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Specialist Breathing problems, otherwise ok...

Thanks guys.
The prescription is for 5ml of either Co-trimoxazole 40mg/200mg or Septrin (same thing) - it's trimethoprim sulfamethexazole, same as Bactrim. One pharmacy looked it up to see if they could order it but said it too had been discontinued.

It's just the local vet we've been to so far, she's prepared to refer us to the exotics specialist though (the one who sorted out Stormy's teeth, and who did Midnight's spay (but she didn't make it in the end :( ). I guess I need to do decide whether to go to them, or to come see Simon. I don't think it's worth anaesthetising her to do more extensive x-rays or swabs to diagnose though, I can't bear to do that to her when she's otherwise so well (and risk her getting worse as a result), what do you think? Our appointment (to do the teeth, and figure out what next) is this afternoon.
 
Sulfatrim is the same as septrin, so you could ask them to give you a prescription for that and buy it online, but my worry is you will be losing a few more days, without treatment, while you wait for the drug to arrive. I think trying frusol could be a good move too. I do think a trip to Simon, or Kim as she is brilliant for diagnostics. I wonder if she's aspirated some food (not unusual for dental piggies, so maybe a check of the back teeth could be done too, at the same time.
 
Try get in touch with Simon and Kim for a Emergancy appointment. If you only need to wait until tomorrow or Saturday then take her to them and if it’s any longer I’d take her to the RSPCA as soon as possible, just remember vets can only advise you on treatment, it is in your hands what you think is best for stormy. If they advise to keep her on what she is on you can refuse this and ask for the medication suggested on here
 
kkewharding94 said:
Try get in touch with Simon and Kim for a Emergancy appointment. If you only need to wait until tomorrow or Saturday then take her to them and if it’s any longer I’d take her to the RSPCA as soon as possible, just remember vets can only advise you on treatment, it is in your hands what you think is best for stormy. If they advise to keep her on what she is on you can refuse this and ask for the medication suggested on here
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RSPCA isn't a vet. They take the animals in their care to qualified veterinary surgeons for treatment.
 
I've said a few times to the vet that I wondered if she'd aspirated something too, because a few weeks before i noticed the breathing I thought I caught her silently gagging very briefly (and was then fine) and I wondered what had happened or if I'd imagined it as gagging (she could've been scratching or bending for poop). Also, there are no other signs of a URI -no fluid in the x-ray, no discharge from eyes and nose, other than the first week when the wheeze went from upper tract only to her lungs, she's not getting any worse, plus the Baytril didn't make a difference (that was the week it actually got worse). She's not off her food AT ALL, nor is she eating any more slowly than normal, and she's not losing weight. The one difference to normal is that she's possibly not quite as active as normal (although she is getting older, nearly 5 years old now) nor is she lying curled up to 'sleep' as comfortably as she usually does (she's slightly hunched) but like you said furryfriends that might actually be due to gas, esp as the vet thought from the x-ray she had more in her stomach than she should have. Oh and of course there's the bumblefoot, which has really not been bad at all despite me doing a pretty poor job of trying to soak it in Hibiscrub as she won't stay still long enough for it! - it's one foot only, couple of crusty scabs but that's it, no swelling or infection, getting better not worse.

Maybe I should ring Simon & Kim and see if they can fit us in tomorrow. It would be just as well to have Simon look at her back teeth as well to make sure all is well there, anyway, although there's no sign she's struggling with eating at all, including hay. Every time I put a fresh batch in she rushes over to munch :)
 
My commas are in weird places, when i said "other than the first week..." i meant she hasn't been getting worse other than the first week, not that there was discharge etc in the first week! There's been no discharge at all !
 
StormyMidnight said:
I've said a few times to the vet that I wondered if she'd aspirated something too, because a few weeks before i noticed the breathing I thought I caught her silently gagging very briefly (and was then fine) and I wondered what had happened or if I'd imagined it as gagging (she could've been scratching or bending for poop). Also, there are no other signs of a URI -no fluid in the x-ray, no discharge from eyes and nose, other than the first week when the wheeze went from upper tract only to her lungs, she's not getting any worse, plus the Baytril didn't make a difference (that was the week it actually got worse). She's not off her food AT ALL, nor is she eating any more slowly than normal, and she's not losing weight. The one difference to normal is that she's possibly not quite as active as normal (although she is getting older, nearly 5 years old now) nor is she lying curled up to 'sleep' as comfortably as she usually does (she's slightly hunched) but like you said furryfriends that might actually be due to gas, esp as the vet thought from the x-ray she had more in her stomach than she should have. Oh and of course there's the bumblefoot, which has really not been bad at all despite me doing a pretty poor job of trying to soak it in Hibiscrub as she won't stay still long enough for it! - it's one foot only, couple of crusty scabs but that's it, no swelling or infection, getting better not worse.

