Baby guinea pig has odd respiratory problems (EMERGENCY HELP NEEDED)

[Moe & Mufasa]

Please help!I got a baby guinea pig from a pet store a week ago and he has a crusty nose, he is repeatedly sneezing, is only eating certain things, and i cannot take him to the vet because of my family's no vet policy with them. Please help my guinea pig, Moe, my piggies mean the world to me.

 

[DMS260820]

There is nothing you can do other than take him to a vet, no home treatment will work I'm afraid. The pig will need to be put on a course of antibiotic to fight the infection. sounds like an upper respiratory infection

 

[Moe & Mufasa]

Oh no..

 

[Moe & Mufasa]

My family won't like that at all. My dad says a vet costs more than just getting a new pig. I've been massaging his chest every day to clear out any build up, and it seems to be working. He has less crust on his nose now.

 

[DMS260820]

But the poor animal will suffer, just because you're dad won't part with some money to help him, you really shouldn't take on pets if you know you will not take them to a vet when they are sick. This really upsets me, because a guinea pig dying from a uri is a slow and painful death. I really hope it isn't.

If you got sick seriously ill and died,because you wasn't taken to hospital, your dad can just have another child for free though I guess

 

[Freela]

I'm sorry you're in this position. It sounds like you are young and not fully in control of what happens here, and I feel for you there. Not sure where you are living, but is there a return policy in place at the pet store where you bought him? Ours have a two-week health guarantee. If you're within two weeks they might be willing to pay for vet care or have one of the vets that consults with them see him there. It's worth a phone call, anyway. Unfortunately respiratory infections can be really serious and even fatal in guinea pigs, so it's very much in his best interest to get him seen if it's at all possible.

 

[DMS260820]

I wasn't being nasty in my last post, I'm just trying to make people realise that it's just not right to not take a sick animal to a vet and just leave it. You must try and talk you're dad around

 

[Hannah_xx]

I’m sorry but you shouldn’t buy animals that you cannot afford nor willing to take them to a vet.
When animals are sick, they need professional veterinary help.

I wish you the best of luck.

 

[Lady Kelly]

Take them back to the pet store. If you have only had them a week the store should cover vet costs to get them better

 

[KathT]

Take them back to the pet store. If you have only had them a week the store should cover vet costs to get them better

 

[Siikibam]

I’m sorry you’re in this position. But you shouldn’t have taken on the piggy knowing your dad’s opinion on vet visits. One of

As suggested above, please return the piggy to the pet shop and tell them why. do it as soon as possible because if it’s a URI, he can get worse very quickly and pass away. He’s got a right to a good and healthy life. They should accept him back as they sold you a sick piggy.

I STRONGLY suggest you don’t take on any other pets until you’re more independent finance wise. Your dad doesn’t sound like he’s going to change anytime soon I’m afraid.

Let us know what you decided on.

 

[Wiebke]

Please help!I got a baby guinea pig from a pet store a week ago and he has a crusty nose, he is repeatedly sneezing, is only eating certain things, and i cannot take him to the vet because of my family's no vet policy with them. Please help my guinea pig, Moe, my piggies mean the world to me.

Hi!

Since exposure/infection has happened at the pet shop, you have been in effect sold damaged ware and the shop is required to pay for any vet care and medication. in the US this applies to any illness that comes up within 30 days of purchase.
Unfortunately you are dealing with a well developed contagious bacterial infection that can kill or permanently damage the respiratory system if left untreated. It really needs an antibiotic! You want to catch it before travels from the upper respiratory tract and settles on the lungs (pneumonia).

Please be aware that the need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly the need to eat. Since piggies cannot breathe through their mouths, this means that any URI (upper respiratory tract infection) means that the appetite is becoming increasingly suppressed and that the guts will slow down as a result.
Please weigh your piggy daily at the same time on the kitchen scales and step in with syringe feeding support asap if the weight is dropping more than 1 oz. You can use mushed up pellets in an emergency to keep your piggy alive until any antibiotic can kick in and get to work (which usually takes up to a week) but please do not just squirt food into the mouth willy nilly and more than your little one can swallow in one go. The last thing you want with a piggy with a respiratory problem is for any feed to go down the wrong way and make things much worse!

