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Can guinea pigs catch URIs from rats?

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hrl20100

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I have 2 rats and they have a URI (Upper Respiratory Infection). They are in my room along with the guinea pigs.
I am currently talking to my friend on FB and we somehow got the the conversation on URIs in small animals. I said how my rats have a URI, but they are on medication (Baytril).
Then I said that my older guinea pig (she's 3) had bad breathing and that my baby guinea pigs (10 weeks) sneezed 2-3 times a day. Are URIs contagious from rats onto guinea pigs?

My older guinea pig has been inside for the past 2 weeks and thats when I noticed it. I have only had my baby piggies for a week and a half (from PetsAtHome) and ever since I put them with Patch, they have been sneezing 2-3 times a day.

All act normal. The babies sneeze 2-3 times a day, but breathing is 100% clear. I changed their substrate from woodshavings to the rats bedding (shredded cardboard) and its not dusty. They popcorn ALL the time and eat, drink and socialise well. Coat is good and they *look* really healthy. Its just when the sneeze-I worry.
The older piggie doesn't sneeze, but her breathing is bad (when you hold her up to your ear, you can hear it-all snuffly). She made a wierd honking noise yesterday which scared me. I googled it and it could be a heart condition?!

I need some help here.

So can rats pass on URIs to guinea pigs?
Do you think I should be concerned about the babies?
Do you think my older pig has a heart problem or is it a URI?
How much would treatment be (UK) on average?

(Older pig was housed with a rabbit until she had to get put to sleep about 2 weeks ago. I know I shouldn't have housed them together, but they got along SO well. I am [*]not[/*] housing guineas with a rabbit again, just so you know. It was just that once.)

Sorry about all the questions, but I need answers! :(
 
When getting new piggies the need to be in quarantine for two weeks just in case they are unwell. I have heard so many stories of pets at home selling I'll piggies so they may very well be ill. I would get them checked out by a vet to be sure.

I do not know if rats can pass on infections to piggies but hopefully somebody will be able to tell you that.

Are you certain all your piggies are female? Pet shops do not often know how to sex animals so it is vital you are certain they are not of mixed gender.
 
100% sure that all are female.
I was bad... I skipped the Quarantine stage when introducing them all. Patch was stopping eating (depressed I think) so I did introductions. When they were together, she perked up so much and was so happy! I did introductions for about a week and then got a new 120cm cage and they are all in there living very happily.

I really need an answer to the rats question. I am going to post the same thing on a rat forum I go on regularly. I hope I will have some answers soon...
 
Your cage is not big enough for three piggies. You could make a c and c cage. They are great as if they are big enough you do not need to worry about giving daily floor time.
 
Hi! I am not sure whether they can catch URI from another rodent species. I would personally be wary of keeping rats and piggies in the same room. Rats will kill guinea pigs if they have a chance to get at them, which can happen just by accident.

Sneezing that much in a day is still in the normal range, so I wouldn't worry, just keeping an eye on them for the next couple of weeks. However, I would strongly recommend that you have your older girl checked by a vet. We have a piggy savvy vet locator on the bar under the forum locator.
If one of the youngsters is showing more signs of a potential URI, like gunky eyes, or is suddenly losing appetite, you need to have them seen as soon as you can; little ones can go downhill quite quickly as they do not have yet the body mass.
http://www.guinealynx.info/uri.html

If possible, please think about getting a larger cage or extending your existing cage; 120cm is the RSPCA minimum recommendation for two guinea pigs. You want a foot more for each piggy that you add. your piggies will be so much happier! Unlike rats, they really need the ground space. They are not climbers.
 
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I do not know about any scientific research into the subject but we have had rats and guinea pigs in the same room for a year now with one or two of the rats having respiratory infections now and again but piggies have never caught anything and been 100% healthy.
 
Patch (the older girl) is being seen by a vet either tomorrow or Wednesday. She has stopped eating her pellets and by looking at her from above, her breaths are odd. They are short and if you hold her up to your ear, you can hear that she is blocked up or something (Like a cold?)

As for the cage, some local guinea pig breeder/rescuer said that 120cm was okay? Maybe she meant for an adult and 2 babies though. I'm not sure. I do plan on getting a larger cage for when they grow.
Any cage reccomendations?
Dimensions?
I can't have a CC cage because my rats will want to get in and visit them. I can't let that happen! Don't want to risk either animals getting hurt.
 
If your guinea has stopped eating then you need to get her seen asap by a cavy-savy vet, vets who are not used to treating guinea pigs may not be able to offer good advice. If you delay, you might end up losing her as they can go downhill so quickly when ill. You also need to get food into her by hand feeding, guinea pigs' guts need to keep going or they are hard to restart. Please be aware that if she has a respiratory infection, it could be contagious to your youngsters. It is a good idea to weigh guinea pigs weekly when well and daily when ill as weight loss is often the first sign of illness.

There is excellent info on hand feeding here http://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html
Here is the vet finder page http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/locator/vets.html

I would think that it would depend on what bacteria / virus was causing URI in your rats as to whether it could be transferred to your guineas, some are zoonotic (transfer across species) but I would discuss with your vet whether this could be the case.
 
It is vital she is seen soon especially as she is no longer eating. I cannot think of any ready made cage big enough. Could you make a c and c and house the rats in another room?
 
