Probiotic Benebac Plus while on Antibiotic

[TiffBean-44]

Hello, I'm wondering if I should have my skinny pig take probiotic while on antibiotics. I ordered Benebac Plus gel, but then called to ask my vet about it first before I went ahead with it, and they said they never heard of it and did not recommend probiotics and just to stick to the prescribed medicine. Now I'm not sure what to do because I see alot of people online using Benebac with their pets on antibiotics and some say not to go without it! I'm also shocked that my vets advised against it, and it makes me worry about their knowledge and competency in treating my pet but I have no other options. She seems to be tolerating the medicine fine, and has no symptoms, and is perfectly normal at this time. Eating well, pooping well, and all is well. She was prescribed sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim as well as meloxicam. I brought her in because I noticed blood in urine one night, with small little blood clots. It only happened once, and she is behaving and eating, pooping and peeing perfectly. She is energetic and happy. Urine sample showed trace blood, but looked normal visually, and x-rays revealed no stones or anything unusual. Next step is ultrasound to check for cysts. I'm terrified of putting her through surgery, especially since her quality of life at this time is amazing and she is acting well and healthy.
Mainly wondering about probiotic Benebac at this time. Why would vet not recommend it? And should I let it be and not give it to her? If she needs it, how much and when do I give it?

Any advice would help, but PLEASE NO NEGATIVE RESPONSES OR PLEASE DON'T SCARE ME WITH STORIES OF PIGS THAT DIDN'T GO WELL BECAUSE I HAVE AN ANXIETY DISORDER AND CANT HANDLE THAT. POSITIVE ONLY, THANKS.

Thanks,

Tiffany and Bean

[ItsaZoo]

I always give BeneBac or Probios a couple of hours after giving antibiotics. And I continue the BeneBac for a week after the antibiotics are finished. Two guinea-pig savvy vets in my area agree this is a good precaution. There is nothing in BeneBac that would have an adverse effect on an ill or a healthy pet, and it is made for multiple species, so it’s a very safe product.

If it were me, I would finish the medication and weigh her daily to make sure she’s eating enough. Keep an eye on her poops, that the number and consistency are normal.

If you don’t see any more blood spots, there is a slight possibility that it’s not urinary. I had a guinea pig that was diagnosed with urinary tract infection but stopped spotting within a couple of days. She reacted to the antibiotic and I ended up having to see a different vet. That vet thought the spotting was hormonal, not urinary. Like I say, this rarely happens. But she was correct. Guinea pig heat cycles are about every 16 days, and about 2 weeks later blood spots appeared again for a couple of days. After a few cycles, it just stopped.

Please keep us informed. There are a number of very knowledgeable Guinea pig owners on this forum. If you haven’t already looked at the medical reference, here is a link to the library : https://www.guinealynx.info/medical.html

[Sef]

Probiotic use is one of those things where the general feeling here is that it can't hurt and might possibly help. That said, most of my pigs who have been on SMZ over the years have done just fine without it. I definitely push probiotics with Baytril and some of the other heavy-hitters, though.

Bene-bac seems to have a record of being well-tolerated. In recent years, I have been using this (it can be sprinkled on their veggies, or can be mixed with Critical Care for those needing handfeeding):
Guinea Pig Healthy Gut Probiotic

[TiffBean-44]

Thanks ItsaZoo and Sef for your responses. So far she is doing very well on the medication without probiotics. Everything seems normal. Tonight I thought maybe her urine looked slightly pink but it was so pale it was hard to tell. I have an ultrasound booked for next week but I'm terrified of that. Does anyone have experience with their piggies getting ultrasound? I hate putting her through any stress. And I don't think they will let me be in the room with her during the ultrasound, which bothers me. I'm sick with worry about it.

[ItsaZoo]

Ultrasound is painless. One of mine had that. They didn’t use anesthetic or anything, so it’s pretty easy on the piggy.

[TiffBean-44]

The price is crazy here in Canada. It will cost $677 Canadian dollars. I was just worried because they said they put her on her back, which I thought was a no no to do!! And also, they said they may need to give her a sedative, which may affect her appetite. And the process might take up to an hour and a half to be sure to get all good images. That just sounds like a lot of stress to me. They said they may force feed her Critical Care after to make sure she has food intake before giving her back to me.

[Sef]

Yikes. I would want to make sure this is an experienced exotics vet who knows what they're doing. I have never had an ultrasound done on any of mine, so maybe ItsaZoo can share what was involved with hers. From the limited knowledge that I have of it, I can't imagine the need to place a guinea pig on their back, and I also can't see why it would take all that long.

[ItsaZoo]

Mine didn’t take more than half an hour and she wasn’t sedated. I think it cost about $80 a few years ago. My impression was it’s a hand-held unit that they run along their abdomen. They might have used a gel or something but it seemed pretty simple.

[TiffBean-44]

Thanks for your responses! I talked to the Dr. who will be performing the ultrasound and feel better about it. But so extremely expensive. Unbelievable! Almost $700! Can't believe it.
Hope my girl will be ok and not need surgery. I can't handle the thought of it. Depending on the results of the ultrasound, they say it's possible she may need to get spayed. I don't want to put her through that and it will cost $1100!!

[Renonvsparky]

Benebac probiotic is one of the best and easiest to use and does a good job of replacing gut floura killed off by antibiotics. It comes in powder or a gel preloaded into syringes that allows for more accurate dosing. I've used it every time when my guinea pigs were on antibiotics. I usually give it 60 - 90 minutes after the antibiotics. That way, the medicine can get absorbed into their system. Some antibiotics can effect their appetite and in some cases the probiotic has the added benefit of stimulating it.

There are other probiotics that you can use too. I use this one: https://amzn.to/4jDvho8 It has a measured scoop with it. One level scoop is just right.