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Help please is david ill again?

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Craig David

Craig David

Teenage Guinea Pig
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Mar 19, 2010
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Hi people

i put a post up the other day about david sneezing and he has always sneezed a lot. Anyway yesterday when i had hold of him i noticed like a funny sound i couldnt work out whether he was sniffing the air or if it was his breathing. Anyway iv just held him now and his nose is runny and he looks like he has got a little scab on his nose but he wont let me look properly and he wont let me check his breathing he just wriggles like mad. his eyes look watery and he keeps sneezing (which he always has to be honest), but whats worrying me is the breathing sound, it isnt doing it all the time but its like us sniffing up when we have a really snotty nose but faster because obviousely they breath faster than us.

he seems happy in himself and is being naughty as usual but the little scab on the nose has appeared today. I cant get him to a vet because its bank holiday and our vet is shut. Is there any advice anyone can offer? David has previously recovered from an eye infection not to long ago. x
 
These things always seem to happen when the vets are closed, it's so worrying isn't it?
I'm sorry I can't help, is he eating, drinking and pooping ok? Any change in weight or behaviour?
 
Do you know how to listen to his breathing? You need to listen on their side just above their front leg - listen to each of them in turn and see if you can hear a difference.

A teeny dab on vicks on the nose (not the skin part) can help clear a nose

The only other thing to look out for is lack of appetite / energy levels.

Are they normal?
 
his behaviour is the same, he is eating as normal and acting normal. hes definitely got a little scab on his nose. iv tried to check his breathing but he doesnt like it grrrrrrrr. i can definitely hear he has a little snuffle tho.
 
The scab could be something fungal, hard to say with out seeing it. Have you looked at the photos on Gorgeous Guineas to see if it looks like anything on there?
 
Could the 'scab' simply be "dried snot"? (Sorry for the simple description!)
Often the mucus from the nose gathers and sets a little, which can look like a small scab on the nostrils.

The breathing sound could be down to either allergy or infection. For now, I would be inclined to get hold of some Sudafed Expectorant (orange and white labelled bottle) and dose for a day or two until you can pop him along to the vets. As long as he continues eating, drinking and pottering about as normal - as long as he doesn't get worse - you may be ok to hold off an emergency vet appointment. It's down to your personal judgement though, if you feel he's really not right then please do phone the vet and ask their advice.
 
Could the scab not possibly be a bite? I know Freds bites didn't look like bites, it wasn't until I saw Marvin doing it that I realised they were bites.
 
hi people thanks for your replies. I have just had david out again. i have felt his nose and the scab bit feels hard. i was inclined to think is it dried snot but iv tried to clean it and it hasnt come off its still there. he also wont keep still for 2 minutes, so its hard to tell. iv put my head near his head and i can hear little snuffles like when we get the snuffles, but its only every now and then, not all the time. its like a sniffing up sound but a bit of snot in there. hes out now in the living room and hes popcorning and acting normal. he always sneezes but i guess whats worried me today is the scab if it is a scab and the snotty nose and sniffle noise.
 
I would just keep him nice and warm, and make sure he is eating and drinking. Maybe give him a piece of orange or another high vitamin C food, and lots of water.

He seems in good spirits anyway, so hopefully he'll be fine til he can get to the vet. I would definitely take him to the vet on tuesday though, if you can. I hope he's better soon.
 
Well he does sound okay - the popcorning is good.

Could just be a snuffly pig?

Did you get to listen to his chest by pressing his side to your ear, just above the front leg?
 
he wont let me get near him to do that lisa hahaha he wriggles like a little fish. hes sat here now munching his food. i can hear little snuffles though. i will try again in a bit. theres plenty popcorning going on tho so I'm hoping he is just a little snuffle pig x
 
david still quite snotty today his nose was running like mad before, i have given him 0.1ml of sudafed expectorant and i am going to get him to the vets tomorrow hopefully i can get him in before i go to work. fingers crossed for little david people x
 
Been to the vets, I'm sooooooo fed up :(

The vet feels its not an allergy, she said he hasn’t got allergy symptoms and when he sneezes it isn’t a sneeze that sounds like an allergy. (she tried to explain it like it is was an allergy he would be really irritated by it and the sneezing would be more vigorous).

The vet feels that this could be more of a chronic problem perhaps resulting from a nasty infection he has had (david had a difficult eye infection to clear not to long ago), she feels that this could of perhaps caused some more long term damage. She checked his breathing and said it hasn’t spread to his chest, but she said the worry is, if there has been some damage done its more likely to get an infection which could result in it spreading.

She has gave him a shot of terramycn again (which has had before and responded well to but symptoms came back after 5 days). She also gave him an anti inflammatory shot. She has told me to bring him back Saturday for another shot and said we might have to give him a course of them for now to try and clear the problem. Failing this she said that they might have to try something else, and she said failing everything we might just have to leave it :-( I'm fed up, iv only had him 5 weeks, its costing me a fortune at the vets and I cant tell you how upset I get when something goes wrong with him. I was crying my eyes out in the vets I felt like an idiot. I wish I lived near to someone that could help me. I don’t know what else I can do for him, he seems happy in himself but for how long for? Hes had that much medication these past 5 weeks and they haven’t shifted his problem. I thought he just sneezed all the time, but she said he shouldn’t be sneezing like that and having a runny nose all the time.

