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Dottie’s breathing and skin issues

LucyP

LucyP

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Hi all

Hope you are well and your pigs too.

Back in March this year, our 4-5 year old rescue pig Dottie had a bit of a clicking sound on one side of her chest so was given a course of antibiotics. There were no other obvious symptoms, we caught it early I think, the noise was very short lived, and within a couple of weeks she seemed fine.

Lately it appears that her breathing has been slightly laboured but not hugely so. We also are not sure if she has been laying down a bit more than usual, I think she had, but we may have been looking out for this more. Her appetite, weight and general behaviour have all been otherwise great, she seems to be a very happy pig bumbling around the cage.

Took her to the exotic vets today for an examination and they couldn’t hear or see anything wrong. They felt they may at a push have heard a very slight heart murmur but were not really fully convinced about this. No crackles or sounds of fluids. But they also agreed her breathing in the videos was a bit effortful. They also said the guinea pig chest is not always easy to hear well, even with stethoscope. So all a bit inconclusive.

The possible issues could be-
- A low level lung infection that is going under the radar, but there are no obvious signs of this
- some scarring (fibrosis) of the lungs due to previous issues that makes breathing a bit more effortful for her
- a heart condition
- a thyroid issue
- something else

As it happens, Dottie had a conscious x ray for ‘healthy pig comparison’ purposes in April when her friend was sick and that didn’t show anything but the quality of the scan was poor, as she was not sedated so this meant her legs were in the way and she was moving a bit. So no signs of heart issues there but not a clear scan.

Given her age and her potential vulnerability I am not sure about giving her anaesthetic for further tests and the vet is not sure they are entirely warranted, but our options if we want to pursue a diagnosis are:

- conscious ultrasound to see the heart- which could be moderately helpful.
- some gas/anaesthetic for blood tests and x ray to help distinguish if it’s heart, lungs, nothing, or something else. Blood tests could also be done at the same time.

Or we can watch and wait, which is not unreasonable since she seems ok in herself. I’m going to mull it over but if anyone has thoughts or similar experiences that would be great.

One more question if I may- a different issue: one of the vets last year felt Dottie may have scurvy (she was underweight when we rescued her and may have had a poor diet), and she had quite a lot of debris/rough looking skin. Samples and scrapes were taken at the vets at the time and whatever it was didn’t move under the miscroscope so was assumed to be dandruff/scurvy. We gave her 2 weeks of vitamin c supplements (and she has always had a great diet since she has been with us since last year, with peppers every day etc.) whatever it was it didn’t seem to totally clear up (although she doesn’t like being brushed and she has long hair so we thought maybe it was old dandruff hanging around). Anyway, 6 months later and today’s vet found the skin issue still there. She put a sample under the microscope and it didn’t move so I think thought can’t be mites, but because this has been there a while the vet was suspicious enough to think it warranted some xeno to be applied, which she has done. So my question on this is- is it possible or common for samples not moving under a scope to still turn out to be parasites? I assume it doesn’t harm to treat them just in case but I’m curious. I’ll try and send a pic later.

Many thanks
Lucy
 
Hi all

Here are photos of Dottie’s fur at its worst. We are working on the basis that this probably is hay mites even though none of the samples under the microscope moved in any of the vet appointments and I can’t feel any bead shaped bits.

She’s had her first treatment of Xeno (given at the vets on Tuesday) and they said I can collect the second dose next week to give her at home. The vet said to come back 7-10 days after first treatment - does it matter which day in these window do you think?

I’m doing a deep clean this weekend with F10 spray and bedding washed on a higher temperature etc. We have two types of hay (Uk based meadow hay from pillow wad where I have 3 big unopened bags) and an unopened box of first cut Timothy hay which appears to be from Canada. Bit confused about what to do with the unopened hay, esp as these mites may not be a new thing for Dottie if we mistook them for dandruff after the initial vet visit. So these bags may or may not be the issue. But if we need to throw them we will.

Re her slightly laboured breathing, this seems less noticeable at the moment but we’re still mulling over the options with that as per below. I’m thinking maybe the conscious heart ultrasound.

Apart from all this she actually seems on good form! Eating well and being cheeky etc.

