Baytril / Doxy combo ??

[maui tango louie]

Hello ! I am new to the group ! I have concerns about treating my blue and gold macaw Maui with Baytril and Doxy.I had all the bloodwork and xrays done but the vet did NOT do the tracheal swab....i'm thinking that should be done before this combo drug thing....he is on his second round of Baytril and is doing well...he is on Harrison's high potency,fresh fruit and veg, and apple cider vinegar water,constant humidifier with two steam baths during the day...has anyone ever used the combination of these two drugs ??? I picked up the doxy yesterday and want to do research before i just give him these two drugs together..help!!! the vet says he has sinusitis in the bone,pneumonia(although he doesnt appear that sick) and spots on his lungs that were inconclusive indicating an infection..Maui's bloodwork returned normal ....I think I need to change vets-after an $800 vet bill I am just confused !!!

 

[Birdasaurus]

I have used them in turn, first Baytril for 2 weeks and then Doxy after that. My vet first tested for sensitivities of the infection through a bacterial swab and culture, and it came backt hat it was sensitive to both antibiotics. He went with Baytril first, but then it turned out that the strain of bacteria became immune to the Baytril (discovered by another swab) so we switched to Doxy. I have no idea why you'd be giving them both at the same time other than the vet isn't sure which one the infection is sensitive too....and so decided to do both. In my humble opinion, that sounds dangerous; but I"m also not a health expert. JMHO.

 

[maui tango louie]

Thank you for the info !!! I feel more comfortable with ONE antibiotic at a time too-and I don't understand why they didn't just do the tracheal swab while they had him under anesthetic for the blood draw/xrays/and the other cultures they took.They sent his xrays to a board certified radiologist for a second opinion and still...I think I will finish out this second round of Baytril and find another vet..How long did it take your bird to respond to the doxy ? Did you have to go the 45 days-also how did you give probiotics??Was the apple cider vinegar effective for your bird??

 

[maui tango louie]

I just made an appt for Maui with Dr.Labonde here in Colorado and I feel much better already!! Now just gotta face getting all his records from the "other guy".....i bet they wanna charge me for that too....I think I wil just keep him on the Baytril until he sees Dr.Labonde.Thanks again for your insight it really did help clear my mind and make this next step.

 

[allison]

Are you sure he doesn't have Macaw Respitory Hypersensitivity?
Macaw Asthma in Birds | PetMD
Do you have any other birds that are dusty? I would get a really good air purifier just to be sure. I have no advice for the meds though.

 

[Birdasaurus]

Thank you for the info !!! I feel more comfortable with ONE antibiotic at a time too-and I don't understand why they didn't just do the tracheal swab while they had him under anesthetic for the blood draw/xrays/and the other cultures they took.They sent his xrays to a board certified radiologist for a second opinion and still...I think I will finish out this second round of Baytril and find another vet..How long did it take your bird to respond to the doxy ? Did you have to go the 45 days-also how did you give probiotics??Was the apple cider vinegar effective for your bird??

The longest Tango was ever on a antibiotic was 2 weeks at a time, then he would be off a few days and get swabbed again, then go back on it. He had terrible infections, so we did battle it for about 8 months. The doxy was very effective in controlling the infection and getting it down to a minimum; it just couldn't kick it completely. So we did use probiotics, apple cider vinegar, and another herbal called OL-Immune to help his system strengthen. This method was effective and it hasn't come back, but it was a GI tract infection...nothing respiratory.

My Patty just came down with a respiratory infection (possibly stemming from exposure to Grey dust when the air purifier was down) only 14 days of Baytril alone did the trick. It really depends on so many factors of how bad it is and your individual bird's system. I definitely agree about getting the second opinion...I would've done the same.