change of medication for matt...

Banana: that'll be septrin then I reckon. Good luck: Tippex Porkychicken hated it (she doesn't like real banana either though)

biscandmatt1 said:

it's zithromax. that the same thing? well it smells of banana anyway!

i've never tried bisc and matt with banana before. matt seemed to like the medicine last night though.

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Not it's different. Oh well, it was a guess :lol: Zithromax is azithromycin. Septrin is Sulfamethoxazole and Trimethoprim.
I haven't used zithromax but I hope it works (and tastes better than septrin)

update

well today matt has started sneezing more and has discharge from his nose again. i was at the vets the other day as bisc broke his nail. anyway, i could only get in to see the woman vet and not aidan, and i tols her matt didn't seem right, and had started the occasional sneeze again, and she said to give the zithromax longer to work, but matt is getting worse not better. i'm wondering whether the trip to the vets when i took bisc has triggered it all again.

he seems to be uncomfortable which isn't surprising as his nose is full of pus again. and he sounds bunged (sp) up and when he chases and plays with bisc i can hear his breathing aswell, it's snuffly.

he has been outside for small amounts of time, as aidan (the vet) said that the fresh air seems to do him good, and he sneezes all the pus out and clears it a bit. he was happy outside, chasing bisc and binkying.

he's also shaking his ears aswell which is worrying me as i am scared the infection is spreading there.

i'm going to have to go all the way back to the vets tomorrow now to see aidan, when i told the woman vet that he wasn't right on the zithromax. :evil: but i'd rather see aidan anyway.

so can i please have some vibes for matt. he seems to suffer more with his snuffles than bisc. bisc had three months on penicillin injections and has been off these for over two weeks now and is doing really well, not a sneeze in sight.

poor matt matt, i'm just going to go and clean his nose up now and give him big cuddles. he's so brave and good with all his medicine and nose cleanings bless him. love him so much , just want to get this under control for him.

Is he taking anything else other than the antibiotic?

he's just on zithromax and has probiotics in his water.

just checked and he has been on it for 8 weeks now and was doing so well.

could be the stress of going to the vets the other day or it could simply be that it isn't working for him.

Santa said:

Is he taking anything else other than the antibiotic?

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was there something you think he should be on? or were you just asking? if there's any advice or anything you think might help him then let me know.

Well it really depends on the individual bun of course. Santa, my chronic snuffler, seems to benefit from low-dose metacam (for its anti-inflammatory rather than its pain relieving properties) which can just help to calm down inflamed airways and thus make breathing easier. Similarly, bisolvon powder can be given too, this thins the mucus in the airways - so although the pus will be just as thick, again this can just help it to drain away a little more easily.

We have also found that using antibiotic eye drops during the worst periods can help, as the tear ducts drain through the nasal cavity so it can help to deliver some antibiotic right into the problem - it has also been known for tiacil eye drops to be delivered directly, one at a time, up the nostrils. Obviously any supportive therapy needs to be done with the agreement of your vet but I certainly find that a combination of bisolvon and metacam helps Santa significantly so might be worth discussing with your vet if you feel that Matt has problems with the pus freeing itself and thus making his breathing a little more difficult.

Santa said:

Well it really depends on the individual bun of course. Santa, my chronic snuffler, seems to benefit from low-dose metacam (for its anti-inflammatory rather than its pain relieving properties) which can just help to calm down inflamed airways and thus make breathing easier. Similarly, bisolvon powder can be given too, this thins the mucus in the airways - so although the pus will be just as thick, again this can just help it to drain away a little more easily.

We have also found that using antibiotic eye drops during the worst periods can help, as the tear ducts drain through the nasal cavity so it can help to deliver some antibiotic right into the problem - it has also been known for tiacil eye drops to be delivered directly, one at a time, up the nostrils. Obviously any supportive therapy needs to be done with the agreement of your vet but I certainly find that a combination of bisolvon and metacam helps Santa significantly so might be worth discussing with your vet if you feel that Matt has problems with the pus freeing itself and thus making his breathing a little more difficult.

