Danielle Smith
Teenage Guinea Pig
Our boy Flubs (5y 4mo) has always had slightly more obvious breathing than our other pigs -- we used to joke about "Flubs breathing" as when we picked him up his breathing was very noticable for a little while until he calmed down.
However, since his cagemates Tablet and Fudge passed away, his breathing has become noticably more laboured, with him sucking in his flanks and nodding. He's also become a lot more lethargic and sleeps incredibly deeply, though still eating enough to keep his weight steady. He also pancakes pretty much as soon as he lies down, I've never seen him so flat so much of the time! A trip to the vets just over a week ago revealed "harsh lung sounds" and he was put on Septrin (0.16ml OD) for 10 days, along with Metacam. Unfortunately the course of antibiotics has done nothing for him and he's booked in to see the vet again today.
I'm wondering if what I'm actually seeing is heart failure. His symptoms fit, and his feet and ears have gone a more dusky colour from their previous bright pink. While he's still keen for veg, he keeps having to take breaks -- something that we've never seem before. I also seem to recall the vet diagnosing him with a small heart murmur when we got a lipoma checked a few years ago, though I don't know how this would fit.
My worry is that the vet is going to recommend a second course of more harsh antibiotics which might do more harm than good. However, I think I have a bit of a reputation at my vet for being a little demanding and I don't want to come straight out and say please check for heart failure! Has anyone got any tips or ideas as to how to go about this?
EDIT: he still has one remaining cagemate, Toffee, though they definitely just co-exist, whereas Flubs loved his other wifelets.
Video of his breathing for context, please ignore Blackjack in the cage above being a rumble-bum!
However, since his cagemates Tablet and Fudge passed away, his breathing has become noticably more laboured, with him sucking in his flanks and nodding. He's also become a lot more lethargic and sleeps incredibly deeply, though still eating enough to keep his weight steady. He also pancakes pretty much as soon as he lies down, I've never seen him so flat so much of the time! A trip to the vets just over a week ago revealed "harsh lung sounds" and he was put on Septrin (0.16ml OD) for 10 days, along with Metacam. Unfortunately the course of antibiotics has done nothing for him and he's booked in to see the vet again today.
I'm wondering if what I'm actually seeing is heart failure. His symptoms fit, and his feet and ears have gone a more dusky colour from their previous bright pink. While he's still keen for veg, he keeps having to take breaks -- something that we've never seem before. I also seem to recall the vet diagnosing him with a small heart murmur when we got a lipoma checked a few years ago, though I don't know how this would fit.
My worry is that the vet is going to recommend a second course of more harsh antibiotics which might do more harm than good. However, I think I have a bit of a reputation at my vet for being a little demanding and I don't want to come straight out and say please check for heart failure! Has anyone got any tips or ideas as to how to go about this?
EDIT: he still has one remaining cagemate, Toffee, though they definitely just co-exist, whereas Flubs loved his other wifelets.
Video of his breathing for context, please ignore Blackjack in the cage above being a rumble-bum!