Help.... Confused

[Michelle Lewis]

I got a guinea pig in May from the pet store (I know bad decision). When I got her she was the only guinea pig there and I actually passed on her because they told me she was just finishing up her last round of medicine today and could be sold today. I told them I didn't want a sick animal since I have a cat that needs 3 different medicines everyday, they assured me she was fine the medicine cleared it right up so I ended up taking her. I had her for about two days and noticed she kept sneezing and started sounded stuffy.. I took her to the vet they said URI (which is what she had when I got her from pet store) we are now going on month four and she has been to the vet 5 different times with 5 different medicines. She has been off of her medicine for about 2 weeks (first time she hasn't been on medicine since I bought her) and she sneezed all day everyday and you can hear that she has a stuffy nose, kinda sounds loose. She is eating fine, she still wheeks and purs and runs around like crazy and popcorns.. I'm starting to think it is allergies, honestly. I figured since she was on medicine for 3 straight months and 5 different medicines whatever she has would clear up by now.. she eats veggies everyday prob a cup a half/2 cups. Green bell peppers, cucumbers, green leaf lettuce, cilantro, zucchini daily. I just don't know what to do anymore... it is just on going. She never gets worse, she has never became lethargic or stopped using the restroom... it's all just sneezing and stuffy nose.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome!

It rather sounds like a sensitivity or allergy.

What kind of bedding is your piggy on and what hay are you using? Is it dust extracted? Do you have air conditioning or use air fresheners or scent sticks in your room? Do you have a humid or a dry climate?

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[Skittypigs]

I got a guinea pig in May from the pet store (I know bad decision). When I got her she was the only guinea pig there and I actually passed on her because they told me she was just finishing up her last round of medicine today and could be sold today. I told them I didn't want a sick animal since I have a cat that needs 3 different medicines everyday, they assured me she was fine the medicine cleared it right up so I ended up taking her. I had her for about two days and noticed she kept sneezing and started sounded stuffy.. I took her to the vet they said URI (which is what she had when I got her from pet store) we are now going on month four and she has been to the vet 5 different times with 5 different medicines. She has been off of her medicine for about 2 weeks (first time she hasn't been on medicine since I bought her) and she sneezed all day everyday and you can hear that she has a stuffy nose, kinda sounds loose. She is eating fine, she still wheeks and purs and runs around like crazy and popcorns.. I'm starting to think it is allergies, honestly. I figured since she was on medicine for 3 straight months and 5 different medicines whatever she has would clear up by now.. she eats veggies everyday prob a cup a half/2 cups. Green bell peppers, cucumbers, green leaf lettuce, cilantro, zucchini daily. I just don't know what to do anymore... it is just on going. She never gets worse, she has never became lethargic or stopped using the restroom... it's all just sneezing and stuffy nose.

I had a rabbit who had hay fever! I felt like I was permanently at the vet complaining about the same problem. A bit of powder on her food to dry up the mucus. She lived a happy life until age 7. I had to be particularly fussy about hay and dust etc but we got through it x

 

[Michelle Lewis]

I thought it was allergies too but when I called my vet to see about giving her Benadryl she told me it doesn't sound like allergies that since she had green discharge around her nose today that it sounds like a URI still.... but this will be my 6th vet visit for the same problem... I don't understand.. she suggested I give her 1.0ml of orange juice twice a day for 5-7 days for additional vitamin C... but I give her 1.5-2 cups a day so idk how she would be lacking vitamin C...

Wiebke- I live in IL, we run the air but never got along time, the temp in the house is fine I'm sure of that. I have her on fleece and then where her eating area is I have clean and cozy paper bedding (I just recently switched to fleece so I know it's not the detergent)

Skitty pigs- did the vet think your rabbit was sick the whole time and did they keep giving it antibiotics? Also what kind of powder?

 

[Michelle Lewis]

Wiebke- I forgot. I just stated using a diffuser next to her with thieves, R.C, lemon, lavender & peppermint which I feel like have helped a little. It's essential oils. And I don't feel like it's a problem because this all stated before I started using this next to her cage. The hay she has is the kaytee brand with carrots in it... it is a bit dusty. I have an oxbow kind I can try tho... I think I'm going to get rid of her bedding and do ALL fleece and switch to the oxbow brand

 

[Wiebke]

Wiebke- I forgot. I just stated using a diffuser next to her with thieves, R.C, lemon, lavender & peppermint which I feel like have helped a little. It's essential oils. And I don't feel like it's a problem because this all stated before I started using this next to her cage. The hay she has is the kaytee brand with carrots in it... it is a bit dusty. I have an oxbow kind I can try tho... I think I'm going to get rid of her bedding and do ALL fleece and switch to the oxbow brand

Please stop the essential oils in her diffuser. guinea pigs have a much more sensitive respiratory system than us humans.

 

[Michelle Lewis]

Please stop the essential oils in her diffuser. guinea pigs have a much more sensitive respiratory system than us humans.

Okay the vet told me to do orange juice for additional vitamin C 1.0ml twice a day for 5-7 days so we will see. She told me to discontinue Benadryl (I gave her one dose) if I see improvement I will keep using.

