Winnie medical

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Fri Jan 10, 2025 6:28 pm


Hopefully someone with more experience in the use of Gentamicin will chime in, but from my limited knowledge of Gentamicin in guinea pigs, it seems to be well-tolerated for inhalation use. There are many references on GL to its use as an inhalant. However, I do not believe I would feel comfortable having it administered by injection. Pinta once described it as "harsh" on the system. Even if injection is safer than oral administration, I would still have some misgivings with it unless it was the only option. But again, please keep in mind that I have not used it or have any personal experience with it. My opinion on it is solely based on what I have seen here on GL in the past.

I do think I would want to talk to an experienced vet about the possible risks and benefits of using it as an injectable before making a decision. Why does this vet think it would be beneficial to do this? Have they used it successfully as an injectable to treat stubborn infections in guinea pigs?

Sending healing thoughts to you and your sweet girl. I am so sorry that there are no easy answers!

User avatar
ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Fri Jan 10, 2025 8:36 pm


I looked this up on the National Institute of Health website. In humans, it is treated with ampicillin and gentamicin and can take 4 weeks of treatment to eliminate it. Of course, ampicillin and other penicillins aren’t safe for guinea pigs, so options are limited. The gentamicin sounds reasonable.

Has this vet ever successfully treated a guinea pig for this infection? I guess that would be a question I would ask. And get some opinions from other vets you may know.

Lisa12

Post   » Fri Jan 10, 2025 8:54 pm


Thank you.

Win is my last animal, i swear.

Win already was on gentamicyn inhalations and so was Irie, but the problem in her case is resistence to tetracyclines and tms ...and gentamicin inhalations didnt cure her, so both vets suĝgested this combinaton with marbofloxacin.

But as culture results came back, vet who took sample suggested injections for three days due to bacterial reaistence and inhalations not working totally alone.

Side effects are making me sick and slepless and i tought of enroxil injections would be too much let alonr gentamicin. Vet is thinking in direction of full recovery i think, but i cant ask him 101 questions cause we had awful disagreements lately a lot. He said she should be okay if well hidrated but i dont totally buy that.

I would rather put her on inhalations+;marbocyl oral or marbocyl injections+genta inhalations but i dont think vet would agree...

Other than that she s been making crackling sounds quite a lot today.. :(

As i mentioned before its a shame she cant handle really high dossages of azythromicin...

Lisa12

Post   » Fri Jan 10, 2025 8:59 pm


Oh thank you ItsaZoo..just saw your answer.. hes experienced enough but y know the probpem is the risk of injections for me.

Lisa12

Post   » Fri Jan 10, 2025 9:07 pm


Bacteria is completely sensitive on azythromicin and gentamicin only.

Even on penicilins that we wont use is I(Itermediate?).

He suggested 3 injections anf than i dont know hoe many weeks of. Inhalations w marbocyl oral. If we will refuse injections we will go to inhalatons straight awaY but he thinks we can make bacteria even more resistant if it wojt work.

Hope i wrote clear enough..i ll ask Ringos vet for oppinion, she s been vet for more than 30years..

Lisa12

Post   » Sat Jan 11, 2025 3:30 pm


Still waiting on your oppinions how would you decide in our place..please..

Dog vet was very kind she agrees with exotic vet...hm.. she wrote you need to hit it extra hard so it will go away.. and not to be too focused on side effects cause she s been havingvthis for too long.

But we need guinea pig obssesed people for oppinions..cause we re worried!

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sat Jan 11, 2025 7:29 pm


Hi Lisa12,
I'm so sorry; I am not really sure what I would do in your place. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I know that Gentamicin is well-tolerated in a nebulizer but I don't really know much about it via injection. A question for your vet might be, Is there less risk of renal toxicity when given by injection rather than orally? Also, is there anything that can be done as a preventive/protective against renal failure? A Google search produced the following:
Gentamicin injections can cause renal toxicity in guinea pigs, and the effects can vary depending on the dose, timing, and other factors:

Dose
High doses of gentamicin (40 mg/kg or more) can cause renal dysfunction and cortical necrosis in animals.

Timing
The timing of gentamicin administration relative to circadian rhythms can affect its toxicity.

Renal function

Renal function changes can be observed as early as the first week of gentamicin treatment. After treatment ends, renal function may show signs of recovery.

Hearing loss
Hearing loss can continue to worsen after treatment ends.

Intraperitoneal vs subcutaneous injection
Guinea pigs that receive gentamicin intraperitoneally may experience greater permanent hearing loss than those that receive it subcutaneously.
Gentamicin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic that works by inhibiting protein synthesis in renal cells, which can lead to cell necrosis and acute renal failure. Dietary calcium supplementation may help protect against gentamicin nephrotoxicity.
I tried to do searches on calcium supplementation as a protectant against renal toxicity/nephrotoxicity in guinea pigs, but the only literature that I could find is either older or very clinical in nature. One such study can be found here:
https://www.jvsmedicscorner.com/ICU-Inf ... xicity.pdf

Whether or not Gentamicin-induced kidney dysfunction is reversible seems to be unclear.

A huge factor involved here would be whether or not the risks outweigh the benefits of choosing this mode of treatment for Winnie. I'd want to know what the vet's thoughts are on this, and what they feel the prognosis would be with and without this treatment.

I truly wish I could offer a personal opinion on what I would do in your place, but there are just so many factors including the guinea pig's age; overall health (including renal health) and thriftiness; vet's experience in general and especially success in using Gentamicin injectable in guinea pigs; etc. After some bad experiences with over- (and under-) medicating several of my own guys over the years, I tend to be very cautious about trying something that doesn't seem to have a proven safety and efficacy record unless it is a last resort with no other good options and a poor prognosis otherwise.

User avatar
ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Sat Jan 11, 2025 11:33 pm


This is a tough situation. It seems what you’ve been doing is not effective if Winnie is not improving. If both vets think the injections are the best chance Winnie has to knock this infection out, then i would try if it was my decision. I always think back to Gidget with her ear infections. If I would have had a different vet that suggested a heavy dose of antibiotic earlier, she may have recovered. Just my opinion.

Lisa12

Post   » Sun Jan 12, 2025 1:42 am


Thank you,Sef, for extended comment.

Gentamicin can only be given nebulized or injected and not peroral.
Vet said win need to be well hidrated.. i am concerned about high dossages. He said 0,4 ml nebulized twicw daily(80/2mg/ml)i think its same dossage for injection-but it wouldnt be cause we wont gobto him twice daily? I can ask vet about dosaages.3x by injection ans probably at least 14 days in nebulizer.
I would give her dandelion for calicium as you kindly wrote and water.
I am concerned for kidnwys and the fact if treatment will work(even with injection).
Azythromicyn was messing with her belly really bad and it helped bit not completely i dont think she could take high dosages cause diharrea was severe probiotic helped limited.

I was having bit of hard time with vet, -he s y know confident and eyperienced and i doubt a lot cause i am concerned about win- which doesnt help at all, but dog vet cares about animals really very much so her comment suprised us.

Win will soon be 2. It would be easier to decide if we knew it will cure herm marbocyl alone is not enough.

Treatment options are only this combinations or azythromicin-she tried 2 x before in 17-20mg/kg for this bacteria.
.

Lisa12

Post   » Sun Jan 12, 2025 1:59 am


Just to add itsaZoo i was really hoping Gidget would recover!
And was very upset when she did not.
I remember vet metioned 6mg/kg thats normal dossage not high?

As prevention for kidney damage vet mentioned hidration, dog vet correct dossage and Sef calcium.

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