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Guinea Pig Uri

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irene

irene

Teenage Guinea Pig
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Hi everyone! I'm new to this site and a bit confused at how it works; i'm looking for advice about caring for a guinea pig with a URI; i'm relatively new to owning piggies also! this is her 3rd URI in about 8 months; she is on Baytril as of today.
 
Hi and welcome!

How old is your girl and how long have you had her? Is she an indoors piggy and what are her symptoms exactly? URI (upper respiratory tract infection) can cover some other issues, especially if it is recurring, so it would be helpful if you could tell us more.

Could you please also add your country, state or (for the UK) your county/city, so we can tailor our advice better when it comes to judging vet access and medications. You can add your location by clicking on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location.

We always recommend to give a pinch of probiotic about 1-2 hours after the antibiotic to help boost the guts. Upping the vitamin C when dealing with an infection to support the immune system can also help her. Other things depend on her individual symptoms. Has she got crusty eyes/nose or is her breathing very crackly/laboured? How good is her appetite/poo size? It is always good if you weighed an ill piggy once daily at the same time instead of weekly, so you can check the actual food intake. A strong URI can suppress the appetite, as the need to breathe comes before the need to drink and thirdly the need to eat. http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/...vitamin-c-overview-with-product-links.115404/
 
Hi and thank you! She (Cinnamon) is approximately 10 months, we got her when she was probably 2-3 months old; she is an indoor piggy; her breathing started sounded crackly although it seemed to be nasal, i didn't hear anything in her lungs the other day when i tried to check; however today her breathing appeared just a bit labored. she is eating and toileting fine though. The vet said she was definitely wheezing
 
Good, so you are at least not dealing with lots of mucus or pneumonia. You can additionally try to ease the breathing by placing a bowl of steaming water next to the cage.

Did she have a URI when you got her/soon after you got her? What kind of bedding is she on? has she just got the usual brand of dust extracted pet shop hay?
 
Wiebke said:
Good, so you are at least not dealing with lots of mucus or pneumonia. You can additionally try to ease the breathing by placing a bowl of steaming water next to the cage.

Did she have a URI when you got her/soon after you got her? What kind of bedding is she on? has she just got the usual brand of dust extracted pet shop hay?
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yes actually she did have a URI quite soon after I got her; i did steam her and it did seem to help; she is on paper bedding and i buy Timothy hay for her; I also have a fairly new piggy (Pepper) who has been in with Cinnamon while Cinnamon had these URI symptoms but she seems fine...so far; I'm new to a alot of this so any help/advice is much appreciated!!
 
irene said:
yes actually she did have a URI quite soon after I got her; i did steam her and it did seem to help; she is on paper bedding and i buy Timothy hay for her; I also have a fairly new piggy (Pepper) who has been in with Cinnamon while Cinnamon had these URI symptoms but she seems fine...so far; I'm new to a alot of this so any help/advice is much appreciated!
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Most healthy companions are able to fight off URI. It tends to spread mostly amongst youngsters crammed together in a shop that are coping with huge upsets to their short lives; they come with bug already in them when you buy them.

It doesn't look like lots of allergens in your bedding etc., which could have been an alternative issue causing recurring URI-like symptoms.
Do you have an A/C unit that could cause a draft?
 
Wiebke said:
Most healthy companions are able to fight off URI. It tends to spread mostly amongst youngsters crammed together in a shop that are coping with huge upsets to their short lives; they come with bug already in them when you buy them.

It doesn't look like lots of allergens in your bedding etc., which could have been an alternative issue causing recurring URI-like symptoms.
Do you have an A/C unit that could cause a draft?
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yes i guess that's what happened, as you say she came with the bug! we no longer have an a/c in that room but did during the warmer months; i am concerned because she is actually my son's pet and his room does have temperature changes, gets very hot in summer and quuite chilly in winter; we do try to keep the temp even but it's difficult
 
Did you have a recent dip in temperatures that could have caused it? Sometimes, a week or so on baytril is not quite enough to get rid of the bacteria and it can make a return. There are stronger antibiotics, but so far baytril is the only one that is officially licensed for guinea pigs, so many vets are reluctant to prescibe others, especially not without a strong indication.

She hasn't had any persistent coughing (especially when eating) or hooty noises, hasn't she? Nor has your vet noticed a build-up of fluids in the lungs or the chest cavity?
 
Wiebke said:
Did you have a recent dip in temperatures that could have caused it? Sometimes, a week or so on baytril is not quite enough to get rid of the bacteria and it can make a return. There are stronger antibiotics, but so far baytril is the only one that is officially licensed for guinea pigs, so many vets are reluctant to prescibe others, especially not without a strong indication.

She hasn't had any persistent coughing (especially when eating) or hooty noises, hasn't she? Nor has your vet noticed a build-up of fluids in the lungs or the chest cavity?
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well it has started getting chilly here so a recent change has occurred; no she doesn't cough/hoot; just has that nasal crackly sound when she breathes; no fluid in the lungs just some wheezing; and i guess fortunately she is still eating well and going to the bathroom as usual; i'm hoping that's a good sign
 
Can you get a couple of microwaveable snugglesafes (heating pads) to keep her warm at all times and even out the changes in temperature?
 
Wiebke said:
Can you get a couple of microwaveable snugglesafes (heating pads) to keep her warm at all times and even out the changes in temperature?
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yes I will thats a great idea, thank you! wasn't sure if they were safe to put in with the guinea pigs in case they nibble at them.
 
irene said:
yes I will thats a great idea, thank you! wasn't sure if they were safe to put in with the guinea pigs in case they nibble at them.
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They are hard plastic. You can always make a fleece pocket you can slide them into if necessary; they are easy to hand sew or you may be able to get some from a piggy or bunny cosy maker. I use several for my own elderly piggies.
 
Wiebke said:
They are hard plastic. You can always make a fleece pocket you can slide them into if necessary; they are easy to hand sew or you may be able to get some from a piggy or bunny cosy maker. I use several for my own elderly piggies.
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Ohhhh they're hard plastic? I'm not familiar with those but i will look on google! thank you again. I do think that the temperature fluctuations here are an issue for her and the vet bills have been piling up!
 
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