Question about Baytril

[MimzMum]

This post is brought from my other thread, “Mimzy’s Chronic Illnesses” in this section, in case anyone needs catching up.

I was a little concerned that the assistant vet, (we’ll call her Dr. G.), to Dr. B. today gave Mimzy injectible Baytril to be administered ORALLY twice a day for ten days. She claims that though it tastes terrible, it is the same thing as the oral suspension, minus the yummy banana flavor. I did question her about it, and she insisted it was okay…but just for my peace of mind I thought I’d also ask here. (They also said it doesn’t need to be refrigerated, but I think that may make it taste more palatable if I remember right.)

I’ve already looked up a few sites and it seems that even on All Experts they seem to acknowledge that Baytril may be given this way to a rabbit. I think even Dr. H at the other clinic said it could be done, but preferred to use the flavored RX so that bunny is more likely to not fight with you over the doses.

Is this true that it is safe? I know no penicillin drugs may be given by mouth to a rabbit, but I think even one of our other members had to use injectible Baytril once or twice in the past. There just wasn’t any flavored Baytril onhand at the surgery today, they will be getting in some next week in case the script needs to be extended for Mimzy. (Dr. G. is pretty sure he has pasteurella, but we didn’t do a culture today. She wanted to do something called a PCR or PRC isntead of a deep nasal swab? I have to look that up too. She said it was more efficient and can even tell you the DNA strain of the virus.)

They already gave him one dose in the vet’s office. He is currently glowering at me from his litterbox, but is already chewing some hay and had a congratulatory banana slice for being such a good patient today.

BTW, this was prescribed because although Dr. B. was very careful, the burring tool did slip on the right side of his mouth and nicked the soft tissue at the base of his gums, which she says bled for about 3 minutes before stopping. (Got a pretty large blood vessel there apparently.)

She apologized all over herself and I understand his mouth is SO small it is difficult to do this without some accidents, but she wanted to be sure he did not get an infection.

Many thankies in advance for your input.

[Sarita]

Katnip has mentioned that this is safe. I’ve never given injectible baytril orally myself (that I can recall), only compounded baytrl from the tablet.s

[MimzMum]

Thanks Sarita! (and Katnip!) Yeah, he was looking pretty awful until I took him back out of his night hab for about an hour’s snuggle at ten o’ clock tonight and encouraged him to eat a few more dandelion leaves and some grass stems, then he got some metacam and he’s resting more comfortably now. Not sure if the Baytril messed with his stomach or the teeth are just hurting (and that nasty nick he got with the burring tool).
He also had a little reddish discharge from his nose this evening, I’m assuming from the cut in his mouth. When he sneezes he does so rather violently and all that crud must back up into his nose.

Poor guy, the trick is going to be getting him to eat before his next dose, since I think this one went in on an empty tum at the vets.

[KatnipCrzy]

yes injectible can be given orally. You could mix it with something to sweeten it. Just draw up a little juice (apple, or some other bunny approved flavor) and that will help sweeten it. If Mimzy can’t handle the sugar you could use one of the no sugar juices.

[MimzMum]

He did real well with his dose today. He’d had a few greens first thing, then I gave him the meds, then he had a nice piece of banana for a treat. I noticed he sucked down a little water from his crock pretty quick after that though. Poor kid. Must be some NASTY taste. :X

He’s much more comfortable today. Mostly sleeping. He gets up to have as many greens and a bit of hay as I care to hand feed him. Sometimes he’ll go at it on his own, which he’s doing now. We’ve had smallish poos, but I expect that will change in the next few days as he eats more. Good thing the vet gave him some IV fluids through his ear or he’d be having a worse time I’m sure.

Will the Baytril also help him if he has a urinary tract infection? I meant to ask the vet when she called but it went right out of my mind. I know it’s good for his snotty nose and the cut in his mouth, but I’m curious if it will help with his peeing his night hab, if it’s due to infection?
More likely it’s because of his hip/back trouble, or whatever pain he’s in from his mouth… but I’m kind of crossing my fingers for the former. Otherwise his entire pen may as well become a litter box.

[KatnipCrzy]

Baytil can help a UTI if the bacteria causing the UTI is sensitive to Baytril. And when I used to type in the lab reports of Urine Cultures and Sensitivities- I would often see results that were sensitive to Baytril. So there is a good chance that it would help.

[MimzMum]

Thanks, Katnip. Yeah, I’m not seeing a real difference in his wetting the habitat at night, but his urine doesn’t smell as strong as it did before his dental, so it must be having some benefit. I am mostly concerned that it clears up that cut in his mouth though, of course.

My new problem is: although I had 2 ML worth of Baytril, and at .1 ml twice per day, that should be enough for ten days’ course. However, here we are on day 5? It looks like I won’t get another two doses out of the bottle! (It’s actually one of those tubes they put blood in, for some reason my vets have started using these little things instead of plastic bottles…don’t ask me why, probably so you can get all the medicine out of them instead of craning around the neck of the bottle with the syringe for the last few precious drops.) I’ll be calling her in the morning to see if we need the script extended, since-as per usual-by yesterday Mimz was sniffling again. Always right in the middle of the round we get this, and then at the end…then about a week of clear nose, then back to sneezing. I’ve been noting the temp and humidity too each day in a journal and it was a little colder and wetter yesterday. So weather might be a factor. He seems to become too warm at 79 F…then begins sneezing or has that ‘chilly’ look at about 75-76 F. He’s a delicate little bugger if that short range of temps causes such different symptoms.

We may need to have more of this for him anyway if he hasn’t cleaned up his snot yet. And I can’t get a look in his mouth to see how the cut is healing. ~_~ My original vet suggested perhaps a month’s worth this time. I just worry about Mimzy’s cecals, which despite the Benebac, are still mushy. He eats them, I just find little ‘botty marks’ on the floor where he’s been at them.
So far so good though. He’s a little trooper.

Anyway, has anyone else ever had this trouble with medicine? You’re supposed to have enough for a certain amount of days and, even though you dose it right and don’t spill, you come up short? Or too much? Just curious.

[KatnipCrzy]

I would let you vet know- it may be that they made a mistake in filling the bottle. As they would have to times .1ml by how many times a day- times how many days to get total amount needed- plus probably a titch extra to take into amount lost to packaging and needing to draw it up. Mistakes can happen- so I would recommend going over the dosing and that you don’t have much left with the vet.

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