Maybe I should ring Simon & Kim and see if they can fit us in tomorrow. It would be just as well to have Simon look at her back teeth as well to make sure all is well there, anyway, although there's no sign she's struggling with eating at all, including hay. Every time I put a fresh batch in she rushes over to munch :)
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Phone the practice and see who is working tomorrow. They are now open later on a Saturday (until 4 pm) but they each take a weekend shift and there is now another vet, who isn't guinea pig dental experienced, so you need to make sure it is either Simon or Kim, or it won't be worth making the journey.
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
RSPCA isn't a vet. They take the animals in their care to qualified veterinary surgeons for treatment.
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I rang RSPCA just under 12 months ago for 1 of my guinea pigs for a cheaper x-ray and they couldn’t because I’m not in the same borough, a friend of mine took his dog there and got her treated and check ups for months
 
kkewharding94 said:
I rang RSPCA just under 12 months ago for 1 of my guinea pigs for a cheaper x-ray and they couldn’t because I’m not in the same borough, a friend of mine took his dog there and got her treated and check ups for months
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Do you mean PDSA?
 
So I've got an appointment booked at CJ Hall on Monday afternoon (fully booked tomorrow). Vet today thought that even if I don't want them to do extra tests under anaesthetic they'll probably have more drug options available. Given that Stormy has not been getting any worse at all in the last two weeks, hopefully those few days' wait won't make much difference... I do still have the rest of the Baytril and Loxicom here though if I wanted to start her back on that! (not that the vet suggested it, just sayin').
 
StormyMidnight said:
So I've got an appointment booked at CJ Hall on Monday afternoon (fully booked tomorrow). Vet today thought that even if I don't want them to do extra tests under anaesthetic they'll probably have more drug options available. Given that Stormy has not been getting any worse at all in the last two weeks, hopefully those few days' wait won't make much difference... I do still have the rest of the Baytril and Loxicom here though if I wanted to start her back on that! (not that the vet suggested it, just sayin').
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Yeah just keep giving her the medication and use some vapour rub or clovers oil ( I think that’s how you spell it) in a bowl of water near her cage x
 
kkewharding94 said:
Yeah just keep giving her the medication and use some vapour rub or clovers oil ( I think that’s how you spell it) in a bowl of water near her cage x
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I haven't been giving her any medication since she came off the Baytril, 12 days ago I think now if i'm getting my days right! That's what's weird, she's not getting any worse!
 
That is very strange. I mean if she seems fine then wait, at least you have medications there for her if it gets any worse, I really do hope they get to the bottom of things because guinea pigs are very fragile animals compared to most so everything is a lot more fatal x
 
I know :( It's been a bit strange, because I know this sort of thing can deteriorate really quickly in piggies and I've been on tenterhooks the whole time, getting up in the mornings worried i'd find her hunched in the corner - but nope, every morning she's rushing to the side of the cage wheeking for veg, and every time i add fresh hay she's coming up to forage, and she wanders around at floor time. It's clearer that she's not well when she's settling to nap, i haven't seen her lying down curled up on her side the past few days, she's not necessarily hunched in lots of pain (like she was after her dental surgery) but sort of not very relaxed-looking if that makes sense!

Here she is last night (the other black & white one is Domino :)
 

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kkewharding94 said:
Yeah just keep giving her the medication and use some vapour rub or clovers oil ( I think that’s how you spell it) in a bowl of water near her cage x
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Just wanted to mention, if by vapour rub you mean Vicks, that isn't recommended for guinea pigs anymore. I think Olbas oil is ok though.
 
Never ever use vicks, I have heard horror stories.
Olbas oil is okay in my understanding at a safe distance from piggies but never put directly near a piggy or directly by side of cage.
 
So, I'm bringing her back there in the morning because he wants to do proper x-rays and blood tests (and drain her lungs if it turns out there is fluid round the outside of the lungs). He suspects it could be underlying heart issue, given that she's been off meds the past two weeks without much change (not likely to be pneumonia), although could also be bronchial, very unlikely to be pneumonia given how "well" she's been over the past two weeks without meds. He was prepared to give me frusemide to try first but he did prefer to do tests first/as well as so that's what I've opted for. Just as well to find out properly what's up...
 
@StormyMidnight Personally I'd really push for friends before doing anything like draining the lungs (Which sounds really invasive and scary).

One of my foster boys struggles with excess fluid and frusemide has literally been a life saver for him, twice.
 
StormyMidnight said:
So, I'm bringing her back there in the morning because he wants to do proper x-rays and blood tests (and drain her lungs if it turns out there is fluid round the outside of the lungs). He suspects it could be underlying heart issue, given that she's been off meds the past two weeks without much change (not likely to be pneumonia), although could also be bronchial, very unlikely to be pneumonia given how "well" she's been over the past two weeks without meds. He was prepared to give me frusemide to try first but he did prefer to do tests first/as well as so that's what I've opted for. Just as well to find out properly what's up...
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It all sounds a bit risky, especially with a guinea pig with compromised breathing. Personally, I would be trialling frusol first. If it is going to work, you generally see an improvement quite quickly. It isn't going to do any harm, but it may do some good!
 
So if we tried frusol and it seemed to work, we wouldn’t need to do an X-ray and blood tests? But if it didn’t work we’d then have to do the X-ray anyway?
 
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