Advice Needed - Uri / Heart

[Chris24]

Hi Everyone,

Unfortunately our Guinea Pig, Twirl, is currently unwell. We noticed on Wednesday that her breathing was quite laboured and 'heavy' so we took her into the vets to be checked. Her lungs were noisy, but not overly so and her heart sounded regular and good. Twirl was described 0.24ml Baytril twice daily which we have given to her over the past few days. As of this morning we were concerned she wasn't picking up so we returned her to the vets. The lungs are 'about the same' in terms of noisy-ness, so it seems like she is no worse but no better also.

The vet has switched anti-biotic to Sulfatrim (septrim) 0.2ml twice daily and we have an x-ray booked next Tuesday to check for problems with the heart.

My question is, does this all seem like a sensible approach? It's not our normal 'cavvy-savvy' vet so a second opinion would be appreciated. Should we have seen an improvement on the Baytril by this point or should we continue it for a few more days before switching to Sulfatrim?

As far as behaviour goes, she eats treats happily and will munch on some hay but will not really touch her nuggets. She has been on oxbow critical care for a days with 3 hour feeds but her weight has dropped from 1200g to 1060g during that time (she's a very sedate pig anyway and was a little overweight). We have also given her natural pro-biotic twice daily via mashed up poop from a healthy pig.

She has been in isolation from the other pigs for a few days now and seems a little depressed. Is it safe to re-introduce her at this point, with the view that this may give her more stimulation to eat?

Many thanks,

Chris

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

Antibiotics are appetite dampeners and killers as they also impact on the bacteria in the gut that are necessary for the digestion. Baytril is the worst perpetrator in that respect. If you feel that sulfatrim (which is the new unflavoured animal form of septrin/bactrim) will go down better, then please switch to that; it also depends on the bacteria causing the URI to which antibiotic they respond best.

If there is lots of gunk, please ask your vet for mucus dissolving bisolvon powder. Diuretics can also help clear the airways. Your vet may consider this if the URI is not clearing.

As part of your home care, you can place a bowl of steaming water near the cage to help ease the breathing. if you wish you can add 2 drops of olbas oil, but no vicks. The latter is harmful to guinea pigs.
You can also give 1/4 of a human vitamin C tablet in the short term to help boost the immune system. I prefer to dissolve it in 1 ml of water and then syringe the whole lot to make sure that it is going where it should. One adult guinea pig mouthful is about 1/2 ml, so never give a full a syringe in one go, especially not with URI.

Unlike humans, guinea pigs can't breathe through their mouths, so any small obstruction in the airways is audible. The need to breathe comes before the need to drink and the only thirdly the need to eat. that is why clearing the airways as quickly as possible is important and why a severe URI is impacting on the appetite (so a piggy with URI is in effect dealing with a double whammy if you count in the effect of an antibiotic).
However, the good news is that your girl's overall weight is still good and as she still has got at least a partial appetite, you need not panic!
Here are our syringe feeding tips (which include amounts and frequency). if your girl is not eating much hay (which should make up to 80% of the food intake) and pellets (ca. 5% of the food intake), then please up what you are giving, according to the guidelines in the thread. Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

It can take a week or longer to clear a URI.

As to companionship:
URI is an infectious disease, however, most healthy adult guinea pigs with a fully working immune system will be able to fend it off.
As an owner you have to weigh up the benefits of companionship (which can make a real difference) against a certain risk of ending up with two piggies with URI.

 

[Chris24]

Hi Wiekbe,

Many thanks for the detailed reply it has been really helpful. We have put Twirl back in with the other piggies and will start her on Sulfatrim tonight with the view to tackle the URI and hopefully boost her appetite in the process,

Chris

 

[Chris24]

Hi Wiekbe,

I'm happy to report Twirl's breathing improved the night I made the orginal post - we switched her to Sulfatrim and she has made continued progress. She is eating normally (as far as we can tell) and appears to be holding her own weight).

Unfortunately, when Twirl was X-Rayed today it was discovered that she has a very enlarged heart (filling the chest cavity). She has always been a very lazy, sedate pig but it looks like this is because of a long term heart condition that has only just been picked up due to the URI.

We are starting her on Frusol 0.6mls twice daily and Vetmedin 1.25mg quarter tablet twice daily. She is very happy in herself and we will continue to give her loving care for as long as we can.

Of course, if you have any advice for looking after a piggy with a heart condition we would be very grateful.

Thanks again for your help.

Chris

 

[Wiebke]

Hi Wiekbe,

I'm happy to report Twirl's breathing improved the night I made the orginal post - we switched her to Sulfatrim and she has made continued progress. She is eating normally (as far as we can tell) and appears to be holding her own weight).

Unfortunately, when Twirl was X-Rayed today it was discovered that she has a very enlarged heart (filling the chest cavity). She has always been a very lazy, sedate pig but it looks like this is because of a long term heart condition that has only just been picked up due to the URI.

We are starting her on Frusol 0.6mls twice daily and Vetmedin 1.25mg quarter tablet twice daily. She is very happy in herself and we will continue to give her loving care for as long as we can.

Of course, if you have any advice for looking after a piggy with a heart condition we would be very grateful.

Thanks again for your help.

Chris

I am glad that she is doing better on the sulfatrim. I am sorry for the heart problems.

Re. heart care, I am tagging @helen105281 for you. She is caring for some long term heart piggies and has more experience than I.

 

[helen105281]

Is your vet considering an ACE Inhibator like Benazapril too? Usually Vetmedin is given in addition to this. I have 5 heart pigs and they are all on daily Benazapril and have a diuretic when needed. All are doing well though and were diagnosed a few years ago now, so once stable on meds they can live quite happily.

 

[Chris24]

Is your vet considering an ACE Inhibator like Benazapril too? Usually Vetmedin is given in addition to this. I have 5 heart pigs and they are all on daily Benazapril and have a diuretic when needed. All are doing well though and were diagnosed a few years ago now, so once stable on meds they can live quite happily.

Hi Helen, thanks for replying. We can ask the vet about Benzapril and see what they say. How can you tell when a piggie will need the diuretic? We just have instructions to give her the furosemide twice daily..

 

[helen105281]

Furosemide is a diuretic. Usually the breathing is noticeable laboured. We have a stethoscope too and though I can't hear a thing down it my OH can hear when there is fluid as it sounds like they are under water.

 

[Chris24]

Furosemide is a diuretic. Usually the breathing is noticeable laboured. We have a stethoscope too and though I can't hear a thing down it my OH can hear when there is fluid as it sounds like they are under water.

Thank you Helen for this helpful advice. Fingers crossed on the new meds Twirl will have a long and active life!

 

[Chris24]

Hi everyone,

It is with great sadness to report that Twirl passed over the rainbow bridge today. She was doing so well on the new meds - eating fully on her own and putting on weight. Just yesterday she was out in the garden munching happily on grass with her friends. My wife gave her the medication this morning and everything seemed fine, she even got a purr out of Twirl at that point. She took Twirl upstairs and placed her on the bed but had to answer the door to a visitor. When she returned about 3 minutes later Twirl basically collapsed on her side as my wife walked back in the room. Twirl was rushed to the vets but they were not able to get her back. We think her little heart gave out due to her ongoing condition.

Gone but never forgotten - we will set up a rainbow bridge memorial for our beloved baby in a few days when our grief has passed a little.

Thank you everyone for your help and advice throughout this journey.

Chris & Kim

 

[helen105281]

I'm so sorry.