Thanks all

IMG_9188.webp
IMG_9183.webp IMG_9182.webp
 
I am sorry you and Dottie are having these problems. Her breathing/heart etc condition sounds almost exactly like I am going through with Duck at the moment. So hard to make a decision about what to do next, the vet didn't want to sedate him for tests/xrays because of his poor breathing. Where he differs is he's not eating hay and having to be syringe fed so sorting out what is wrong is more pressing.

I am not a health expert but I wonder if Dottie has an old mite issue from before you had her as you say she had the skin condition when she arrived. I believe Mites can be suppressed by the immune system, maybe if she's a little under the weather now with her breathing they are more active again. I would see what she is like after the course of Xeno (3 doses usually 2 weeks apart) and take your vets advice from there before throwing the hay away. It may also be that she has a dry skin condition and what you are seeing is shed skin as the vet has found no mites under the microscope. The b/w aby in my avatar had dry skin which was flaky all his life, we never did find an answer.
 
Thank you so much for this, that’s all really helpful for me to think about.

I’ll try and post a video of the breathing later too.

We’re lucky that the laboured breathing isn’t impacting on her appetite but I think I’m inclined to explore the causes at least the not invasive explorations maybe. Because if it was a heart condition that we could potentially give medication to, to help with the symptoms I think that would be worth trying.

Not that it probably makes a big difference but I realised made a mistake when I typed her age above, she was 4-5 when we rescued her but that was nearly a year ago so she’s probably 5-6 now.

Duck is lovely and I hope he improves soon. You’re doing a great job with him.

Thanks again - appreciate you taking the time to write this especially when you have plenty going on yourself.
 
Hi

If you have worries about potential hay mites returning, a course of Xeno is best. If you find that there are lots of egg cases fixed to the hairs, it may be worth giving Dottie a short haircut to remove as many of them mechanically; it means a lot of mites won't be born that have then to killed by the next round. Hay mites live off debris on the hairs and skin and are the most difficult to get on top with ivermectin.

As to the breathing, that requires a hands-on examination and a vet's experience. However, the good news in that the breathing issue is not yet so bad that the need to breathe is over-ruling the need to eat and then the need to drink. I hope that your vet can work out what is the problem. We can only speculate, which won't help you any. Members with more experience with piggies with respiratory or heart issues can support you with practical tips once you know what you are up against.

I am keeping my fingers crossed.
 
Thanks Wiebke, much appreciated.

We will give the full course of Xeno and see where we are after that. We have some clippers for her hair anyway so will definitely try to go shorter than normal round that end, esp if we can see any evidence of eggs etc.

Re the breathing, these videos show it at its worst I would say. I hope they work.

Dottie’s breathing May 25

Dottie’s breathing May 2025 video 2

I think I might try the conscious ultrasound to see if anything comes up about her heart. At least that is a procedure with no particular risk. I’d hate to give her anaesthetic and her have major issues with that only to find something we can’t help her with anyway, such as long term lung scarring that’s just there. I also don’t want to put her through endless tests when she seems otherwise fine in herself and is eating so well. I’m also aware that if we do the heart scan that could lead to them suggesting further examinations tops and more decisions. I don’t want to take her down a rabbit hole of multiple stressful vet visits (she’s a nervous lady) unless on balance it feels warranted.

At the moment the vet said we should monitor her resting respiratory rate and general demeanour to see if the breathing gets worse.

Anyway I will have a think while we deal with the possible mites.

Thanks again everyone and from Dottie too!
Lucy
 
Ps I think she was eating in the first video, which may make a difference to the breathing.
 
LucyP said:
Ps I think she was eating in the first video, which may make a difference to the breathing.
Click to expand...

Any slight obstruction in the airways is becoming more audible during eating since air and food have to cross; and guinea pig airways are very small and narrow, so the least obstruction will be very obvious. In elderly piggies they can somethings become more flaccid (i.e. less tense) and breathing can become more audible (up and including snoring). See whether a bowl of steaming water next to the cage can help easy symptoms a little bit).

Unfortunately, I cannot hear any breathing even at maxed out volume. But I can also not see any heaving from the sides as a sign of laboured breathing.

