baytril- how long inbetween doses?

:wave:. Got a bit of a problem my lil man is on baytril for a respiratory infection, hes on it 2 daily. My problem is ive just tried to give him his first dose, and it went everywhere (dont think any of it ended up in his mouth.

My o/h is back at 4 and we could both give him some then, but the vet said 12 hours between dose which would mean he would only have one dose today.

Is is safe to give more without waiting for the 12 hours- help?.

Hi i dont know im afraid. Gizmo was on baytril twice daily but wasnt told about giving it 12 hours apart but he had it about 7 in the morning but then not till about 9ish in the evening when he had his dinner! I would ring the vets and check. Have you tried putting it on his fave foods? I put Gizmos on his pellets and he couldnt get enough, dont even think he realised id put anything on them!! Good luck.

It can be given once a day (whole dose) or split into two doses every 12 hours. Some vets prefer one dose due to the antibiotic action and how it peaks in the system after first administering it....therefore a higher dose 'may' have a more beneficial effect 'in certain' infections..... In other infections split doses every 12 hours may be more appropriate. The problem with Baytril is that unlike other bunny medicines it tastes horrible and giving it can stress bun out too - which is why my vets often say just one dose - but again this is down to the type of infection you are treating.

I would call the vet and ask if today you can give the whole dose tonight and then split the dose again tomorrow - or continue with a one dose a day (but obviously this will be double what you give every 12 hours).

My tip is to draw up the baytril and then draw up some diluted apple juice at the end - or if your baytril dose is greater than 1ml you'd need a slightly larger syringe to fit the apple juice in - it does help with the 'taste' issue.

Thankyou for the replies. Ive called the vets and spoke to a nurse, she said not to double up the dose.

Ive tried again with him but it didnt work, my lil man is so stressed, im sat here in tears, i feel utterly useless, every time he sees me he runs and hides

Becky's Bunnies said:

Thankyou for the replies. Ive called the vets and spoke to a nurse, she said not to double up the dose.

Ive tried again with him but it didnt work, my lil man is so stressed, im sat here in tears, i feel utterly useless, every time he sees me he runs and hides

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You need to speak to a vet and request whether or not you can change to a once daily dose instead. Only the vet can advise this. It is important to explain that your bunny is getting stressed and you can not manage without an extra pair of hands so you need to agree on a treatment that is manageable at home. It's no good if he receives a sub-therapeutic dose as this will not help him, and therefore if all that is practical is a once daily dose then this is better than no dose at all - you need to discuss with the vet not a nurse, even if this means going back in with your bunny and agreeing on a treatment regime that works better, or have them teach you how to do it. Have you tried some apple juice mixed in? Or putting it onto a few pellets and letting it soak in?

prettylupin said:

You need to speak to a vet and request whether or not you can change to a once daily dose instead. Only the vet can advise this. It is important to explain that your bunny is getting stressed and you can not manage without an extra pair of hands so you need to agree on a treatment that is manageable at home. It's no good if he receives a sub-therapeutic dose as this will not help him, and therefore if all that is practical is a once daily dose then this is better than no dose at all - you need to discuss with the vet not a nurse, even if this means going back in with your bunny and agreeing on a treatment regime that works better, or have them teach you how to do it. Have you tried some apple juice mixed in? Or putting it onto a few pellets and letting it soak in?

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o/h came home at 5 and gave him his dose of 0.5 baytril. His total for the day should be 1.0
Really thinking to give another dose in a bit:?. God im so confused as what to do for the best.
Feel really cheeky phonin the vets after ive spoken to a nurse- that sound so rubbish, im gonna phone.

I'm not sure about timing between dosages etc, I hope you got hold of your vet for some clarification .

However, when my Tila was on Baytril 0.8ml twice a day for his osteomyelitis (I know the dose sounds fairly big, but he's almost 5kg and the infection was very aggressive), at first he bucked me, scratched me, grunted and charged then ran away etc. I tried apple juice, I tried honey, I tried hiding it in food. No go, he was too smart :lol:.

So even though it was hard at first (it was probably also that it was very painful to touch his mouth, he had his incisors removed), the vet showed me how to be stern without hurting him and hold his jaw open so that I could squirt in his meds. He bucked, yes, but eventually he got used to routine and just accepted it with no trouble, apart from the unpleased look/pawing at the face because of the bitterness of the solution. I did find giving Tila his dinner straight after his night dose helped - he knew that once he took his medicine he got his yummy dinner. In the mornings he would get some dandelions, so that with each dose he also had something to look forward to.

I'm sure you will get the knack of holding your boy soon, I know it's hard emotionally and physically but for Tila and I it had to be a 'tough love' approach as he's a tough boy :lol:. And now his jaw and facial bone is free of infection - just think of the reward of your little man being healthy at the end of it and that little bit of guilt for being stern resolves itself.

Some very good advice above

Thankyou hun. Called the vets and she said not to give another dose. So he had another one at 5 this morning- what a struggle!!. He seems to behave much better for my o/h, seeing me he just ''plays up'':roll:.

Thankyou for all the good advice guys you've kept me sane . Off to give another dose in a bit, cant wait for him to sound ''normal', breaks my heart hearing him making these funny noises.