No digestive bacteria?

[rmn34]

When ratguide says to give probiotics with antibiotics, in order to maintain proper gut bacteria, how do you know if you have accidentally killed off this bacteria?

What I previously thought was diarrhea is clearly something else. She is pooping nearly odorless matter that resembles its pre-digested state.

I have been giving bene-bac every day but it is not helping. She was getting it when she was on the antibiotics as well.

She is still quite hungry but then gets very sleepy after I feed her.

I don't know what else to do, she is losing weight so fast. What else can I do to boost the gut bacteria?

Thank you.

 

[lilspaz68]

Can you give us more of a history for your rat? Age is important. What markings does she have (blazes, headspots, white markings could be important). Has she been ill before? How long has she been on antibiotics and what were they? WHEN were you giving the probiotics? 2 hours outside of giving any antibiotics?

 

[rmn34]

This would apply to any rat regardless of age or illness-

They specifically say to give benebac to prevent killing digestive bacteria, but make no mention of what happens if you fail to do this... they say on the antibiotics individual pages that they can harm gut bacteria... I assume this is a real thing yet I can find no mention to how it presents.

Has this never happened to anyone?

Oddly, no vet has ever mentioned probiotics when prescribing antibiotics to me.

Is this a real thing or not? Or is it just a theoretical thing that has never presented in real life?

-
18 mo
white w/brown hood
just the PT
enro/zithro/doxy, ~3 months
gave with food, 2 hr apart from zithro dose

 

[lilspaz68]

She has PT? Has she been getting a lot of watery foods to eat? That will change the consistency.

She's on 3 antibiotics? What are her symptoms?

 

[rmn34]

It was either that I killed off her digestive bacteria with too much antibiotics, or she lost the ability to extract nutrients from food.

If nobody has actually seen the former happen, then I would guess that it was the latter.

One day she just stopped digesting her meals. She had been on an all babyfood/ensure diet for months, but never had a problem with it until recently. She had been steadily losing weight all along no matter how much I would feed her.

Is digestive or intestinal failure common in a late stage PT?

 

[lilspaz68]

The gut flora replenishes itself which is why you give the probiotics.

So it's likely something else. Is she being treated for her pituitary tumour? Steroids, bromocriptine/cabergoline? Losing weight with PT is common.

 

[rmn34]

Yes this was the same one we discussed many times before.

Is random organ failure common in a late stage PT?

 

[lilspaz68]

PT is very degenerative and the medications can cause issues as well in the later stages. I would say yes this is mostly to do with her PT and her diet.