First time giving antibiotics - help!

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Chinchillas#1

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Joined
Jul 7, 2009
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13
Location
Miami, FL
Hello everyone! I posted a thread a week ago about my chin's eye, which was weeping. Since then he started sneezing and wiping his nose constantly, and I took him to a different vet like everyone here recommended. This vet was a million times better and significantly more thorough (and half the price)! This vet thought that Hammie had a respiratory infection and gave us Baytril to give him twice a day for ten days. Here are my questions:

I know Baytril tastes pretty bad. Should I mix it with something or chase it with something to make it go down better? It's not a very big dose though, only .15 (I think). Still, it's pretty small.

Should I give him some kind of probiotic? I read here that some chins go off food while on medication.

Is there anything else I should do while giving him the antibiotic? I've never dealt with a sick chin before and I would really appreciate any help! :)
 
I use a chaser. A little Critical Care, a bite sized, nonsugared shredded wheat, or a rosehip. Just to wash the nasty taste away.
 
If I have to use baytril non-injectable then I chase it with simethicone-since simethicone is inert and very sweet chins dig it.
 
Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe probiotics can cancel out the effect of antibiotics, or the other way around. So they should not be given together. You can give him a little baby food to wash the taste away. Make sure to have some Critical Care available in case he stops eating. Watch closely on how much he is eating and pooping. Weigh him every day if you can.

Hope Hammie will get better soon! :))
 
eycamry said:
Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe probiotics can cancel out the effect of antibiotics, or the other way around. So they should not be given together. You can give him a little baby food to wash the taste away. Make sure to have some Critical Care available in case he stops eating. Watch closely on how much he is eating and pooping. Weigh him every day if you can.

Hope Hammie will get better soon! :))
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about the canceling affect, but if you were to give the probiotic at the same time as the antibiotic, the antibiotic would kill the probiotic. But normally I've heard of giving the probiotic about 4 hours after the antibiotic. Because the antibiotic can kill the good bacteria in the gut.

However, if you do give some critical care, it already has probiotics in it.
 
When I give oral antibiotics, its typically twice a day (every 12 hours), so I'd give probiotics once a day, halfway between the antibiotic doses.

Example would be: 8am Baytril, 2pm acidophilus, 8pm Baytril
 
I have been told by several very knowledgeable chin people to wait three hours between giving antibiotics and probiotics. I have been giving the antibiotics first, then wait three hours and give the CC with probiotics, then give at the end of the day I finish off with the antibiotics.
 
It's day 2 of Hammie's antibiotics and he seems to have lost his appetite. I saw him eating his hay but he hasn't eaten too much of his pellets, though he does happily consume the raisin I give him after the baytril, as well as a sprinkling of oats. I'm going to pick up some critical care tomorrow. How much should I give him and when? Four hours after the baytril? Thank you all very much, all this advice is great!
 
Hammie is not eating at all, he even turns his nose up at his treats!! The vet said to stop the antibiotic and see if his appetite picks up again, and force feed him meanwhile. Is this good advice? They don't sell critical care there, and the vet was not very clear how I should feed him. Should I blend his pellets and hay in a blender and make it a paste? What should I do? I'm really worried, Hammie just kind of sits in the corner of his cage and seems to be doing poorly!
 
If you cant get Critical Care, grind up his pellets & mix in Acidophilus (you can find it at any drug store, sold in capsules. Just break open a capsule & sprinkle it in with the crushed pellets). Mix with warm water to make a paste, and feed him with a needle-less syringe (which your vet should have given you, but if not, you can find them at most farm supply stores, or even some pharmacies).

When feeding with a syringe, you'll most likely have to burrito wrap Hammie. Place the long edge of a hand towel (or anything larger works too), tuck one end over an arm & under his chest/belly. Then tightly wrap the other end around him, holding down his other arm. Hold him sorta tucked under your arm (like a football), and hold the syringe with whichever hand you use to write (I'm right handed, so I hold the chin tucked into my left arm, syringe in my right hand).

