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guinea pig bronchitis? (Long post)

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rgarcia

This morning we lost our sweetheart Raisin. She was so sweet and our hearts are broken. She died this morning in my daughter's arms on the way to the vet. Very traumatic to lose her like this. :( We have had Raisin for 4 years; not sure how old she was when we got her as we bought her from a pet store. She did have three babies soon after we got her- that was a huge surprise! We kept one and named her Raisinette, very spirited but also sweet. The back story is this: Wed night Raisin was hunched up with her fur sticking out, like when they're cold. Nothing else seemed wrong, so we loved on her for awhile, and then put her to bed. We were gone the next day (Thur) until 11pm and when we checked on her, her eyes were crusty, she was a little wheezy, very lethargic, and diarrhea. I called the vet in town that sees guinea pigs, he said it sounded like an upper respiratory inf. and to bring her in the next day. Fri morning we called and the vet was booked- we took her to another. He said she had bronchitis and put her on Cefadroxil (0.25 ml) twice a day, and said to feed her Level 2 mixed veggie baby food four or five times a day as well as water. We did this yesterday and by last night her breathing was very labored and she would cry when we would move her. This morning she was the same and then we lost her. I hope we did everything right, I feel terrible and wonder if we could have saved her. I don't think we knew how attached we would become and how much we would love her. Thank you for listening and for your input.
 
I am so sorry you lost your sweet Raisin, such a sad story. Unfortunately respiratory infections can progress very quickly and without the right treatment at the right time, it can be too late.

Many vets do not think to do the one, tiny thing that saves a great many piggies lives - give a diuretic. Respiratory infections in guinea pigs tends to mean fluid in the lungs; if this is not cleared in the first instance -with the use of a diuretic - then it's harder for the guinea to recover fully. A one-off dose of diuretic (usually Furosemide/Dimazon/Lasix ) on the first day of treatment for URI/pneumonia is always worthwhile.

Cefadroxil is not the normal drug given either, it's safety is very much an iffy issue when given orally, but Baytril or Septrin are much safer, more suitable antibiotics.

In any case, you did all you could for your little piggie. Her chances, even with a vet who did do all the right things, may not have been a huge amount greater since her illness had advanced so quickly. You could sit on a great amount of "if only"s, but you did what you could with what you had and believed. There is no point in blaming yourself. I hope you can find some comfort that Raisin is no longer suffering with her illness.

I hate to say this in such sad circumstances, but welcome to the forum.
 
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Oh you poor thing I'm so sorry for your loss hope you and your daughter are ok though.xx
 
Thank you for the info- it really is hard not to do the "what if" scenario over and over. I'd like your opinion on finding another guinea pig to put in with Raisinette; is that a good idea or are we looking at trouble by doing that? She seems to be doing okay alone, but all she's known is Raisin being with her. What do you think?
 
We're okay-thank you for your note. I think the hardest part is that she started shaking and jerking (seizure?) before dying, and that is what was really upsetting for my daughter (she's 14). Losing pets is a hard lesson- and every time we lose one, I swear we are not ever purchasing another; that never lasts too long! Thank you again, it really does help to hear from others who are knowledgeable and sympathetic to our loss. :)
 
The seizing when they're about to pass is natural behaviour. They're unaware of what is happening by that point. A few people put it very beautifully as "running to the bridge".

You should be able to introduce another pig to Raisinette - girls tend to be a bit more amenable than boys, generally speaking! There are many piggies in rescues here there and everywhere, so you could start by having a peek in the Rehoming section of the forum or looking on www.guineapigrehome.org.uk, see who's available where you are.

I forgot to say in my first post, I love the name Raisinette. :)
 
So sorry for poor Raisin - losing one in an emergency is so traumatising between the grief and these feelings of "could/should I have done anything more to save her?".

Please remember that you were doing your very best to keep her alive, and she died in your arms - the way they want to go... Many of us have been there and are feeling with you. I am!

Raisinette would certainly like a new friend. I see that you are from the US; I don't know whether you have rescues over there?

At the moment the poor girl will be pining. If she draws into herself and isn't very hungry for a day or so, accept that, but have an eye out if she stops eating for longer!

Vicky
 
"running to the bridge".
Known more accurately as the "running reflex".
 
Sorry, I missed that you were in US! Lots of rescues over there - although with the US being such a big place, even having hundreds of rescues doesn't mean there'll be one especially locally! Local animal shelters are a good place to start, and you could look on www.petfinder.com.
 
So sad to hear about your loss, you did all the right things.

Looking forward to hearing about how Raisinette gets on with a new buddy?
 
Good morning-
I have a question: how much should a healthy adult guinea pig weigh? Right before Raisin died (a month ago), Raisinette had lost a little weight, but was eating all the time. She is still losing weight and I do not know if maybe she's depressed or sick. She doesn't act sick, eats very well and receives Vitamin C. She seems to drink quite a bit of water also. She's walking okay and doesn't seem hurt. I'm just not sure what's going on, but I know I'm not taking her back to the vet that treated Raisin. Do you have any input?
 
Might be better if you started a new thread about weight loss?

It could be pining, but a lot of other things - tooth trouble, mouth rush, kidneys, diabetes; and some better informed people may help you more with sorting out the symptoms!

Best wishes to poor Raisinette!
 
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