Guinea pig with ear infection

[laurencooper96]

Hello,

Looking for some advice.

Our 6 month old texel guinea pig Casper has a suspected ear infection with a upper respiratory infection. He's been to the vets today and has been given oral antibiotics and anti inflammatory medication for a week.

He's been very lethargic, got a crusty nose and eyes and a head tilt which is effect his movement.

---

I'm just wondering if there are any home remedies or anything I can be doing for him to help him get better?

I do have two other boys who have been separated from him while he's sick just incase the infection spreads to them too.

 

[piggl]

Which anti-inflammatory has he been prescribed?

Ear infections are very painful and he will need a high dose of painkillers twice a day.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear he is unwell.

There are no home remedies - he requires antibiotics and pain relief - but he also does requires important home care steps.
Ear infections are very painful and can cause a piggy to stop eating.

Piggies also do not breathe through their mouths. Breathing comes before the need to do so if a piggy has a URI can mean they prioritise breathing and stop eating properly.

The things you need to do in terms of home care are to switch to weighing him once every day to monitor his food intake and you must also step in with syringe feeding to keep his weight stable each day.
Syringe feeding a poorly piggy is just as important as the prescribed medication. If a piggy is not eating enough then their body will struggle which means the medication simply has little chance to work.

Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

It’s not advisable to separate bonded piggies during an illness - stress of separation can dampen the immune system but it also risks their bond longer term. An ear infection is not likely to spread, and the other piggies have already been exposed to any bacteria causing the URI.
The fact you have three boars together (and that they are teenagers) which is a very unstable grouping prone to failing anyway, separating them can well cause them to refuse to go back together.
I would recommend you reunite them on neutral territory (any separation longer than 24 hours requires a proper rebonding) in the hope they are one of the rare functioning trios. If they do refuse to go back together now or if their bond fails at any point, then they will need to be kept apart permanently.
If you would prefer to keep them apart while he is unwell, then do bear in mind that it may mean their bond may be at risk.

Bonds In Trouble
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

 

[Seven7]

My Bear, after coming to live with us from a pet shop had the same symptom, crusty nose and breathing issue. I took him the vet immediately and Dr. Jayne prescribed Baytril twice a day for 10 days. Dr. Jayne said Bear had Upper Respiratory Infection, and needed to be housed alone for a month.
As I stated, Bear was new to our family, so my boy Finn couldn't live with Bear for at least a month, per doctor's order.

 

[piggl]

My Bear, after coming to live with us from a pet shop had the same symptom, crusty nose and breathing issue. I took him the vet immediately and Dr. Jayne prescribed Baytril twice a day for 10 days. Dr. Jayne said Bear had Upper Respiratory Infection, and needed to be housed alone for a month.
As I stated, Bear was new to our family, so my boy Finn couldn't live with Bear for at least a month, per doctor's order.

Hi, just so you know medical separation isn’t advised, especially in young piggies.

I understand your piggies hadn’t been together but the stress etc. that comes from this in a bonded pair/group is likely to make everything much more taxing for the pigs.

 

[Seven7]

Hi, just so you know medical separation isn’t advised, especially in young piggies.

I understand your piggies hadn’t been together but the stress etc. that comes from this in a bonded pair/group is likely to make everything much more taxing for the pigs.

Dr. Jayne said any new guinea pig coming home need to be under quarantine for a month before being introduced to new guinea pig.
Bear had many medical issues from pet shop, and gave my Finn an eye infection upon coming to live with us, so Dr. Jayne advised that Bear be under quarantine for a month. Both boys had to be seen by the doctor but they are better and best buddies now.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Dr. Jayne said any new guinea pig coming home need to be under quarantine for a month before being introduced to new guinea pig.
Bear had many medical issues from pet shop, and gave my Finn an eye infection upon coming to live with us, so Dr. Jayne advised that Bear be under quarantine for a month. Both boys had to be seen by the doctor but they are better and best buddies now.

It’s good you followed your vets advice in your case.
Your situation is different to that of the OP though where the piggies are already bonded and living together.
Already bonded piggies shouldn’t be separated, unless for exceptional circumstances, due to the stress and potential risk to the relationship. Medically separating bonded piggies has the potential to ruin a bond and mean they refuse to live together again.

Quarantine for piggies over four months old and for pairs of piggies under four months old is fine. Single piggies under four months of age should not be quarantined as routine due to the fact their high companionship needs come before any risk of passing on any illness (it’s a case of having to treat both piggies if an illness is brought in).

 

[piggl]

Dr. Jayne said any new guinea pig coming home need to be under quarantine for a month before being introduced to new guinea pig.
Bear had many medical issues from pet shop, and gave my Finn an eye infection upon coming to live with us, so Dr. Jayne advised that Bear be under quarantine for a month. Both boys had to be seen by the doctor but they are better and best buddies now.

I understand, it’s great you followed your vets advice.

The only reason I mentioned it was because I was cautious your experience may sway other people to do the same (such as the original poster, whose piggies should have not been separated), so I mentioned it wasn’t advised, which is obviously just an advisory, for the reasons stated above.
The reason (I assume) it is advised against on the forum versus vets advice is that more times than not it does more bad than good, but obviously it does work out in some cases.