Please take the time to read these guides here. They are very important!

Customer rights and information on URI:
What to check and look out for in new guinea pigs (vet checks, sexing, parasites&illness)

Care and feeding tips for very ill guinea pigs:
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide


Guinea pigs are group animals that should not be kept on their own. The best thing ever you can do for a piggy is get a same sex companion.
Like any pets, vet cost make the overall largest life time budget expense. It is important that you save up for a vet fund as part of your weekly maintenance cost since it is very likely that you will have to see a vet at some point during the 5-7 years average life span, and you do not want to let a pet in your care badly down by having to let it die in agony for days because of lack of funds/no vet access.

If you cannot provide for two of the basic five animal welfare rights which have been enshrined in law since 2015 in the UK - where this forum is based, please consider whether having a pet depending on you at this stage of your life is the right thing to do - or if you are better off to wait until you are in a position to really care for any pets to the standard and in the way you would like to after researching the pet species needs on welfare sites.
The five animal rights are: the right to clean and properly sized/species appropriate living space; the right to the correct feed and constant access to fresh water; the right to express normal species behaviour; the right to be with or next to others of their own kind especially in social species and lastly the right to be free of pain/illness/suffering.

 

[Idris]

If you are in the UK there are also some charities that can help (PDSA) and your local vet can help connect you and maybe help you as a one off. I had a similarly helpful dad back in the 80s when we had rabbits so I feel for you but you need medical help which may not be as expensive as you think.

Good luck

 

[Moe & Mufasa]

I'm not in the UK, I'm in the USA. thank you so much for your help. Moe has gotten worse today and you guys reminded me of my old vet funds that I had saved for my hamster years ago. I should be able to at least buy him some meds at the vet's!

 

[Darcey15]

I'm not in the UK, I'm in the USA. thank you so much for your help. Moe has gotten worse today and you guys reminded me of my old vet funds that I had saved for my hamster years ago. I should be able to at least buy him some meds at the vet's!

You might not need to. Take him back to the place you bought him from today. It's so very soon, the advice above suggests you will be covered. Dont be afraid to do this, your piggie comes first here and they should not have sold you a poorly piggie.

I'm sorry you are dealing with this but your parents have a duty of care to help you, at least to run you to the pet store where you got him. They need to establish what is wrong with him & help you.

I wish you and piggie all the best .

 

[AMMAH]

Maybe you could have a chat with your dad. If you show you are willing to use your savings, perhaps he could be convinced to also contribute financially. Also, the vet may allow you to pay in instalments. My friend's cat got hit by a car and was really seriously injured. When she went to collect him from the vets, the bill was lots of money due to all the operations etc, and they allowed her to pay in monthly instalments until the bill was paid.

As others have said; if you are unable to provide all the things that are necessary when you are responsible for an animal, it really would best not to get any more pets until you are financially independent. I understand you really love them, but it's not fair if you were to leave them suffering. You would be extremely lucky if your pets never needed veterinary treatment during their whole lives!

Good luck with your dad; keeping my fingers crossed for you.

 

[Wiebke]

I'm not in the UK, I'm in the USA. thank you so much for your help. Moe has gotten worse today and you guys reminded me of my old vet funds that I had saved for my hamster years ago. I should be able to at least buy him some meds at the vet's!

Fingers firmly crossed!

Please step in with the emergency care; you can find all the necessary advice via this link here. Your home support care, especially any feeding care is as important as any medication to give it a chance to be still alive and stay alive until the meds have a chance to kick in.
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

 

[Piggylove82]

I

I wasn't being nasty in my last post, I'm just trying to make people realise that it's just not right to not take a sick animal to a vet and just leave it. You must try and talk you're dad around

I completely agree with what you said. You're right. How anyone can think if it's cheaper to replace an animal than pay for its healthcare is absolutely heartless.

 

[DMS260820]

I
I completely agree with what you said. You're right. How anyone can think if it's cheaper to replace an animal than pay for its healthcare is absolutely heartless.

