Baytril - any alternatives?

[bridget]

Hi

My bun Kirk has snuffles and has been on baytril for nearly a week. However, today I noticed discharge up his nose. I just wondered if there's any alternative to baytril? I am taking him back to the vet tomorrow. I don't want him having an anaesthetic though

[Bunny Buddy]

It's not a direct answer to your question but I *think* snuffles will need at least a week of baytril normally to show improvement. There will probably be improvement any time soon. Though somebody more knowledgeable will no doubt be able to reassure better.

Tinks had baytril for sneezing a few months ago and she was on it for about a month, there wasn't any noticable improvement in the first week

[abbymarysmokey]

Baytril can take a while before effects are seen. If you don't see any improvements within a few weeks though, you could try Septrin (oral liquid) or Ronaxon (tablet), or your vet might even choose to try baytril combined with a penicillin if the snuffles is bad.

It might be useful to take a swab of the discharge from high up inside the nasal cavity for a c&s test, so you know which bacteria is the cause...be warned that nasal swabs often give false results though, so your vet might decide against doing this.

[Martine]

A culture of the discharge is necessary to give the right anti biotic, it is really worth it in order to be really efficient quickly and avoid the risk of resistance to other bacterial infections...

[Santa]

Yes there are lots of antibiotics that can be used - baytril is really the only option licenced for use in rabbits though hence it is often tried first. It can definitely take a good week or more to have any effect though, as the infection is often well hidden in the nasal ducts so it takes a while to get the antibiotic through to it.

My vet uses oxytetracycline (engemycin LA /terramycin LA) as the antibiotic of choice for snuffles - it is very broad spectrum and is one injection every 3 days so it does take the stress out of daily medicating. Santa has been on courses of this but now the bacteria seem to be changing or becoming resistant to it. At the moment metronidazole is working very well for her. Over the past years she has had baytril, septrin, penicillin, engemycin, ronaxan and metronidazole (not all at the same time!) for her snuffles, so there are plenty of options

Santa also has metacam and bisolvon to help - metacam reduces the inflammation so just helps to keep her airways a little more open, and bisolvon thins mucus, so it can help the pus to drain away a little more easily. Neither will fight the infection but both can be useful to help snuffly bunnies to breathe more easily