# How long does it take for antibiotics to work?



## itsazoo (Feb 17, 2011)

Peepers came down with snuffles a week ago. Our regular vet wasn't available so we took her toa 24 hour clinic. We not too sureif the vet there really knows what he's doing.

Her poor little nose was all crusted up and running, and she was sneezing and lethargic. Vet prescribed Baytril at 9ml/kg twice a day for 10 days. She improved, but is still a decidedly sick bunny. We're taking her back for a recheck; vet said he might add another antibiotic.

Just wondering how much improvement we should expect to see after 7 days, and if the dosage seems adequate. Any other suggestions? Thanks.


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## Ronin Shinobi (Feb 17, 2011)

I wouldn't give peepers any antibiotics until I was 100% sure that they will be safe for him to take. Unless they are proven safe for rabbits, antibiotics can be fatal. Killing off healthy bacteria that the rabbit needs as well as the ones causing peepers the snuffles. Personally i would call another vet that specializes in rabbits or small animals and ask if the antibiotics is safe for peepers to take. If not take him to another vet ASAP.


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## Korr_and_Sophie (Feb 17, 2011)

You should have noticed a change by now. It could be that Baytril is not effective in this case or it isn't an infection. 
Did the vet check the teeth? Since the vet is probably not experienced with rabbits, he probably didn't check the back teeth. Tooth issues can cause other problems like blocked tear ducts that might not be treated effectively with anti biotics. 
I would go to your regular vet, especially if they are rabbit savvy. Get a good check up done and different (rabbit safe) medications.


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## itsazoo (Feb 17, 2011)

This new vet is supposedly experienced with rabbits, but I don't recall him checking her teeth at the first visit (will now).He claimed he checked her temperature but it looked to me like he was just spinning the thermometer and didn't actually insert it. Regular vet is all booked so we're stuck withthenewone until we can get an appointment with the regular one. 

I have a list of rabbit safe antibiotics to double check whatever the vet says. I'm pretty sure the Baytril is safe. I'm more concerned the dose might not be high enough. Medirabbit says 5-15mg/kg and she's getting 9. We're adding probiotics and enzymes to her food anyway.


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## Sweetie (Feb 17, 2011)

Yes baytril is safe for rabbits. With the probiotics, give at least an hour apart because the antibiotic and probiotic will cancel each other out and they won't be effective.


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## itsazoo (Feb 17, 2011)

Yikes, maybe that's what we're doing wrong! The evening dose of baytril and dinner with probiotics have been being served too close together. I should have thought of that.


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## itsazoo (Feb 17, 2011)

ok my mom(who was posting above under my name) took Peepers back to the vet tonight...I was working and couldnt make it. he checked her teeth(all good) and actually got a temp. reading this time, her temperature is fine. she is doing better then she was last week, but not great obviously or we wouldnt have been there lol, he gave us more Baytril(another 10 days) plus another anti-biotic..rabbit safe, my mom brought a list to check anything he gave her first. 

I was giving her her bedtime meds at 9 and she was getting supper with the probiotics around 10, so I will space that a bit more and give her her meds a bit earlier to make sure I'm not overlapping


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## Sweetie (Feb 17, 2011)

Sounds good! I hope that Peepers gets better.


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## missyscove (Feb 17, 2011)

Baytril is definitely a safe antibiotic to give rabbits, but so many bacteria are resistant to it that sometimes it doesn't do any good. In your first post you mentioned that you were giving 9ml/kg. Then you commented on the mg dosage of baytril. Do you know the mg/ml of the baytril that has been compounded for you?


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## itsazoo (Feb 18, 2011)

the label says 50mg/ml and Peepers is 2.4lbs


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## woahlookitsme (Feb 18, 2011)

If the baytril doesnt work you can always try a culture sensitivity test. Its tests out which antibiotics your rabbit would be most affected by. All they do is take a swab sample. however the culture takes about 72hrs to get the full results


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## itsazoo (Feb 18, 2011)

Hey, it's me, the mom again (this was originally my account, but I wasn't using it so...). Anyway,I'll clarify the antibiotics Peepers is getting, in case anyone has any more comments. She gets 0.2 ml of the compounded Baytril, but it actually does work out to 9 mg/kg of Peepers' weight (1.1kg), twice a day. 

The vet also added chloramphenicol at what works out to 45 mg/kg as served twice a day (it's 50 mg per 1 ml dose,and the rabbit is 1.1 kg). It was a bit confusing as different places on the internet have different recommendations on the amount. Medirabbit says 30-50 mg/kg once a day, or 15 mg/kg twice a day. Other placessay 30-50mg either twice or three times a day. So I'm hoping we're within range for twice a day.


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## tonyshuman (Feb 19, 2011)

Regardless of the dose, I would have expected to see at least a little improvement by now. Definitely ask for a higher dose or a different antibiotic. They may want to do a culture of the bacteria to determine what antibiotics it is susceptible to since Baytril appears to be ineffective. There are other causes of runny nose as well, including tooth root infection, that are harder and more expensive to treat. I would look into those if a second antibiotic doesn't help.


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## itsazoo (Feb 20, 2011)

Thanks.There was actuallyquite abit ofimprovement in the first week. We were hoping for more, of course, being paranoid bunny parents, lol. 

She was in really rough shape at the first visit. By the second, her breathing was better, her lungs were cleared up, she was getting more active and her nose wasn't as runny. She was still sick, but much better than before. We'd like to see it cleared up not just improved, so hoping the two antibiotics together will do the trick. We're seeing steadyimprovement right now. So far so good!


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## woahlookitsme (Feb 21, 2011)

*itsazoo wrote: *


> Thanks.There was actuallyquite abit ofimprovement in the first week. We were hoping for more, of course, being paranoid bunny parents, lol.


lol yes this is the problem with antibiotics. You cant just question them on the first or second day. They take much longer and this is why doctors tell you to finish the RX. Human doctors do this also


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## itsazoo (Feb 21, 2011)

*woahlookitsme wrote: *


> lol yes this is the problem with antibiotics. You cant just question them on the first or second day. They take much longer and this is why doctors tell you to finish the RX. Human doctors do this also



I've heardthe more common problem is that people quit taking antibiotics when the symptoms disappear after several daysand that's why they don't finish the Rx. That makes things worse as only the strongest of the bugs will survive and come back with a vengeance. 

We had hoped formore improvementafter7 days, especially after reading that bunnies should keep takingantibiotics for 14 days after symptoms are gone. We only had a prescription for 10 days at the time. Turned out the vet wanted us to come back and spend yet another $100 for the next 10 days. If that 14 day rulemustbe followed,I guesswe're in for another $100.


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