Can anyone tell me the name of the abx for bunnies...

that begins with a Z and is used to treat RTI's please?

I can't remember for the life of me.

Ta.

The only one I know off the top of my head beginning with "Z" is Zantac Syrup?

Probably Zithromax.

Yes, I'd say Zithromax (Azithromycin ) too xx

Zithromax, that's the one.

Cheers guys (well, Gal's )

Just wanted to ask my vet about it when Ginger goes in yet again for her nose :/

GrahamL said:

Zithromax, that's the one.

Cheers guys (well, Gal's )

Just wanted to ask my vet about it when Ginger goes in yet again for her nose :/

Click to expand...

Several good exotics vets also use nebulisation for URTI. The ABx are only part of the treatment. Getting the thick, infected secretions to flow out of the nasal passages by thinning them down, is just as important.

ETA Don't worry about calling me a guy. I was one of the few women to work in Orthopaedics too many years ago, & got called a chappess by the chief consultant. :lol:

thumps_ said:

Several good exotics vets also use nebulisation for URTI. The ABx are only part of the treatment. Getting the thick, infected secretions to flow out of the nasal passages by thinning them down, is just as important.

Click to expand...

Thank you for that thumps_

I'll ask about nebulisation at the same time.

Bisolvon and an anti-inflammatory can also help too.

prettylupin said:

Bisolvon and an anti-inflammatory can also help too.

Click to expand...

:wave:

Thanks PL. I'm adding this to my list of 'Ginger Notes' to take with me.

I want to endorse PL's advice. URTI infection is difficult to treat in bunnies, not because of the inadequacies of ABx but because the sinuses, tear ducts etc, have very small passages into the nose. These also get infected, swell & are blocked by thick infected secretions. No ABx can get into the infected blocked sinuses etc which act as a reservoir of infection predisposing to recurrence.

That is why anti inflammatories, nebulisers & bisolvon are so important.
The intitial course of Abx should be for a minimum of 6 weeks, to give cover while the reservoirs of infection are dealt with thoroughly.

The other problem is that if the initial infection is not treated aggressively, it can cause scarring in the nose. The scar tissue cannot waft the secretions up & backwards into the throat as is normal. Again they can become infected because they are not being moved out of the nose & eventually into the stomach where acid kills the bacteria.

Dust control as much as possible, also becomes important in this illness. We all know that when we've worked in a dusty atmosphere, our own nasal secretions are thickened like concrete!!!

I stand very alone, but believe that wherever possible, a culture & sensitivity test should be done before Abx are started to find out which bacteria are causing the problem so that the correct ABx can be selected. This is technically difficult in a bun, needs skill, & usually needs sedation or a brief GA. MANY URTI are NOT caused by pasturella, but by bacteria which are usually only found in humans. A C&S will tell your vet which ABx will work for the bacteria. The vet then uses further knowledge about which tissues the ABX reach in high concentrations to select the best one.

Sorry for a long post. I feel that it is asking a lot of owners, so you need to understand the reasons why I advise this course of action. I also believe that it gives your bun the best chances. It is based on treating humans before we had powerful ABx, with modifications allowing for the differences between humans & buns.

Good luck & I really mean that.

thumps_ said:

I want to endorse PL's advice. URTI infection is difficult to treat in bunnies, not because of the inadequacies of ABx but because the sinuses, tear ducts etc, have very small passages into the nose. These also get infected, swell & are blocked by thick infected secretions. No ABx can get into the infected blocked sinuses etc which act as a reservoir of infection predisposing to recurrence.

That is why anti inflammatories, nebulisers & bisolvon are so important.
The intitial course of Abx should be for a minimum of 6 weeks, to give cover while the reservoirs of infection are dealt with thoroughly.

The other problem is that if the initial infection is not treated aggressively, it can cause scarring in the nose. The scar tissue cannot waft the secretions up & backwards into the throat as is normal. Again they can become infected because they are not being moved out of the nose & eventually into the stomach where acid kills the bacteria.

Dust control as much as possible, also becomes important in this illness. We all know that when we've worked in a dusty atmosphere, our own nasal secretions are thickened like concrete!!!

I stand very alone, but believe that wherever possible, a culture & sensitivity test should be done before Abx are started to find out which bacteria are causing the problem so that the correct ABx can be selected. This is technically difficult in a bun, needs skill, & usually needs sedation or a brief GA. MANY URTI are NOT caused by pasturella, but by bacteria which are usually only found in humans. A C&S will tell your vet which ABx will work for the bacteria. The vet then uses further knowledge about which tissues the ABX reach in high concentrations to select the best one.

Sorry for a long post. I feel that it is asking a lot of owners, so you need to understand the reasons why I advise this course of action. I also believe that it gives your bun the best chances. It is based on treating humans before we had powerful ABx, with modifications allowing for the differences between humans & buns.

Good luck & I really mean that.

Click to expand...

Thumps is not alone in this, I think it is always a good idea to do a culture and sensitivity test whenever possible, before antibiotics are started - If I hadn't done this, Tippex would have continued to receive metronidazole for her ear infection, which the C&S showed to be ineffective against her particular strain of pasteurella.

Good luck in clearing up Ginger's infection xx