Place the tip of the syringe in the side of his mouth - you'll find a gap between his front teeth & his back teeth. Get the syringe in there, aim for the back roof of his mouth. Squirt small amounts at a time, and allow him to swallow before squirting any more. Its very slow going at first, but it gets easier as you get the hang of it.

Good Luck!
~Barb~
 
Thank you very much! How much of a syringe should I give him, and how many times a day? I'm still going to try and get Critical Care from another vet office. Should I mix in hay too along with the pellets and acidophilus (If I can't get the CC)?
 
Hay doesnt blend very well, so I'd leave that out. But keep hay in his cage - he might be stealing tiny nibbles when you arent looking.

As for how much or often - every few hours, and as much as you get him to take. He might spit out a lil bit here & there, but when he's spitting out ALL of it, then its time to quit & give him a lil break. When I was handfeeding my gal Muffin last year, I fed her every 3-4 hours around the clock (meaning I got up in the middle of the night to feed her too).

Good luck with the lil guy, I really hope he snaps out of it.
~Barb~
 
Thank you so much again! I was actually able to get some apple banana Crtical Care from another vet this afternoon. As soon as I get home I'm going to give him his first dose. It says on the bag to mix 3 Tbsp per kg of body weight with water and divide into 4-6 servings daily. Does that sound right to everyone? Should I feed more or less, or is it just dependent on appetite?
 
That is right, I personally freshly prepared the CC at every feed. I found he ate more that way. Try to get him to eat 10 ml each feed (a minimum of 5ml), but as iayla mentionned, when he's at the point that he spits it all out... give him the break.
 
I've been giving Hammie the CC, and today he seems to be doing a little better. He took a treat willingly and ate it all (unlike yesterday when he would fling it to the ground) and I caught him nibbling on some hay. He's also a little more active. I'm hoping that his appetite will come back now that he's off the antibiotic and the vet can go from there. There is still quite a bit of poo in his cage, though less than normal and some seem much smaller and crumbly. I felt his belly and it isn't hard - I am worried, however, that he could develop bloat or bad constipation from stress and not eating. What can I do, if anything, to help regulate him, or should it not be a big worry at this point? Thanks again to everyone, I don't know what I would do without this forum!
 
If he is eating and pooping, you don't need to worry. CC has probiotics which can help with gut mobility. Do monitor the amount of his poo close though. :))
 
Thank you, I will...I'm watching Hammie like a hawk! Every time I post something I always think of something new to ask. :) I've seen him drink from his water bottle but he doesn't seem to be consuming the amount that he normally does. Should I try to give him some in a dropper, or maybe mix it with something? I think I read on here that you can brew a chamomile tea mixture for them. Also, would it be a good idea to try to buy a different kind of hay to stimulate his appetite, or would that just mess with his stomach now? He's on Oxbow Timothy but I thought maybe I could add a little Oxbow Orchard to it to mix things up, or maybe buy a hay tunnel or something. He still doesn't seem to be touching his hay or pellets, except for a few tiny nibbles, and I am of course continuing with the CC.
 
When you've been horrible sick with flu - you dont pig out at the all you can eat buffet when you start to feel better. He's eating, he's drinking, he's pooping - thats all you really need right now. Watch him closely, and as long as he's slowly eating/drinking/pooping more each day, he'll be fine.

If he needs antibiotics again at any point - try mixing them with CC to hide the taste. The antibiotics will cancel out the probiotics in the CC, but it'll taste much better and hopefully you wont have the refusal to eat. Other option would be injefctions, which your vet can show you the correct way to do it yourself. It costs quite a bit more, but it doesnt usually affect their appetite.
~Barb~
 
It's been two full days of no medication and Hammie is still not eating on his own. His poo has become very infrequent and very small. His is drinking fine, however. His activity level is better than it was a few days ago, but still low. What should I do? He also seems to be grinding his teeth a lot - he has always been a grinder but now it's louder and more than usual. After medication ceases when should a chin's appetite come back? Should I take him to the vet? I'm worried sick about Hammie and would do anything for him to get better.
 
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