Appoved antibiotics for kits???

[EMSChins]

I know I have seen on here where various forum members have stated that sulfa antibioics have been used on kits.

Has anyone actually had experience where Bactrim has been used safely and still have the kit into adulthood without any issues? Slowed growth, etc???

As some of you know, I had a litter of triplets born where the mom did not produce enough milk so I am handfeeding all of them. One is a tripod where her right front paw was either injured during birth or shortly thereafter. She is missing the paw from the wrist joint down. Her arm is intact.

The kits are now just over 5 weeks old and in general they are doing great but that wound is now a little iffy and my vet wants to put her on Bactrim for 7 days to be safe. The wound is clean and has been regularly blukoted but the joing from the wrist seems to poke through the skin now and then. He wants to put her on the antibiotic to be safe and then when she is old enough do a surgery to shorten the bone a bit and sew the remaining flap of skin properly over the stump. I also have a 10 day old kit where a toe has been injured, either by mom or a sibling??? He said to go ahead and treat that also with the Bactrim.

Any input from experienced forum members?

 

[Brittany]

Latte's toe was bitten off when she was 12-14 weeks old (I'd have to check my records for the exact date). It became infected and my vet had me treat with bactrim for 2 weeks, again I'd have to check my records for the dosage. She never went off her feed; She is now 7 months old and about 520g, she is continuing to grow at a steady rate. She's from a litter of 6 and has sapphire in her genes so I don't expect her to be a big chinchilla. I haven't noticed any lasting issues from the incident.


EDIT: This was Dr. Zilly at Gradys. I hadn't found Dr. Levitas yet.

 

[RDZCRanch]

I would use TMS. There is no reason to use Bactrim "just in case" when it has potential side effects that can harm the kits. It should only be used as a last ditch effort. I used it with one kit and while his littermates grew to be 700-800g, he never got far over 500g and had recurring gut issues that finally killed him when he was two. Is Bactrim to blame? I can't say, but I don't like using it on kits unless there is no other option to save their lives.

 

[Brittany]

I would use TMS. There is no reason to use Bactrim "just in case" when it has potential side effects that can harm the kits. It should only be used as a last ditch effort. I used it with one kit and while his littermates grew to be 700-800g, he never got far over 500g and had recurring gut issues that finally killed him when he was two. Is Bactrim to blame? I can't say, but I don't like using it on kits unless there is no other option to save their lives.

I was under the impression that TMS and Bactrim were the same? I belive Angie told me that when I was dealing with Lily's malo, perhaps I'm mistaken?

 

[EMSChins]

What I was given is Trimeth/Sulfameth and was also under the impression that it was the generic version of Bactrim, both from what i was told and double checked on the internet???

 

[Brittany]

Window to edit has expired. Just checked my email from Angie, and my medications.

I goofed: Latte got TMS. Bactrim and Ditrim are the same thing.

 

[RDZCRanch]

I was under the impression that TMS and Bactrim were the same? I belive Angie told me that when I was dealing with Lily's malo, perhaps I'm mistaken?

Don't mind me...I am up way too early. For some reason I was reading that as Baytril which doesn't make sense since Baytril is enrofloxacin. Thanks for the correction!:wacko:

TMS is safe for kits. I've used TMS a few times on kits and they are all fully functioning and healthy adults.

ETA: Bactrim/Co-trimoxazole is a combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole, a sulfa drug. Since Bactrim is a sulfa drug it should also be safe for kits.

 

[EMSChins]

Thanks Tabitha!

I was told to give between 0.04 and 0.05 mls to a 135 gm kit does that sound about right? The reason for the range is due to that amount being so hard to see on the syringe.

Sorry for the question but this is not my regular exotics vet and I just want to double check since I have never given antibiotics to a kit before.

 

[Brittany]

So let me get this correct TMS, Bactrim, and Ditrim are all the same drug? I have 2 bottles 1 says TMS and one says bactrim. They were both left over from Lily, but Latte got the one that is labeled TMS because it was newer.

In her email to me Angie reffered to Bactrim as Ditrim, and when I got confused she explained that they were the same.

 

[RDZCRanch]

TMS/TMP should just be Trimethoprim Sulfate. SMZ is Sulfamethoxazole and then Bactrim is SMZ-TMP. Does that make more sense? TMS and SMZ are both widely used in kits, Bactrim is just a combination of those two sulfa drugs. At least...that's how I understand it, but I'm not a morning person so my brain is functioning at half mast right now. Looking at it this way now I HAVE used Bactrim and I've used TMS, both worked out very well for the kits and most vets I talk to don't distinguish very much between any of the sulfa drugs.