How long for wet tail antibiotics to work?

[Lemon]

How long would it take for antibiotics to work on wet tail, assuming they’re successful?

My hamster has been on them for 2.5 days, and she had a couple solid poops but then it went back to liquid. Does anyone know if she still has a chance to recover or if they should be working already?

I’m not going to stop them but I’m just worried

[SKB_Hamsters]

I’m sorry to hear you hamster was diagnosed with wet tail. I’m wishing her a speedy recovery.

Recovery time will vary dependent on the individual and severity of the infection. Normally antibiotics (like baytril) they are on them for a 7 day course. But your vet may want her on them for longer depending on the antibiotics she was given and if she hasn’t made good improvement. Even when her symptoms clear continue the antibiotics for the full course.

But she definitely has chance of recovery so don’t give up. Just make sure she eating and drinking - if she starts declining then get her seen again by your vet.

Unsure if your vet advised this already but you can give some probiotics to help with the gut health and increase the beneficial. In the uk we can buy Pro-C from pet stores.

[Lemon]

I believe she is on chloramphenicol, which the vet said targets the Lawsonia intracellularis bacteria and others that could cause wet tail. And they also just gave her a de-worm medication in case that’s it instead. She was so small they couldn’t get a full stool sample yet to test the cause.

She’s actually still staying at the vet’s and they do have her on probiotics also. They said she’s stable at the moment and they also did stuff to rehydrate her.

Their biggest worry right now is that she isn’t interested in eating, so they have to syringe feed her. But I’ve been told she’s walking around and exploring her cage and has taken water a couple times on her own. I think I’m taking her home tomorrow

[SKB_Hamsters]

Sounds like she been seen by a great vet and is doing everything they can. Chloramphenicol is a very effective antibiotics and it a lot easier to give than baytril (as baytril is bitter tasting so they don’t like taking it).

Your vets will talk you through everything when you go to pick her up. If you haven’t got experience with syringe feeding get your vet to show you how they’ve been doing it. Syringe feeding is a very effective method and getting a hamster to regain their appetite and get them eating again on their own. You may need to do little feed often throughout the day. Plus wet food help keep their hydration up too so they won’t drink as much.

[Lemon]

Update: I visited her today

She had energy to walk around for 10 minutes but then got tired and went to sleep. Poor baby looked like a bit heavier of breathing than usual while sleeping so of course I’m worried she got tired so fast

Idk if she was awake already before I got there. She’s still staying with the vet

She’s been eating and drinking tiny bits by herself

But I’m still so worried about how tired she was so fast