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thanks for your advice. matt was originally on metacam as when he went in for all the tests and skull xray etc, the vet found that the back of his nose was very inflammed and full of pus, which was running down the nostrils, especially on one side.

i thought about giving him metacam earlier and then thought maybe it is better to speak to the vet first. i will phone as soon as they open and see what is suggested.

i will mention the things you have said and see what he says, as i think matts problem is more the bunged up thing.

i don't know whether his nose could be inflammed again? aidan drained all the pus from it last time and the metacam was used as the anti-inflammatry for it. i suppose it is possible it could have become inflammed again.

thanks for your help and i'll speak to aidan in the morning and see what he says. chances are i will be asked to bring matt in to be seen.

it doesn't look like zithromax is the right antibiotic for him anyway. his c&s test came back negative unfortunately so we don't know the best treatment for him. maybe aidan would beable to take a sample of the discharge this time and try again? i don't know.

matt seems to do well for ages and then it all starts again.

Santa said:

Well it really depends on the individual bun of course. Santa, my chronic snuffler, seems to benefit from low-dose metacam (for its anti-inflammatory rather than its pain relieving properties) which can just help to calm down inflamed airways and thus make breathing easier. Similarly, bisolvon powder can be given too, this thins the mucus in the airways - so although the pus will be just as thick, again this can just help it to drain away a little more easily.

We have also found that using antibiotic eye drops during the worst periods can help, as the tear ducts drain through the nasal cavity so it can help to deliver some antibiotic right into the problem - it has also been known for tiacil eye drops to be delivered directly, one at a time, up the nostrils. Obviously any supportive therapy needs to be done with the agreement of your vet but I certainly find that a combination of bisolvon and metacam helps Santa significantly so might be worth discussing with your vet if you feel that Matt has problems with the pus freeing itself and thus making his breathing a little more difficult.

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just out of interest, how is the bisolvon powder given?

well it's 2.50am and i'm sat here watching matt. he is not seeming too well. he sounds all blocked up. i have had a bowl of boiling water with olbas oil in near the cage, and i have had to clean his nose again for him.

he is still eating ok but i'm not at all happy with how his breathing sounds. just very snotty and snorty.

i am staying up all night to keep an eye on him and then i am ringing the vets as soon as they open and getting him there as soon as they will see me.

i'm really upset but i'm not acting upset around matt. i don't want to upset him as he knows when i'm down. so i'm staying positive around him. it's hard though because i feel so sorry for him and so upset that once again the antibiotics aren't working for him.

why does time go so slow!!!

How is Matt this morning?

thanks for asking about him.

he isn't too good really. he's had a restless night...as have i. he has been sneezing and snotty and doesn't seem too happy really. still eating though!

i've been up all night changing the olbas oil water and making sure he's ok. just rang the vets and thankfully aidan my vet is there today so i grabbed the first appointment he has which is at 11.30am! seems ages away now though! leaving at 10.45am to get there on time.

aidan will get him back on track though hopefully. we will find out what's started it all off again.

just all going wrong at the minute, this is the third time at the vets since last thursday. thursday i was at the emergency vet with maisie, my piggy, and then saturday bisc was at the vets as he broke his nail. i think this trip may have stressed matt a bit and set off the snuffles again. and then today, i am there obviously again. it seems never ending at the minute.

my poor matt, just want him to be well and get this under control.

see new thread 'matt was the the vets today re.snuffles...' for an update.

biscandmatt1 said:

just out of interest, how is the bisolvon powder given?

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Personally I dissolve it in about 0.5ml water and add a drop of echinacea (both because it tastes good and because it's immune boosting) and Santa drinks it straight from the syringe with no problem. Or you could try popping it on a wet food, e.g. a tiny slice of apple or banana, or a cut-open grape, let it dissolve onto the food and then feed that. There's a certain amount of trial and error to find a technique that works for you

Glad Matt is a bit happier today anyway, fingers crossed the new antibiotic helps. Santa sounds very much like Matt, they never got a culture out of her either, she's so teeny that they just can't get deep enough in to get a good swab - discharge coming out the nose will most likely be dead cells so you won't be likely to get a good culture from it anyway.

Santa said:

Personally I dissolve it in about 0.5ml water and add a drop of echinacea (both because it tastes good and because it's immune boosting) and Santa drinks it straight from the syringe with no problem. Or you could try popping it on a wet food, e.g. a tiny slice of apple or banana, or a cut-open grape, let it dissolve onto the food and then feed that. There's a certain amount of trial and error to find a technique that works for you

Glad Matt is a bit happier today anyway, fingers crossed the new antibiotic helps. Santa sounds very much like Matt, they never got a culture out of her either, she's so teeny that they just can't get deep enough in to get a good swab - discharge coming out the nose will most likely be dead cells so you won't be likely to get a good culture from it anyway.

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thanks for this.