see what they say.

I would have done the culture earlier, but the Baytril/Doxy seemed to make him better, and better, and better, and better, but he was just never cured, so i've finally given up on it. Let's all cross our fingers and pray that it comes back with the answers i need or i just don't know what to do after that!!

So i take it your boys are not cured, then, and it wasn't just allergies as you were hoping? It sounds like at least your boy isn't as sick as he was with the last round of meds!

grace505

Post   » Wed Aug 22, 2012 10:58 am


WOW, so the difference in Turbo today is like night and day, literally and figuratively!! He hardly sounds congested at all and there is only a tiny hitch in his breathing today, as opposed to the pretty labored breathing going on last night. All this after only one dose of Baytril/Doxy! I'm not sure why i waited seven and a half days to go back, i felt like that wasn't long enough to give the Cirpo a real chance to work, but apparently following my intuition and changing back was the right thing to do. I just can't believe how much better he is today! I can't wait to get him back on track fully and get the culture done.

I'm still very interested to see if anyone has any opinions regarding his being back on the Baytril/Doxy and waiting a period of time to get the culture done. My thinking is that switching back and forth between could affect what was being killed, what wasn't, and affecting the results of the test. I am overthinking it too much??

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Aug 22, 2012 12:30 pm


Sounds like giving this combo a chance to work and after the course is done (make sure it is long enough to knock whatever out), watch for a recurrence and if so, do a culture then, before starting anything else.

Do watch for intolerance.

www.guinealynx.info/_advice.html

grace505

Post   » Wed Aug 22, 2012 12:53 pm


Lynx, well unfortunately, the Baytril/Doxy combo won't kick it, it's what i've been doing for almost six months now in ever-increasing doses, the last hike being 15mg/kg of Baytril and 5mg/kg of Doxy, before trying the Cipro this last week. He always seemed better and better, but just never got good enough to even stop the antibiotics to see if he was cured.

The only point of going back to it is that he's slipped back a lot with the Cipro over the last seven days, again with the labored breathing, lots of congestion, etc, and i want to get him back to where he was before, no breathing issues at all, no congestion, just simply sneezing and minimal snot, before the vet tries to get the culture because he fears he will need to do a little sedation to get a proper culture from the back of the throat and we want as little risk as possible with the sedation.

The vet and i agreed that we would like to see those culture results before we try anything else and before trying to go anymore off label with the Baytril and trying even higher doses or anything like that. Lana had suggested keeping the Baytril and dropping the Doxy, instead trying nebulizing some Gentamycin, and i think that's a good idea, but like i said, there are too many possible combos to go willy-nilly trying things, wasting time and money, without getting the culture. Poor Lana, she's probably thinking IT'S ABOUT TIME, i kept trying to tell her!! :)

I give them both probiotics twice a day after their meds, it's helped a ton, i feel, with the intolerance issues that we first had. Thanks for your help and input!

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Aug 22, 2012 10:16 pm


With these particular signs, I expect nebulizing Gentamycin really would help. I sometimes forget how long people's guinea pigs have been struggling with some sorts of issues. Lana has had some helpful advice.

grace505

Post   » Wed Aug 22, 2012 10:22 pm


Lynx, yeah, i'm really thinking of trying the Gentamycin for sure, i just think it's WAY past time to get the culture done, especially before i spend the $50 for a nebulizer and whatnot, so here's to crossing my fingers for some answers finally! I find it reassuring that you agree with the Gentamycin idea. I've REALLY appreciated the advice Lana and everyone else has given me!! I can really understand how you could lose track of the timelines on all the different threads, i'd never keep it together! :) I'll let everyone know what the culture says when the results come back.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Aug 22, 2012 10:31 pm


Gentamycin, given in a nebulizer, is much safer than trying to give it any other way. I believe it kills a different group of bacteria than the Baytril.

grace505

Post   » Wed Aug 22, 2012 10:46 pm


Lynx, i've been interested in nebulizing for a long time now, i'll be interested to see what the results of the culture will show. The vet mentioned about it being harsh on the kidneys/liver???, and Lana gave some tips about helping to prevent that, so we'll see what meds are called for.

I just can't believe they said it would take three to four weeks for the results to come back after the culture! But after seven months of fighting this, i guess one more month shouldn't be that bad, knock on wood. :)

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