Vet info on doxycycline, amoxicillin, and Baytril

[Rat-love]

Howdy!  I told Ali I was going to post this, so I'd better get to it....

My two girls had upper respiratory infections when I got them and (as I've mentioned a million times) they've been on four different antibiotics in the last three months to get them well.

The first thing we tried was Sulkaprim alone, then Baytril alone, then amoxicillin alone, then Baytril and amoxicillin, then doxycycline alone.  Yesterday I tortured my vet with tons of questions about these drugs, and here's what she had to say:

Baytril--
At first, she was reluctant to put the young rats on Baytril, because although she didn't know about its effects on rats, it can cause joint problems in kittens and puppies.  Yesterday I asked if adding one of those Chondroitin or other cartilage supplements might counteract the possible bad effects of Baytril, and she said that the problems occur in the growth plates of young animals (part of the bone tissue), so the cartilage was not what was at risk.

Amoxicillin--
Petzl got better on the combination of Baytril and amoxicillin.  The vet said that amoxicillin kills anaerobic bacteria, whereas Baytril does not, and that the amoxicillin probably killed something extra that the Baytril couldn't.  (By the way--amoxicillin is part of the penicillin family; penicillin is used to treat strep throat.)  I know Petzl started getting better on the amoxicillin alone, but I think she only really got better when she was on both.

Doxycycline--
Actually, we overlapped a lot of the drug treatments, like Sapphy was on amoxicillin and Baytril for a day or two when we started the doxycycline, but she has only finally gotten better on doxy.  Poor kid!
Since there has been so much discussion about whether dairy can be given with doxy, as it is part of the tetracycline family, I asked the vet about it.  She immediately pulled out her drug book and read to me over the phone, confirming what has been stated in at least one topic here on the board: that dairy only inhibits absorption or uptake of doxycycline by up to %20, and that this is not considered clinically significant.

Sulkaprim--we didn't talk about it, unfortunately.

By the way, I thouht I'd add that, though it was impossible to get the plain suspension of Sulkaprim down the rats, the amoxicillin with its bubble gum flavor, the Baytril, which the vet put in cherry syrup, and the doxycycline, which--get this! the pharmacist put into a liquid with a special "cream cheese" flavoring, among other choices of liver, chicken, etc.,--all became big hits for treats after the first application or two.  Petzl's off the drugs, but Sapphy still comes running to the sound of the doxycycline bottle being shaken!  

Well, hope this adds some info to your disease arsenals.

[Ali]

Thanks for the post. Another one to print out, I think!

I'm glad (for your sake and ours!) that the doxy sounds as if it's been fairly efficient. I'm really beginning to wonder why baytril is touted as such a wonder drug. There seem to be few instances where it's really worked (though maybe we only talk about the cases where it hasn't).

As I mentioned in my other post, the boys have been less sneezy and wheezy the last two nights (since I made the appointment at the new vet's!) Now of course I'm going to be worrying as to whether they should be put back on antibiotics at all! Having said that, I've read that in chronic cases of myco the original symptoms (sneezing, sniffling) can disappear after a time, but the infection is still doing it's dirty work ready to appear with avengeance later on. So I just wouldn't know what to do for the best!

Glad Sapphy is doing better (and I must say, cream-cheese flavour doxy sounds infinitely nicer than liver-flavour!)  

[Evergreen Rattery]

  I've had my rats on both Baytril and Doxy and the Baytril seemed to make them worse (worse diarrhea, and didn't help them get better after two full courses), but the Doxy worked much better and was easier to give because it was supposed to be eaten so it tasted fine to the rats (I even was able to give it to one of them through the bars of the cage as he lapped it off the syringe!).

[kim]

actually, baytril is no longer the "wonder drug" that it once was because it has been overprescribed and used for the wrong reasons - doing this has resulted in bacteria that are resistant to it, etc.
if you remember a few months ago, they were considering taking it off the market to maintain its efficiency when needed (since there was the big rush for cipro).

[jinxgirl]

 

thanx.. have printed out and will take a copy to the vet