Can you please hold your ear against her nose, her throat and her lungs (which should only catch an echo from the throat is there is a problem in there) as a kind of very weak stethoscope? It can however help you see whether the problem is in the nose (usually just a small obstruction like a bit of hay dust, pollen etc.; in the throat - any rasping and crackling there is usually an URI or whether the lungs sound congested or clicky).
 
Thanks Wiebke!

We haven’t heard any issues in the mouth, or lungs from our listening (which we do regularly since her chest infection in March) and the vet said her chest sounded clear on Tuesday when examined with a stethoscope. She doesn’t make any honking or clicking noises, it’s more the fact that her sides seemed to be heaving in those videos that concerned us. Her RRR seems steady around 80 which I think is fairly normal although sometimes she breathes faster than other times.

Re the heart, they felt she had a strong heart beat and a normal amount per minute. They wondered about the possibility of a slight murmur when listening to her, and said this was possible but they were not totally convinced they could hear that. The student vet also felt the heart rate may have been slightly irregular but it was described as ‘regularly irregular’ if that makes sense - ie it has a pattern, and they weren’t overly concerned about that.

It may be I am being overly anxious! I’ve had a respiratory pig before who we nebulised twice daily but that felt like a different set of symptoms- she was a very honky snuffly girl who we think had long term lung damage. Dottie doesn’t seem like that but I was just worried she breathes heavily and lays down quite a bit.

Many thanks
Lucy
 
Just to update on Dottie, last night she was showing signs of laboured and faster than normal breathing, her sides were heaving and it looked a bit fluttery too, if that makes sense. She’s still like this now so we’re calling the vets at 9am for an emergency appointment. She was due a heart ultrasound this week but I don’t think we should wait for that in case there’s anything they can do sooner.

On a positive note, she has continued to eat well and her weight is good. And although she’s not the most active pig, she can move around etc and show interest in food. It’s the way her sides heave when she breathes that’s the worry. And some head bobbing/body rocking.

We think she’s 5 ish years old (not sure as a rescue).

I’m sure the vets will listen to her lungs and heart today and give her a hands on exam. Is there anything specific we should be asking?

I could ask for a concious x ray even though they explained the picture would probably not be very clear unless she happens to lie very still, which I know is hard without the sedation. But I don’t mind giving that a go if they can do that today, just in case it shows anything useful.

Many thanks
Lucy
 
LucyP said:
Just to update on Dottie, last night she was showing signs of laboured and faster than normal breathing, her sides were heaving and it looked a bit fluttery too, if that makes sense. She’s still like this now so we’re calling the vets at 9am for an emergency appointment. She was due a heart ultrasound this week but I don’t think we should wait for that in case there’s anything they can do sooner.

On a positive note, she has continued to eat well and her weight is good. And although she’s not the most active pig, she can move around etc and show interest in food. It’s the way her sides heave when she breathes that’s the worry. And some head bobbing/body rocking.

We think she’s 5 ish years old (not sure as a rescue).

I’m sure the vets will listen to her lungs and heart today and give her a hands on exam. Is there anything specific we should be asking?

I could ask for a concious x ray even though they explained the picture would probably not be very clear unless she happens to lie very still, which I know is hard without the sedation. But I don’t mind giving that a go if they can do that today, just in case it shows anything useful.

Many thanks
Lucy
Click to expand...

HUGS

It sounds to me rather like the heart may be going than a respiratory issue but all the best at the vets. Unfortunately, heart issues can be very tricky to diagnose for any vet (even the best) as I know from my own experiences. :(

Fingers very firmly crossed.
 
Thank you. She’s currently in an incubator having some oxygen but is still breathing very fast. They’re also aware she’ll likely be breathing faster due to stress too (which I hate the thought of). The vet will examine her shortly. The nurse says her mouthy and gums are nice and pink. I really hope we can help her, she’s such a lovely girl and has been so happy since we adopted her a year ago.
 
LucyP said:
Thank you. She’s currently in an incubator having some oxygen but is still breathing very fast. They’re also aware she’ll likely be breathing faster due to stress too (which I hate the thought of). The vet will examine her shortly. The nurse says her mouthy and gums are nice and pink. I really hope we can help her, she’s such a lovely girl and has been so happy since we adopted her a year ago.
Click to expand...