It's possible that some bacteria could affect either species, viruses are more likely to be species specific - it's something to ask your vet about. Either way unless you kept the rats in a separate airspace to the pigs and followed quarantine procedures you couldn't prevent the possibility of cross infection. If the rats only recently picked up the URI then it may have been the pigs that introduced new pathogens/irritants to the environment rather than vice versa. I hope your animals all recover okay though.

For the cage you could attach another 120 to the end or at right-angles to the current one or you could get a 150 and stack the 120 on top to give them loads of space. Another option would be a 6ftx2ft hutch which given the right decoration can look great as an indoor cage. C&C cages can also be built on low tables and with a lid/roof so the rats wouldn't be able to get in.

I've kept rats and guineas in the same room for the past couple of years without issue, I usually free-range my rats in a different room because there's too much other stuff in my living room that they could get into trouble with aside from the guineas but I know the guineas will chatter at the rats if they do go close to their cage.
 
Okay, so there has been a development.
I just saw her eat some hay and she ate some vegetables that I gave her. She just isn't touching the pellets it seems. At this minute, she is eating brocoli. She ate some grass earlier. (I have just been trying to get her to eat something without me force feeding her)
I don't think I will be able to get her to the vets until Wednesday... :/
She hasn't hooted (today or yesterday) and her breathing sounds quieter when I listen to her. I am trying to avoid handling her to try and keep her as calm as possible.

The only spare indoor cage I have at the moment is an 80cm one. Would that do for Patch? Obviously, not full term, just as a sickness cage or something? As I have to seperate her from the babies, I fear that she will get depressed...
Also, where should I put the babies? All my guinea pigs are housed in my room, upstairs. They can't be downstairs (my brother and sister are disabled and are wheelchair users) unless I can pursuade dad to let them go by the (unused) front door...
 
Also to add...

Random sneezes aren't unusual in guineas, there's always some dust in their environment from beddings and hay etc. even when we use the best, and that strange noise could have just been her choking on something a bit (they do that sometimes!). I would keep an eye on the babies since your older girl is showing signs of illness, it may be worth taking them all along to the vets for a quick check-up, although you may want to take them anyway just to keep her company. The cost should be the same as your rats, she's likely to be given baytril as well.
 
Okay, so I am taking her to the vets tomorrow. No college, so I am MAKING dad take Patch in.
Patch is still eating grass and today when I came up the stairs, she was wheeking at me loudly. She seems more active today? Is that normal if she's ill? She was really not moving much at all yesterday...
Her coat seems in better condition (not puffy) than it did yesterday too. This morning (6am. Yes, I have to get up too early for college) I saw her cleaning herself all over.

I have been trying to avoid handling her because I don't want to stress her out, so I am not sure what her breathing is like right now.

Someone said that random 2-3 per day was normal for guineas? On the 1st page...
I have looked on other sites and I am coming across mixed veiws. Its really frustrating.
Their sneezes are dry. There is nothing coming out of their nose when they sneeze (that I can tell).

I changed the bedding about 3 days after I got them, because I noticed the sneezing (just under 2 weeks ago) it hasn't got worse, but it hasn't got better either. Still the same 2-3 times a day. In the petshop, they were on woodshavings and I put them on that. Then I changed it to cardboard squares (what I use for my rats).
 
Just if anyone wants to see my adorable Patchy-Poo...
(I do apologise if the picture is large)

This was taken today. Looking much brighter than she did yesterday!
2po9ova.jpg
 
Haha, she is isn't she? :3

She has been snuffly today, but active as usual.
I have noticed that her ears are hot. I am geussing thats not normal either.

(She's wheeking really loud right now. Just put my hand to the bars and she's licking me n'awww)
 
Haha, thanks :)

She is still active like usual.
Just bad breathing still. I am taking her to the vets tomorrow. Taking all 3 piggies in to the vets. (Dad couldn't today because my brother was off school and I don't get home until 6.30)
 
To answer some of your questions (some already have been)

- yes it is possible to catch a URI from the rats, but it would depend on what bacteria etc was causing the issue and weather hygiene between the two pets was not good. It would be advisable to not have them in the same room, however with very careful hygiene it may be ok (i would def suggest moving them though)

- you should have quarenteened your new little ones but you cant do anything about it now, PAH piggies are notorious for being unwell. Keep a close eye on them all

- well done for getting your piggie in with the vet, any breathing problems should be seen by a vet, she may be well for now but piggies are great at hiding illness, hope she gets some treatment

- 3 piggies need a 140cm cage for space ideally (others have said i know). 80cm is ok for a hospital cage for now.

Hope all goes ok tomorrow.

x.
 
Abi Nurse:

I am unable to move the rats or the guinea pigs to a seperate room. My brother and sister are wheelchair users so I have to keep them upstairs out of their way. The only rooms upstairs are, my room, my dads room, a store room (gets incredibly cold or hot (depending on season) and a tiny bathroom. As much as I want to, I am afraid I would be unable to move them to another room. I am not moving them outside either (Patch used to live outside. Has come in for the winter) as its too cold and horrible.

The babies are active, but are sneezing much more than they have done previously.

My guinea pigs are going to the vets at 12.35 today. All 3 of them.

I am currently saving up for a new cage. I am going to give a C&C cage ago (8x2) as I have done plenty of research and I feel as though thats the best option for my piggies. Its also cheaper too! (Just got to save my money, which is going to be hard!)
 
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