Haley, Need to ask a question about zithromax

Haley,I hope thatI am remembering right. Don't you have the bunny named Max that has has been put on Zithromax in the past? I am asking because I have a bunny and I suspect that he has pasteurella. I have taken him to the vet for this before and we tried to put him on Baytril. That upset his digestive system and he stopped eating, making things worse. That was a couple of years ago. It scared me so much thatI have just worked on keeping his immune system up.

He has been sick and not eating like he should be, although he is better today. He is very congested and I think his system is so down that he needs some help. We are going to the vet later today and I thinkI would like to try the Zithromax.

Can you tell me about dosages and how long was Max on it? Was it in a pill form or can it be injected? Thanks for any help that you may be able to share.

Any one else can chime in here too. I know that JadeIcing may have experience with this also. Beckie

Hi Beckie

I do have Max who has been on lots of meds, but never on Zithromax. I know Alicia (JadeIcing) has used it with success.

Max was on baytril for a long time and never had any difficulties with it. We've also had success with injectible Bicillin but that was for abscesses.

Has your vet done a culture yet? I think thats most likely the first step. Hope your little guy is ok!

(also if you think he has an upper respiratory problem, try buying a steamer and putting some vics or eucalyptus in it. that helped Max)

Thanks for your reply. No she has not done a culture. I know that we would have sedate him for that. We maydo that this time around because I want to look at his back teeth any way. He keeps a sneeze and a stuffy/runny nose most of the time and does ok with eating, pooping and playing. Hi system got off when I was sick a week ago. I have to be careful with the greens for both of my buns. They do well with spring mix andI had run out of it and I guessI fed him to much kale. They get mushy cecals if they get to many geeens.

His system has been off now for a week and he is just now eating oats. Otherwise he has been getting spring mix 2 times a day and babyfood by syringe in between. He has been eating hay. I also use nutrical but he really hates it. He also will not eat pumpkin.

His nose is more stuffy than usual because his entire system is down. I just do not want him to become sicker from the meds that we are trying to help him with. My vet is really good with working with me. I had read on the forum about zithromax but maybe that was from Randy or Jadeicing. Thanks for your help. BeckieP.S. forgot to tell you that he is 6 or 7 years old so I am careful about stress, which is why we have never done the culture.

Hey ok culture should be done. It can be done from the nose. Thats how my guys were done. I believe zithromax goes according to weight.

The zithromax was a pill cut in quarters and than I crushed one piece, mixing it with different food for him.

Maybe you could ask your vet about natural remedies as well. I have used acidophilus or echinacea to boost Max's immune system and I know others who have as well. I mix it in his food and he doesnt even notice

Haley wrote:

Maybe you could ask your vet about natural remedies as well. I have used acidophilus or echinacea to boost Max's immune system and I know others who have as well. I mix it in his food and he doesnt even notice

Click to expand...

I am using echinacea. Whats the other one? Where can I get it?

Acidophilusdoes essentially the same thing. I usually use either one. You can find it with the vitamins/minerals at most stores.

A few more Ive used are grape seed extract (which is an antioxidant) and slippery elm bark (for respiratory problems). Those (along with acidophilus) were ingrediants in an immune booster concoction Pipp found for me when Max was sick with bronchitis.

Thanks for the replies Jadeicing and Haley. Jadicing, did your bunnies have to be sedated for the nasal culture? Trouble fights like the dickens when he does not want something.

Haley, How many milligrams of echenacia did you give Max? I am not sure if that is measured out in milligrams or what. Beckie

No no fight the cultures. Just a quik little swipe and that was all.

Ok thanks, I will talk to my vet about all of this. We are going after 3:00 p.m. today, they will work him in. I will also take his big baby blanket thatI made him in case I have to burrito him to get something done. Thanks for everyone's help. Beckie

Hi All,

Thought I would comment on this thread. A culture should be performed to see exactly what is going on. Second, Baytril is becoming obsolete in treating pasteurella as more and more strains are becoming resistant. Baytril is also more likely to be effective as an injectable. Some of the herbs and holistic treatments may interfere with the proper work of antibiotics. Probiotics are useful in some situations....but remember what you are actually doing is changing the pH in the gut.....most of the probiotics are based on lactobacillis which does not grow naturally in a rabbit's gut. The acidophilus (note the highlighted letters) acidifies the gut to provide a more favorable environment for beneficial bacterial growth. Zithromax is something I use quite a bit. I use the powder and either put in into a piece of banana or mix it into a suspension. I think I have read that an injectable version has been approved for human use so it should be available soon. Zithromax is a very surprisingly effective drug when used properly. Zithromax is also very effective in treating dental abscesses.

And since you are located so near Charlotte...you might want to look up Dr. Lauren Powers at Carolina Veterinary Specialists in Huntersville. She is in a very elite league when it comes to exotics. She is one of the best we have ever worked with. They may require a referral if you should want to visit her....but let me know and I can get you in to see her.

Randy