 

[Tiamolly123]

You can't stop meds because you think she's OK. Go to an exotic vet & take there advice.In the green bar you have many exotic vets.
You must never put perfumed candles or any other perfumed product in the room that the piggys are housed. I go so far to use unperfumed polish. Have you tried a different hay.

 

[Michelle Lewis]

I've never stopped meds? She has been on meds the whole four months I have had her. Her last round of medicine ended two weeks ago but she is still sneezing and sounds stuffy. I called the vet yesterday and she took about 4 hours to call back so I researched the dosage amount of children's Benadryl I should give her and she reacted fine to it didn't even really get sleepy. The vet finally called back and I told her what I was thinking and she said she wants me to try orange juice for 5-7 days and quit the Benadryl. She is using the kaytee orchard hay with carrots in it. I have an oxbow brand I can use though.

This has been such an ongoing issue it's exhausting, I am constantly worrying about her and feeling paranoid everything she sneezes or sounds stuffy.. although I think it may bother me more than it does her. She still popcorns and runs around her cage like a maniac a couple times a day and still runs around for floor time. She has been off her medicine for two weeks now since it was her last round and she hasn't gotten worse it's always just the sneezing and the stuffy nose. That's why I was thinking its allergies

 

[Wiebke]

Orange juice is very high in sugar; you might rather want to give vitamin C in vegetable form (peppers are much higher n vitamin C than oranges) or if necessary dissolved in a little water and syringed for best effect.
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links
Recommendations For A Balanced General Guinea Pig Diet

 

[Qualcast&Flymo]

Have your vets tried Zithromax (Azithromycin)? One of my pigs had a URI for 3 months which Baytril and Septrin couldn't completely clear. One of the vets he saw suggested possible allergies, but changing to paper bedding and soaking his hay didn't help either. Then an cavy-savvy exotics vet recommended Zithromax, and after a 2 week course of that he was better.
Unlike the Baytril, he also stopped losing weight on Zithromax, which is a bonus.

 

[Michelle Lewis]

I thought it was weird she said orange juice... I already do peppers but I will try more of them! So we will see if this helps..I have noticed a little less sneezing that usual today so hopefully that continues. I will ask vet about that med- I heard it was harsh and should be used as last resort..we have been on four different medicines so I'm guessing this would be last resort.

So I will continue on this route for a couple more days (vitamin C) to see if she is improving. If not I will ask her about Zithro and if that doesn't work then it just be allergies... hopefully this works! Thanks guys!

 

[Michelle Lewis]

Hey guys, little update on Cally. I've been doing the orange juice twice a day and I bought some oxbow vitamin C tablets and it's not helping. She has been off her medicine for 3 weeks now and hasn't gotten worse, it's still just the sneezing and stuffy nose. She has an apt at 9 Monday morning and the vet asked me to bring in her hay and her food as well. She mentioned a steroid but she said that is last option since it can have some pretty hard side effects. Just hoping this ends soon and she is healthy.

 

[rome_italy]

I thought it was allergies too but when I called my vet to see about giving her Benadryl she told me it doesn't sound like allergies that since she had green discharge around her nose today that it sounds like a URI still.... but this will be my 6th vet visit for the same problem... I don't understand.. she suggested I give her 1.0ml of orange juice twice a day for 5-7 days for additional vitamin C... but I give her 1.5-2 cups a day so idk how she would be lacking vitamin C...

Wiebke- I live in IL, we run the air but never got along time, the temp in the house is fine I'm sure of that. I have her on fleece and then where her eating area is I have clean and cozy paper bedding (I just recently switched to fleece so I know it's not the detergent)

Skitty pigs- did the vet think your rabbit was sick the whole time and did they keep giving it antibiotics? Also what kind of powder?

whatever she has, her body needs a great supplement of antioxidants which might be help her a lot. But not the orange juice with all its sugars; I use Cebion drops for children (and my piggies have no medical issues) and when my sow had a watery eye I doubled the drops (I give my piggies only 2 drops a day, which is a very little supplement; they eat correctly, fresh grass and bell peppers, but I prefer doing like that) and the eye recovered without any medicine (who knows if the vit C had a good action? don't know). Have you tried to cut off the pellets? all the pellets have flours and gluten is linked with weird allergies and reactions even in humans.
Also the medicines alter the body and immune system... and your piggie has been under treatment for months

 

[Michelle Lewis]

No I haven't cut off the pellets. Her vet wants me to bring the pellets I use and the hay I use to the apt Monday. she has pellets available at all times and then I feed her a cup of veggies in the morning and a cup of veggies at night everyday. And I also have hay available at all times. The vet mentioned giving her a steroid but said it's can have harsh side effects so then said another option would be an anti inflammatory for her nose.

 

[Michelle Lewis]

I've been giving her oxbow vitamin C tablets but I could try the cebion.. she weights about 1 pound, how much should I give her?