My fingers are still very firmly crossed. All the best.
 
They’re keeping Dottie in and starting her on frusol now which should hopefully help reduce the fluid they believe she has in her chest. They’re going to do a concious ultrasound of her heart and lungs this afternoon (the vet caveated this with them not being cardiologists but they can still see what’s on the image to see if anything obvious is there to be seen). They do suspect a heart issue (arrhythmia and heart murmur suspected symptoms?) and unless she has a very fast and good reaction to the frusol they will probably keep her in tonight. She’s still getting some oxygen.

Winnie is with her as a companion.

I’m keeping everything crossed we can make her comfortable, find out what’s happening and not lose her suddenly. I’m aware heart disease is a big deal but I’m hoping we can do something to help ease her symptoms.

Thanks for your good wishes. Here’s a pic of her a few days ago begging for cucumber. IMG_9664.webp
 
Thank you all. She’s responded well to the frusol and her breathing is apparently now much more normal. She’s active, responsive and eating well.

Unfortunately the scan did show fluid in her chest and some (apparently at this stage quite minor) enlargement of the heart chambers. Obviously this is not good. She has been diagnosed with a heart condition.

They are starting her on a second drug alongside the frusol and said she’ll likely be on heart meds for the rest of her life. The vet also said it’s possible the meds may stop having an effect after a few months, in which case we can up the dosage (she is starting on a mid dose), and if/when those meds stops working, we can look at alternative meds. We need to keep an eye on her resting respiratory rate and act quickly when it’s elevated.

I’m gutted but not entirely surprised it’s this diagnosis. On the other hand I’m relieved she’s responded so well to the frusol, they said her heart already sounds stronger and more regular since giving it her this morning. And her RRR is elevated but much more like her normal range.

If she manages ok tonight we hope to bring her home tomorrow and take things from there, but I won’t count my chickens until they feel she’s safe to be discharged home.

Grateful for some prompt vet care today which at least has eased her immediate symptoms.

Thanks all - Dottie is an absolute sweetheart and we adore her. We will give her as many happy days as we can.
 
LucyP said:
Thank you all. She’s responded well to the frusol and her breathing is apparently now much more normal. She’s active, responsive and eating well.

Unfortunately the scan did show fluid in her chest and some (apparently at this stage quite minor) enlargement of the heart chambers. Obviously this is not good. She has been diagnosed with a heart condition.

They are starting her on a second drug alongside the frusol and said she’ll likely be on heart meds for the rest of her life. The vet also said it’s possible the meds may stop having an effect after a few months, in which case we can up the dosage (she is starting on a mid dose), and if/when those meds stops working, we can look at alternative meds. We need to keep an eye on her resting respiratory rate and act quickly when it’s elevated.

I’m gutted but not entirely surprised it’s this diagnosis. On the other hand I’m relieved she’s responded so well to the frusol, they said her heart already sounds stronger and more regular since giving it her this morning. And her RRR is elevated but much more like her normal range.

If she manages ok tonight we hope to bring her home tomorrow and take things from there, but I won’t count my chickens until they feel she’s safe to be discharged home.

Grateful for some prompt vet care today which at least has eased her immediate symptoms.

Thanks all - Dottie is an absolute sweetheart and we adore her. We will give her as many happy days as we can.
Click to expand...

Glad that she is responding well to the frusol and hopefully also to the vetmedin, which is usually given. Other forum members will hopefully be able to reassure you that their own heart piggies have often lived for a considerable while, including several years.

All the best for Dottie's return tomorrow.
 
Thank you so much! The vet referred to the other drug as pimobendan or something like that which I believe from google is the same as vetmedin. Hopefully it helps. The fluid was really quite bad by the sounds of things. No wonder her breathing was laboured. We’re lucky she was able to still eat so well really.

Thanks so much.
 
Heading to the vets to bring them both home this morning, she’s apparently doing well. 😍 We will bring her back in about a week for a follow up (or sooner if any concerns).
 
Glad to hear she’s doing well and can come home :)

Sorry about the diagnosis but it’s great she’s responded well to the treatment so far.
 
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