More Antibiotic Questions

[aurora369]

Poor Baxter has had a cloudy eye for well over a month now. At first I thought it was a cataract, but then his nose started to run about two weeks ago. I got him in to the vet, who suggested starting him on Chloropalm 3cc's twice a day for two weeks.

So we tried the Chloropalm for two weeks, but no change. His eye is still cloudy (still not sure if it's infected or just a cataract) and his nose is still snotty. It is his left eye that is cloudy and his right nostril that is snotty.

Well, back to the vet and I asked about pairing the Chloropalm with an injectable penicillin. He agreed, and provided some penicillin pre-loaded syringes (cut wtih saline). I have been giving him one injection a day.

I have given him two injections of penicillin, and I will have to get some more either tonight or tomorrow to continue his injections.

I'm having more problems injecting Baxter than when I was injecting Zeke. Baxter has no body fat, and his skin seems thinner. I ended up squirting one syringe all over him last night when I thought the needle was in, but it either wasn't or I had poked the need right through the other side of his skin. Poor bun, I feel like I'm turning him into a pin cushion.

My main question is how long should I try this combination before looking into another solution? Should I start seeing results soon or will it take a long time for a change to appear?

Also, is this combination okay? I saw in an older thread that Chloropalm and penicillin aren't reccomended to be given together. Should I continue or change the combination?

Thanks,
--Dawn

 

[Maureen Las]

You know I think I also heard recently that they shouldnot be given together (Etherbun?) because one diminished the effect of the other but I think that Randy at times has suggested the use of both (not absolutely sure)
I am wondering what you are actually treating . is this considered a systemic infection or is this infection supposedly an eye infection that is spreading ?
I think it makes a difference to know

 

[aurora369]

My vet is suspecting this is an eye infection that has spread. However, he is not sure if the eye is infected or if it is a cataract.

He started Baxter on 3cc's of chloramphenicol twice daily. We did this for just over a week, and saw no changes.

I went back to the vet Monday evening, and he gave me more chloramphenicol as well as some penicillin injectables. So for two days he's had penicillin as well as chloramphenicol.

I've also been giving him some probiotics twice daily about 4 hours after his oral medication.

His over all demeanour is pretty much the same, no energy change, no appetite change, no poop change.

--Dawn

 

[Maureen Las]

OK

this is my own personal experience and I don't know if it relates to your bun or not

I had a rabbit that developed a very bad eye infection ; I thought it was teeth related but I wasn't going to be able to get to the dentist right away
The vets here tried 3 different eye ointments ( gentocin, tobramycin, triple antibitotic without steroids ), one of which worked for awhile but then the infection would come back
As it turned out the infection was from one of my other rabbits batting his face and hitting his eye causing an infection. I was going crazy as the infection spread to his eyeball. then I went to an exotics vet who gave me chloramphenical opthalmic salve to put iin his eye. it worked immediately and now a few months later the eye is resolved

During this whole time my bun was on bicillin which didn't seem to help the eye (at least alone)

I know that you are in canada but I am wondering if your vet has thought of using an eye antibiotic salve ..

once again just a thought based on my rabbit's experience

My rabbit was on chlroamphenical opthalmic salve and bicillin at the same time and the salve worked

 

[Pipp]

Dr. Martinez (and Dr. Brondwin at the Arbutus clinic) routinely prescribe bicillin and chlorpalm together.

Chlorpalm is supposed to be particularly good about getting through to the eye.

With Baxter, Dr. Martinez (as noted) wasn't sure if the eye was an infection or a cataract. He initially looked at it and said 'cataract'. But then with the runny nose, it became very possible the two were related.

The plan of attack I think was to try two or three different kinds of antibiotics as the cheapest, quickest route. If they don't work, then you'll need diagnostics -- I THINK either a culture and/or a globe test (?) via an ophthalmologist.

I'm not sure how much an x-ray with tell, I'd like to hear from Randy or someone more experienced on that one.

I think the next step if a few more days of bicillin and Chorpalm don't work (and you don't want to try again with something like Baytril or whatever else Dr. Martinez may suggest, Baytril based on the thought it may be a URI and a cataract), I would take him into the Arbutus Clinic and have the 'vet tech' NJ look at him -- NJ is only a tech but he has his DVM from Thailand with a specialty in ophthalmology.

Dr. Martinez is a great vet, I recommend him over all other area vets, but best to use the best available resources. Arbutus has the testing facilities and the best staffer in this case.

My :twocents


sas :clover:

 

[aurora369]

I don't think I previously mentioned that he is also on an eye salve as well.

So as of Monday night, he is getting penicillin injections, chlorpalm orally, probiotics and an eye salve.

I'll have to get some more penicillin syringes, so maybe I'll do that tonight. While I'm there, I can ask him how long I should continue this protocol before I should see results. If this protocol doesn't work, I will get the culture and sensitivity done.

Sigh, I really don't have time for this . This is my last few weeks of class, when all my projects are due. But, I will do what I must to get my little buddy back to good health.

--Dawn

 

[Pipp]

Anything I can do, let me know.

I've messed up my back so I had to return Copper and Penny, the two newish SARS foster girls (Penny was incontinent, making them pretty labour-intensive). Their pen is free if you need bunny sitting.

PS: The timing re: the foster girls ended up perfect, somebody was looking for two girls to fosters and they fit the bill to a 'T'.


sas :hug:

 

[aurora369]

Good news! I just checked Baxter's nose, and it looks to be clearing a bit.

I called the vet, and he said he's going to give me a vial of penicillin so I can draw my own syringes. I've asked Ryan to go pick it up for me tomorrow.

I'm feeling a bit better now, seeing some improvement. Gives me hope that this will clear up.

--Dawn

 

[naturestee]

I'm glad he's looking better! What eye salve are you using? If he doesn't continue to improve, maybe you could ask for chlorpalm in the eye salve instead of orally, so it would treat the problem more directly.

 

[aurora369]

I'm at school right now, so I'm going by memory, but I believe his eye salve is labled "BNPH" or something like that. I'll check the label when I get home.

It is an antibiotic eye ointment. Same one I was putting on Zeke's genital wound last year.

--Dawn

 

[aurora369]

The ointment is only "BNP" I threw an extra letter in the name earlier.

I am very happy to say that Baxter's nose is almost snot free now. I got enough pre-mixed penicillin for 6 days of injections. So I will finish out the treatment and then re-asses if he needs more or not with the vet.

His eye has not changed at all. I think before I stop any of the antibiotic treatments I will have to have the vet figure out what is going on with his eye for sure. If it's a cataract, then I won't have to worry but if it's an infection, then I'll be in for a long battle.

--Dawn

 

[Maureen Las]

if it's cloudy and it's not red or has drainage it probably isn't an infection. I have a bun with cataracts and it looks like a film over the eye .
Post a pic if you can but then again it's hard to get a decent eye photo (at least for me)