I am glad to hear both of your boys are better now.

 

[laurencooper96]

That's all for your replies, he is still eating and drinking but I am keeping an eye on this, he was weighed yesterday at the vet but I will definitely be weighing him daily to make sure he's doing okay.

My three boys do get along well (I know that it's a miracle they do)all three boys sleep in separate hutches indoors - noticed that most disagreements we're over sleeping areas (gives me peace of mind that they won't hurt each other when I'm not around) but they are put in the either the outdoor/indoor run from 7-8 in the morning till 9-10 at night. So based on the advice here I won't be separating them and will just keep an eye on the other two.

The vet didn't mention separating them I just thought that might be the best thing to do, as I've already lost my boy Watson (almost 6 - brain tumor) in April and didn't want to do the wrong thing and risk losing my other boys.
Holmes being 6 in August and Jasper who has chronic bladder stones.

Casper medication:

I'm not sure what antibiotic he's on as the container doesn't say "enrocare oral 0.12mls twice a day for 7 days and the anti inflammatory he's on is metacam 0.2ml dose twice a day for 3 days

These were both prescribed by our local vet. Given that he's only had two doses so far, he seems much happy and is even running and zooming around much like his normal little self.

** I know having three boars together isn't the norm or advised, we are just EXTREMELY lucky that they all get along, much due to the personalities of the piggies**

 

[piggl]

Is that dog or cat metacam?
I am glad to hear he is doing better!

 

[Piggies&buns]

It is very important to mention that putting them all into separate hutches at night can be detrimental and is not recommended. Piggies either need to be permanently living together or permanently separated due to a dysfunctional bond. This kind of repeated separation and reintroduction is not how piggy hierarchies function and can also cause problems in their bond.
If their bond is a happily functioning one then there should be no need for them to be apart at all.

A boar trio need a cage covering 300x100cm and to be left together permanently. If their cage is not that size then space issues can ensue and may be why you see problems with sleeping areas.
They would need at least three hides and for each hide to have two exits.

Enrocare is baytril.

I would keep a very careful eye if only three days of pain relief has been prescribed. Once the pain relief is stopped if he isn’t better, then he will need to be seen by the vet to get more.
Is it cat or dog metacam?

 

[laurencooper96]

I had Watson and Holmes bothers till they were 4, we then adopted jasper (was 2 when we adopted him) from the RSPCA and slowly bonded him in.

We lost Watson in April he was almost 6 due to a brain tumor and my parents got me Casper as a surprise birthday present, so I slowly bonded him in again.

Other than a few typical disagreements (Holmes likes to steal veggies ) they get along very well. As said above they sleep in separate hutches indoors just for my own peace of mind but go out every day from 7-8 in the morning till 9-10 at night in either their outdoor or indoor runs.

 

[laurencooper96]

Is that dog or cat metacam?
I am glad to hear he is doing better!

Dog metacam we don't have an exotic vet near us (I don't drive) I'm afraid so we have to make do with the local vet.

His eyes and nose have cleared up, his head tilt is still there. I've read somewhere that could end up being permanent?

But definitely back to his crazy little self, my partner even commented on it this morning.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Dog metacam we don't have an exotic vet near us (I don't drive) I'm afraid so we have to make do with the local vet.

His eyes and nose have cleared up, his head tilt is still there. I've read somewhere that could end up being permanent?

But definitely back to his crazy little self, my partner even commented on it this morning.

Dog metacam is good - piggies can tolerate it very well.
Since cat metacam was licensed for piggies a lot of vets will only prescribe it and then as it is licensed they have to dose according to the licence which is usually too low of a dose for piggies actual needs.

 

[laurencooper96]

It is very important to mention that putting them all into separate hutches at night can be detrimental and is not recommended. Piggies either need to be permanently living together or permanently separated due to a dysfunctional bond. This kind of repeated separation and reintroduction is not how piggy hierarchies function and can also cause problems in their bond.
If their bond is a happily functioning one then there should be no need for them to be apart at all.

A boar trio need a cage covering 300x100cm and to be left together permanently. If their cage is not that size then space issues can ensue and may be why you see problems with sleeping areas.
They would need at least three hides and for each hide to have two exits.

Enrocare is baytril.

I would keep a very careful eye if only three days of pain relief has been prescribed. Once the pain relief is stopped if he isn’t better, then he will need to be seen by the vet to get more.
Is it cat or dog metacam?

Thanks for the information I will keep it in mind at the minute this is what's working for us, they did live free roam in our living room without issue for over a year but when we got our kitten we weren't able to keep him out as our downstairs is all open plan, we are saving up to get them a larger enclosure so they can all live together again unseparated but with the recently financial crisis it's been difficult, so we are making do.

The vet didn't say what it was but thanks for clearing that up for me, of course I will go back to the vet if he still in pain after the three days (I do actually have more than the 3 days in the bottle) and we have a check up in a week to see what our next steps will be