 

[Qualcast&Flymo]

Hey guys, little update on Cally. I've been doing the orange juice twice a day and I bought some oxbow vitamin C tablets and it's not helping. She has been off her medicine for 3 weeks now and hasn't gotten worse, it's still just the sneezing and stuffy nose. She has an apt at 9 Monday morning and the vet asked me to bring in her hay and her food as well. She mentioned a steroid but she said that is last option since it can have some pretty hard side effects. Just hoping this ends soon and she is healthy.

Hi, sorry to hear that Cally's issues haven't improved, though it's something that they haven't got worse if she isn't on antibiotics now.

I don't think your vet should give her steroids though - here is a thread that explains why not : The Problems With Steroids And Why They Shouldn't Be Used.

Did you ask again about Zithromax? It might be worth a try. Or have you tried anything recently to remove anything that might be causing an allergy? If the problem isn't either a bug or an allergy, maybe she has something blocking her nose that's causing the sneezing and snuffling but not making her feel poorly or lose weight.

Best of luck at the vet's on Monday!

 

[Michelle Lewis]

Hi, sorry to hear that Cally's issues haven't improved, though it's something that they haven't got worse if she isn't on antibiotics now.

I don't think your vet should give her steroids though - here is a thread that explains why not : The Problems With Steroids And Why They Shouldn't Be Used.

Did you ask again about Zithromax? It might be worth a try. Or have you tried anything recently to remove anything that might be causing an allergy? If the problem isn't either a bug or an allergy, maybe she has something blocking her nose that's causing the sneezing and snuffling but not making her feel poorly or lose weight.

Best of luck at the vet's on Monday!

I've changed her food around, her hay, and she is completely on fleece now. I'm gonna suggest the zithro when I go on Monday if she's still thinking this is a Bactria or virus. Thank you!
Yes the steroid the vet said herself that's complete last options- I don't want to give her anything that can make her worse or result in a new problem. Hoping I can get some answers on Monday!

 

[Pawz]

If you think it might be hay dust have you tried wetting the hay before you place it in her cage? I used to have to do this for a rabbit in the past who was sensitive to the hay dust.
Just don't wet too much at once, smaller portions that she'll eat in a day as damp hay can get moldy if left for days.

 

[Michelle Lewis]

If you think it might be hay dust have you tried wetting the hay before you place it in her cage? I used to have to do this for a rabbit in the past who was sensitive to the hay dust.
Just don't wet too much at once, smaller portions that she'll eat in a day as damp hay can get moldy if left for days.

I will try this! Thank you

 

[rome_italy]

I've been giving her oxbow vitamin C tablets but I could try the cebion.. she weights about 1 pound, how much should I give her?

the suggested amount is 30-40mg/kg per day. Each drop (Cebion) contains 6mg, I give 2 drops only because my piggies eat a lot of fresh grass and peppers. But when they had a long journey and when one of them had a watery eye the vet suggested one week with 4 drops a day. The excess goes out with the urine, there is no risk (there are risks only with excessive dosage, such as 1000-3000mg).
Unfortunately here in Italy we have only this Cebion, the only supplement in drops. But abroad there are other brands... At least you can be sure of the exact dosage and the effective presence of the vitamin...
(Cebion has a taste similar to orange juice, you have to diluite it in 3 drops of water and use a little syringe. The piggies love that taste. Don't take effervescent tablets because piggies don't like them)

 

[rome_italy]

No I haven't cut off the pellets. Her vet wants me to bring the pellets I use and the hay I use to the apt Monday. she has pellets available at all times and then I feed her a cup of veggies in the morning and a cup of veggies at night everyday. And I also have hay available at all times. The vet mentioned giving her a steroid but said it's can have harsh side effects so then said another option would be an anti inflammatory for her nose.

Pellets always available is what firms of course suggest, but vets, at least the one updated, don't agree... Pellets contain a concentrated food difficult to be digested by the liver and they are made of strange flours and sugars which might have a bad effect on allergies and other symptoms. There are a lot of people (also some friends of mine) who saw all the symptoms disappear just cutting off gluten and cereals (I mean symptoms as asthma and eczema), after long years of steroids and other medicines they are now symptom free only cutting off processed foods, sugars and flours. And pellets are a processed food...
It is strange that the vet did not suggest you to cut off pellets for giving it a try... here it is the first advice they give you (also for cats and dogs)

 

[Tiamolly123]

Michelle,
Any luck with your piggie.

 

[Michelle Lewis]

Hey guys, I took Cally to the vet this morning. The vet actually had 2 other people come in for a second a third opinion. She doesn't think she has an URI due to the fact she doesn't really have discharge or crusty around her nose, and she hasn't gotten worse in the last 3 weeks she has been off her medicine. I suggested zithromycin but she said she has already been on 4 different antibiotics for 3+ weeks at a time. She gave me an anti inflammatory to give to her and told me to document her sneezes when I hear them so she can get an idea of how much she is sneezing a day. I suggested maybe something stuck up her nose but she said with that you usually have a lot of discharge since the body would be trying to fight it off. So I am going to give her this medicine for the next two weeks, document her sneezes and the vet wants to see her back in 2 weeks. Fingers crossed please!