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Guinea Pig Cold?

PiggyProdigy

PiggyProdigy

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Aug 25, 2017
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Location
Kingwood, Texas
IMG_1410.webp Hey you'll. I think my bojangles might be sick. He has white crust next to his eye and a little "tear" came out of it and i just noticed as he's on my lap he's sniffling. How urgent is this? It's almost 9 where I am so nothing is gonna be open that can take him... here's a photo
 
There has been no labored breathing or wheezing or pinkeye but he is a bit sniffly and has that crust I just wiped a good chunk of it off
@Wiebke please help if you're here!
 
I would take him to the vet the first opportunity you canto get him checked over.
 
If he’s sniffling he could have a respiratory problem so please take him to the Vet ASAP.x
 
PiggyProdigy said:
There has been no labored breathing or wheezing or pinkeye but he is a bit sniffly and has that crust I just wiped a good chunk of it off
@Wiebke please help if you're here!
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Please have your boy checked if you are worried.
A thick white crust means either dried eye cleaning fluid (and nothing to worry about) or if it transparent, some irritation in the eye (watery fluid). For a URI (bacterial respiratory infection, as guinea pigs generally do not pick up virus colds), you need to thick yellowish/greenish mucus crusts. Guinea pigs don't blink their eyes to wash them, like we do. They have a thick milky fluid which they produce to wipe the eye surface with during a piggy wash.

Occasionally something gets stuck and drieds around the eyes. If you see a watery eye, then your piggy has either got an irritation in the eye (often stuck under a lid) or has got a non-ulcerating eye injury if this continues.
 
@Wiebke it was definitely just a bit of white crust. However, with the sneezing and strange behavior in top of being too warm, I will be taking him to the vets today (it's 2:48 AM) I've never taken either to the vet yet, so what should I look for in a good vet ?
 
Getting to a vet is a good idea, because respiratory illnesses can get serious quickly. The most important thing in a vet is that they are familiar with guinea pigs and see them regularly. Many vets really only know about dogs and cats. In North America, you probably want to find a vet that bills themselves as treating 'exotics.' Yes, guinea pigs are an 'exotic pet!' Call around and see who is familiar with small animals and who sees them regularly. A vet who is familiar with guinea pigs specifically makes a huge difference in outcome! A lot of vets say they will take guinea pigs, but seldom see them and hence are not up-to-date on treatments, etc. You don't want that, you want to find someone where small animals and rodents are a regular part of their practice.
 
Alright, I have found one, and also the only vet in my area I can find that treats exotic animals... They have one appointment open for 3:15 PM (it's 7:40 AM for me) so I went ahead and gave them my information. It looks like it's gonna be $50 USD for just the walk in plus whatever the medication is going to be. Is this a normal price? Can someone let me know what I should do.
@Wiebke @Freela @Betsy
 
PiggyProdigy said:
Alright, I have found one, and also the only vet in my area I can find that treats exotic animals... They have one appointment open for 3:15 PM (it's 7:40 AM for me) so I went ahead and gave them my information. It looks like it's gonna be $50 USD for just the walk in plus whatever the medication is going to be. Is this a normal price? Can someone let me know what I should do.
@Wiebke @Freela @Betsy
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Our consultancy vet fees are around £20 per visit then whatever the medication costs. Worth it to have him diagnosed and medication commenced.
 
My vet charges £34 per consultation plus meds. There are cheaper and closer vets to me but mine sees lots of piggies and I am happy with them and they treat my piggies as if they are their own pets.
 
Alright. I have booked an appointment near me, I could've gone to a lot of vets but I'm told this one has a small animal doctor. Is going to be the equivalent of 42.13 euros just to make the appointment and then plus whatever medication I get. I'm hoping it's not too serious and that I'm over reacting, but also that I have an understanding and CONPETETANT Doctor... wish me luck guys. I'll let everyone know how it goes.
 
PiggyProdigy said:
Alright, I have found one, and also the only vet in my area I can find that treats exotic animals... They have one appointment open for 3:15 PM (it's 7:40 AM for me) so I went ahead and gave them my information. It looks like it's gonna be $50 USD for just the walk in plus whatever the medication is going to be. Is this a normal price? Can someone let me know what I should do.
@Wiebke @Freela @Betsy
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Exotic vets are not cheap; a consultation fee in the UK in a comparable place is not much less. :(
 
you'll I just found bloody urine in my pig's cage.. is that a calcium thing? I'm almost in to a next set of veggies and my dad got the last ones and he got romaine, which I no longer use but he didn't know, so I gave it in small amounts. Is that a diet thing or what?
 
PiggyProdigy said:
you'll I just found bloody urine in my pig's cage.. is that a calcium thing? I'm almost in to a next set of veggies and my dad got the last ones and he got romaine, which I no longer use but he didn't know, so I gave it in small amounts. Is that a diet thing or what?
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A diet high in calcium can contribute to the formation of bladder stones or sludge over the medium to the long term. It is the one factor that we can control in the complex and not yet much researched calcium absorption process in guinea pigs. No veg is so high calcium (especially not Romaine lettuce, which is NOT in that category) that will cause any problems when fed as a one-off or as an occasional treat.

The onset of a bacterial urinary tract infection (UTI) or a cystitis (inflammation of the bladder wall) can be characterised by strongly coloured red pees that look like blood, but may not necessarily test out as containing blood while clear urine samples can test high in blood content - believe, I've been there!
Bladder stones or sludge can cause the same symptoms as UTI or cystitis, which are much more common. Any vet will have to work their way through the catalogue, starting with treating for UTI with an antibiotic as the first thing. Ideally they also give you an anti-inflammatory/painkiller in case it is cystitis.
If that is not successful, then they will check any other avenues.
 
Let us know how you get on at the vet, despite the cost for your piggies sake, I think you have to take him.
Good Luck
 
I'm in Canada and it costs me about $60 dollars for a consult, plus medication costs. I think the fee sounds in the ballpark. Unfortunately, vet fees add up quickly! The dog and cat fee is actually higher where I live than the small animal fee, so I'm thankful they at least have a reduced rate for the little guys. My vet does offer a free followup to each appointment, though, so you could check into that if you have to go back again later. Make sure you mention the bloody urine as well, as I would be suspicious of a UTI needing antibiotics. No amount of veg would cause blood alone, absent some other factor, like a stone or infection. Hope this helps and good luck with your appointment!
 
Hey you'll! I just got back from the appointment. I was prescripted some antibiotics, and I did in fact mention bloody pee. They were going to check for a kidney stone, and could feel what was probably one but my poor pig soiled himself on the way to the vets. Happy with the price and the appointment, just not that I had to wait an hour and twenty minutes for that appointment that was only 10 minutes... supposed to give it to him twice a day until it's empty and schedule back if anything happens out of the ordinary.
 
Hope it all turns out good. And I hope your GP will get back to normal.
 
If your Vet didn’t prescribe. Probiotic buy some from the pet shop. This protects their stomach from the effects of antibiotics and keeps the gut flora stable. Comes in a powder form so you can add a little wAter then give via a syringe about an hour before the antibiotics. There is a guide on here to help you.x
 
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