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Snuffles dead end... C&S?

E

ElsasMummy

Warren Scout
Hello all,
Elsa has been sneezing a lot and wheezy, no nasal discharge but matted paws. Flopping down a lot I suspect due to the effort of breathing. She's been on baytril forever but it does nothing for the symptoms. Took her into et today to look at other options, asked for a C+S, she used an ear bud sized swab to swab the outside of her nostrils. She is reluctant to use ABx other than baytril due to GI side effects. I'm now waiting at home for a phone call as she is going to do some research into snuffles drugs before I go back.

My question is- should I have that swab sent off?! What drug regimes have worked for others? Just feel like I'm in a dead end!!

P.S Elsa is nearly 10 and has a history of dental problems/abscesses.

Sorry for a long rambling post..
 
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usually the swab needs to be taken from the back of the nose, and also the rabbit comes off all meds for about 1-2 weeks before taking the swab so the bacteria 'grow'. this way you get a better sample and more chance of a result. i wouldn't have that sample sent off. is there not an exotics vet you could go to instead as these respiratory problems can be so complex. baytril is not a good antibiotic for respiratory problems either but there are alot of others, and combinations to try. have you thought about nebulising? you can nebulise with saline to start with to clear the nostrils and if that isn't enough you have to option of nebulising antibiotics aswell which get right to the problem and effectively 'punch holes' in the mucus which then thins it to drain more easily. also metacam is usually used to control any swelling in the nose aswell. :wave:
 
Perhaps your vet would be willing to try Septrin instead of Baytril? I found it to be a lot more effective with my boy, he's always responded to it well. Baytril did nothing at all to be honest.
 
To be honest a superficial nasal swab will be of little use. Often the infection is located deep within the sinuses.

I would suggest a regime that would include a good antibiotic- some examples being Oxytetracycline, http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00Chem/ChComplex/Oxytetracycline.htm

Depocillin (by injection only), http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00Chem/ChComplex/Penicillin.htm

Azithromycin http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00Chem/ChComplex/Azithromycin.htm


Also a non steroidal anti-inflammatory such as Metacam- chronic infection causes soft tissue inflammation.

Nebulising- using sterile saline and doing so 2-3 times a day

Giving a mucolytic such us Bisolvon to thin out mucus secretions.

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/pet-meds-prescription-only-bisolvon-c-21_712/bisolvon-powder-5g-sachet-p-1120

It is likely that her lungs may be effected now and to totally rule this out a chest Xray would be needed BUT I would not opt for that either as IMO given her age and chronic infection the risks of sedation far out weigh any benefit.
 
Thank you both very much. Will discuss nebulising when I return this evening. Having done a bit of research I think I may discuss maybe septrin, bisolvon and metacam if the bet thinks these are appropriate. Infortunately I'm just not in the financial position to ask for a referral at the minute :'( (just finished uni and looking for a job- Elsa always comes first but I'm already on borrowed money for these appointments)

Thanks again, I'll let you know how I get on and how successful any new drug regime is.
 
Thank you very much Jane, I will take a look at those links and bring them to my vet's attention. She seemed pretty confident this morning that her lungs sounded good and it seemed very much upper respiratory tract.
 
Does anyone has a rough guess of a price I might expect to pay for metacam, an antibiotic and bisolvon? I'm suspecting it's going to be close to £100 :(
 
it can be expensive. you could start off with the antibiotic and metacam for now though and see how you go. i think your vet might be willing to try something like septrin and metacam together. see how that goes as sometimes it may be enough. our vets start with penicillin injections as he says in the majority of cases a 6 week - 3 month course is enough in most cases to clear or get them stable, but i think your vet would be wary of using that if they only want to use baytril.
the other option is to try baytril for longer. at least a 6 week course, combined with the metacam. you could add bisolvon to this mix maybe?
do you get charged if the vet rings an exotics vet for advice? this could be another option?
the best thing we ever did was nebulising though. it makes the world of difference.
you could also ask the vets for a payment plan to make the cost easier? some are able to offer this.
i hope you manage to get it sorted out. :wave:
 
If you aren't including the consult fee I wouldn't expect the meds alone to be that high, depends how much they are prescribing I guess but Bluebells metacam, antibiotic and bisolven used to cost me about £20 a month.

Its a bit of trial and error finding the right drug, we had a c&s test but it came back inconclusive. I agree with Janes other med suggestions and the nebuliser was a godsend for bluebell.

As for the c&s the bun has to of been drug free for you to even hope of getting a result so if your bun was on antibiotics when it was taken it could effect the results and not be worth sending off.
 
Also if they are set on baytril, we found nebulising it more effective as it gets straight to the nasal passages. We mixed his daily dose with some saline. Ask for injectable baytril though as the oral stuff just seems to foam in the nebuliser.
 
Thank you all so much for taking the time to reply. Vet just called back after some research and has prescribed metacam, bisolvon, septrin and nasal drops. I'm excited!! Hope she reacts well to it all :) x
 
I'm feeling quite hopeful about the regime I'm embarking on with Elsa:
1ml septrin
0.6ml metacam
Tiacil nose drops 3x daily
Pinch of bisolvon
Bio lapis in her water
Also recommended some crude 'nebulisation' ie having her sit in a steamy bathroom.
Vet has been so good- researching for me and calling me back and even calling me at about 8pm this evening to check I was able to administer everything ok. Going to try this for 10 days then report back. Everything crossed!
 
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ElsasMummy said:
I'm feeling quite hopeful about the regime I'm embarking on with Elsa:
1ml septrin
0.6ml metacam
Tiacil nose drops 3x daily
Pinch of bisolvon
Bio lapis in her water
Also recommended some crude 'nebulisation' ie having her sit in a steamy bathroom.
Vet has been so good- researching for me and calling me back and even calling me at about 8pm this evening to check I was able to administer everything ok. Going to try this for 10 days then report back. Everything crossed!
Click to expand...

I really hope the treatment regime helps xx
 
On day 3 of treatment, no obvious improvement yet, Elsa is very good taking the meds, she's a docile little thing. But I think she's getting quite suspicious of me and runs away when I approach her which makes me sad! Fingers crossed it will all be worth it.
 
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