crackling noise when breathing

[pinkearsmarcy]

hi,

my 5 year old guinea pig Ziggy has been making a crackling noise when she breathes constantly for a while now. She has made this noise throughout her life but previously it cleared up very quickly and went away from a while. It's been constant now for a few weeks. I took her to the vet 2 weeks ago and he said that since she doesn't have any other symptoms and because it's happened previously, it doesn't appear to be a uri, so he didn't reccommend any medication, but I could use antibiotics if I felt it neccessary.

I'm just worried because she's still making that noise, it never stops. And she looks like she has lost weight too. The vet weighed her and said she seemed in good condition but I do think she has lost weight. I don't know how much because unfortunately I'm really bad at keeping up with regular weighing (I'm trying my best with it- my care is otherwise by the book i just struggle to make weighing a habit).

Should I call the vets and ask for the antibiotics, or get a check up? Or both? I didn't go for the antibiotics initially as the vet said they can upset her stomach. I will get her seen asap but I just wanted some thoughts on what I should ask the vets to do.

Thank you

 

[Wiebke]

hi,

my 5 year old guinea pig Ziggy has been making a crackling noise when she breathes constantly for a while now. She has made this noise throughout her life but previously it cleared up very quickly and went away from a while. It's been constant now for a few weeks. I took her to the vet 2 weeks ago and he said that since she doesn't have any other symptoms and because it's happened previously, it doesn't appear to be a uri, so he didn't reccommend any medication, but I could use antibiotics if I felt it neccessary.

I'm just worried because she's still making that noise, it never stops. And she looks like she has lost weight too. The vet weighed her and said she seemed in good condition but I do think she has lost weight. I don't know how much because unfortunately I'm really bad at keeping up with regular weighing (I'm trying my best with it- my care is otherwise by the book i just struggle to make weighing a habit).

Should I call the vets and ask for the antibiotics, or get a check up? Or both? I didn't go for the antibiotics initially as the vet said they can upset her stomach. I will get her seen asap but I just wanted some thoughts on what I should ask the vets to do.

Thank you

Hi and welcome

Please have your piggy seen for a bacterial respiratory infection. An un- or undertreated one can cause some serious long term harm. Antibiotics can sometimes knock the appetite but an untreated illness can kill.

 

[VickiA]

 

[weepweeps]

Good luck at the vets.

 

[pinkearsmarcy]

I've got her booked in for an appointment this afternoon, so I will ask for the antibiotics and get her a general check up as well. She doesn't seem like she's ill or in pain, so I hope the mediation will help to clear up the infection quickly. I'll update on what happens

 

[pinkearsmarcy]

Just got back from the vets. I've got some antibiotics to give her over the next week. She should get better during that time, if not I'll bring her back. Last time we went, the vet said she probably just had allergies, but he aggreed with me that she sounds a lot worse now. She was quite feisty at the exam, so I hope she'll make a quick recovery. She has lost weight, so I'll start weighing her daily. Is there anything I can do to help her regain weigh, or is it just a matter of treating her for the infection?

 

[Wiebke]

Just got back from the vets. I've got some antibiotics to give her over the next week. She should get better during that time, if not I'll bring her back. Last time we went, the vet said she probably just had allergies, but he aggreed with me that she sounds a lot worse now. She was quite feisty at the exam, so I hope she'll make a quick recovery. She has lost weight, so I'll start weighing her daily. Is there anything I can do to help her regain weigh, or is it just a matter of treating her for the infection?

Hi

Please read the link in my last post re. weight monitoring. It will answer your questions re. when to step in and in which form if or whenever needed in a much better way than I can do quickly in just two sentences.

All the best. Without direct access to your piggy, we can only ever pick up on the already filtered view you are presenting us with. That is the big drawback.

 

[Mrs Tiggy Winkle]

I'm not anywhere near as experienced as forum mbrs like Wiebke, who didn't pick up on this, so it may not be a problem, but reading

Last time we went, the vet said she probably just had allergies,

makes me wonder if your vet is cavy savvy? It's the "probably just" which makes me say that. But again, you may need to take that with a large pinch of salt, I don't know.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Piggies can be sensitive to some things but true allergies are rather rare.

In terms of weight, as Wiebke has said the guide that has been linked in will help but at this point in an illness, weight gain isn’t a priority - it’s currently about stopping any further weight loss.
Regaining lost weight won’t happen until she is over any infection, feeling better and back to eating hay properly again.