I keep seeing these posts, and just want to leave. Before I signed up here, I didn't come across this stuff, I can't bare to read it. I really don't believe their last post either, I hope I'm wrong. Anyway I'm unwatching before I get told I'm de railing

 

[PigglePuggle]

I keep seeing these posts, and just want to leave. Before I signed up here, I didn't come across this stuff, I can't bare to read it. I really don't believe their last post either, I hope I'm wrong. Anyway I'm unwatching before I get told I'm de railing

Its best to unwatch if something is upsetting you @SkyPipDotBernie even us folks on the H&I team dont read or reply or try to tackle everything all the time, sad stories get to us all. The OP has been given good advice and that's the best we can do, hopefully they can get to a vet and their piggy will be ok x

 

[Moe & Mufasa]

Hullo! A bit of an update! We made an arrangement with the pet store to pay for the the vet bill! Moe has been to the vet and is on antibiotics and syringe feeding! Thank you so much for your help

 

[Hannah_xx]

Hullo! A bit of an update! We made an arrangement with the pet store to pay for the the vet bill! Moe has been to the vet and is on antibiotics and syringe feeding! Thank you so much for your help View attachment 131621

Fantastic news! Well done for getting Moe seen by a vet. I’m so pleased.
Hope he makes a full and speedy recovery

 

[Jamjarpigs]

That's great do you have a plan in place money wise for if he gets sick again in the future?

 

[Siikibam]

That’s good news. What did the vet day he had then?

Please start a vet fund as soon as possible. And also get him a friend once he’s better. It’s not fair for him to live alone. If you can’t or your parents won’t allow it, then I would seriously reconsider having him at all. Good luck.

 

[Moe & Mufasa]

@Siikibam I do have two guinea pigs, Moe's partner is Mufasa, andi would never keep a pig alone, although they are separated currently to avoid getting Mufasa sick, which leads me to my next problem. I keep my piggies in a kind of playpen cage with no top and a canvas bottom, and I have two of those cages usually connected to form a big cage for them, but now I closed the doors. Mufasa is a very social, clever, and athletic piggie, andhas escaped the pen several times trying to get back to Moe. I have put a blanket over the top of his cage, (and opened the sides), But Mufasa is tugging at the bars of the cage and could get his nose stuck while I'm not here. What should i do?

 

[Piggies&buns]

@Siikibam I do have two guinea pigs, Moe's partner is Mufasa, andi would never keep a pig alone, although they are separated currently to avoid getting Mufasa sick, which leads me to my next problem. I keep my piggies in a kind of playpen cage with no top and a canvas bottom, and I have two of those cages usually connected to form a big cage for them, but now I closed the doors. Mufasa is a very social, clever, and athletic piggie, andhas escaped the pen several times trying to get back to Moe. I have put a blanket over the top of his cage, (and opened the sides), But Mufasa is tugging at the bars of the cage and could get his nose stuck while I'm not here. What should i do?

There is no benefit in having them separated - whatever bacteria one has been exposed to, the other will have been exposed to as well - being exposed does not mean the other will catch it though. Separating them is causing stress to them both, further weakening the immune system of both and making it harder to fight the infections. Guinea pigs recover better when they are with their friends.

 

[Posyrose]

You might find it easier to use a smaller syringe (1ml) and cut off the tips when syringe feeding .

See our guide Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

 

[Wiebke]

@Siikibam I do have two guinea pigs, Moe's partner is Mufasa, andi would never keep a pig alone, although they are separated currently to avoid getting Mufasa sick, which leads me to my next problem. I keep my piggies in a kind of playpen cage with no top and a canvas bottom, and I have two of those cages usually connected to form a big cage for them, but now I closed the doors. Mufasa is a very social, clever, and athletic piggie, andhas escaped the pen several times trying to get back to Moe. I have put a blanket over the top of his cage, (and opened the sides), But Mufasa is tugging at the bars of the cage and could get his nose stuck while I'm not here. What should i do?

Please do not separate them. Exposure has long happened, but at this young age, the stress of the separation will further lower the immune system. The split is coming far too late and is counterproductive in short!

All the best! Glad that you have been able to get vet care. Please use the 1 ml medication syringe for the syringe feeding as well; you will find that you can manage it better and much more gently. If the fibre is not passing through, please cut off the tip just below where the syringe widens as shown in the syringe feeding guide (there is a picture).