• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Heart problems? Please help?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Napalm
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
N

Napalm

My little boy Houdini (a year and few months old) has been hooting since Febuary. It started off being random, every few weeks, didn't seem serious at all and I kept an eye on him to see if it went away or got worse.
This is what the hooting sounds like, exactly the same sound;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=*_SnXj72iOw

On sunday he stopped eating and the hooting became terrible and loud, he didn't want to run around outside with his friend and just sat around barely moving. I took him to the vet that monday who said he had a spur in his teeth that needed to be removed, that's what's keeping him from eating. My other guinea pig Picasso was checked and deemed absoloutly fine. I told the vet about Houdini's breathing and he listened with a stethoscope and said everything seemed normal. The boys had had a URI last year and he'd treated them for that and it was all good.

So this morning I brought Houdini to the vets and picked him up in the afternoon after he'd had the spur taken out. The hooting sound is still there, and yet the vet insists he is fine...I'm confused because he's an expierienced vet who has treated my pigs for a while with no problems. I am terribly worried because I know very well the hooting is a symptom of heart disease and I really don't know what to do...is there really nothing wrong? Someone please help...I'm worried sick over my little Houdini, it's killing me to see him suffer and his little friend Picasso is worried too..
 
Welcome to the forum Napalm, I'm sorry Houdini doesn't seem to be well.

Is he eating well now he's had the spur removed? Did the vet use a general anaesthetic to remove the spur?

It is possible that an 'allergy' could be causing his symptoms, 'hayfever' is starting to affect people and animals at this time of year. Consider his environment - what is he bedded on? Do you use any aerosols or fragrances around him or in the same room as him? Does he seem to have the grumbly, "hooting" breathing when his hay is topped up, or soon before his cage is due a clean?

A heart defect is possible and (in my opinion) often undiagnosed/unrecognised, but there is a more general range of symptoms, including problems that can be seen as independent illnesses, in most "heart pigs". A good place to start reading is here:
http://www.guinealynx.info/heart.html#signs

I have a recently-diagnosed heart pig (recurrant pericarditis - fluid around the heart that kept building up as soon as the diuretic drug wore off) and she has 7 of those symptoms to varying degrees. One other symptom she exhibited, which finally pushed me to link all her previous symptoms together, was multiple sore feet - three of her paws were deep red/purple although pale elsewhere on the foot; the feet are often affected by poor circulation.
 
Really sorry to hear that Houdini isn't well.

I'm afraid I don't know enough to advise anything other than seconding Wiebke's comments re seeking a second opinion from a guinea pig expert.

Really hope he improves soon. Good luck.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top