I feel like giving him away to someone who could look after him properly.:-(
 
Hiya sorry hun to hear you've been back to the vets and what she said.

I have a pig here who has a lifelong chest issue that coughs. It hardly needs treating and is just something she has to live with. She's put on loads of weight since being small and is living a fine life, and it doesn't cost me much either to manage her.

It could be that your vet is wrong? If David is absolutely fine other than the sneezing I would be inclined to try and find a rodentologist or spend my money on a trip to see Vedra or someone she recommends as they charge less than vets and you are much more likely to get to the bottom of it.

Can you ring the CCT (laura has the details) and ask her over the phone or see if she can put you in touch with someone. You seem to be paying hand over fist for no diagnosis and in the meantime your piggy is fine apart from the sneezing.

BTW this is NOT YOUR FAULT! You are doing a stellar job!
 
Oh dear, you do seem to be having a run of it with your boy. :( I can't give you any practical advice but am sending you a big hug.

I completely know how you feel about getting upset. Flumpet got a sore on her back and I was completely devastated. Vet said it's mites they're both having jabs. But I felt like I was the worst owner in the world for a little while. It completely took me by surprise how much it affected me.

I think you're doing a fab job with your boys. Flumpet and Delilah send sneaky kisses to both Craig and David. xx>>>
 
You are the best piggy slave - you look out for problems and do your best to sort them out. There is nothing better to do when looking after your piggy. Don't imagine for a second that anyone else would do better.

I know what you mean about them costing a fortune at the vets. I have to agree with trying to find a rodentologist if you can, the diagnosis can be very important when sorting out long term care and needs. An ordinary vet who doesn't know as much about guinea pigs will run through the obvious. The Cambridge Cavey Trust is a long way off, but there may be someone nearer to you with more knowledge than your present vet.

As for getting upset, that's a given. Columbine has gone back into isolation to restrict her movement because she would not stop running around like a mad thing and was actually making her wound worse instead of better. This morning I finally saw some progress on the wound, which should now be completely healed on the surface as it's been a fortnight since her op to remove a mammary tumour. Instead there is still a longish scab where she pulled it back open through movement and it is still swollen too, not completely sealed along the line of stitches as it should be. But there was progress. It was better than yesterday - so I cried in relief. If there hadn't been any progress I would have been back at the vets, very likely crying there too!

Wishing you all the best, Sarah x
 
Orrrrrrrrrrrrrr dont blame yaself! :(

Mate if you want the number for my vets hes ace and never over charges when Boris was sick he was ace (hes quite hunky too!) Sometimes I think vets can go over the top (my opinion only) and like the previous poster said she has a piggie with breathing problems. I would consider seeking more advice on it if you want hunky vets number give me a text xxxxxxxx
 
aaw thanks everyone for your support i knew you lot would understand iv got some many replies i dont know were to start replying to you all haha.

i think i do need to see a rodentologist and if the cct could point me in the right direction that would be brilliant. i feel like I'm just going round in circles and to be honest i dont like him getting pumped up full of antibiotics iv been to the vets with him 5 times now and seen a different vet each time i have been. i would go down to the cct myself but it would be too long drive for the pigs i think and i wouldnt want to stress them out.

i have found a website on the net called scarlet guineas and its a rodentologist based in rochdale, which is about 15 miles away from me. the lady that runs it is called marilyn i was wondering if anyone knew of scarlet guineas? i think i am going to get in contact with marilyn but if anyone can help me i would be so grateful you all help me anyway. I'm guna try my best for david thats all i can do.

and thanks again for all your help, I'm feeling rather emotional today about my little mate david and its nice to know you all care and understand x
 
hi people

just to let you know i have spoken to marilyn she was very helpful she has told me to put vicks on his nose twice a day and give him sudafed expectorant and ring her back in a few days to let her know who he has got on.:)) fingers crossed xx
 
That's good news. What dose expectorant did she say to do BTW?

Glad you feel a bit better.

x
 
hiya lisa she said 0.3ml once a day and vicks twice. She told me to start tomorrow cus he has had an antibiotic today xx
 
Fair enough. I need some vicks expectorant in my first aid kit.

Let us know how it gets on..
 
thanks lisa will keep you all posted. i hope he gets better. its difficult cus he has always been like this apart from the very snotty nose xx
 
iv put some vicks on david and had a little hold of him, he still sounds sniffly but can you hear a pig sniffing up when he sniffs the air? cus i cant hear sniffles all the time?

his nose doesnt look as runny he still sneezing lots.
 
Hiya, I hope all goes well for David and that the anti b's and vick works and that he's feeling better soon. Hope the snuffles go too. XX
 
I hope the new treatment regime helps a little. Did Marilyn recommend the 0.3ml dose knowing that David is only 4 months old?
 
Laura-CCC4 said:
I hope the new treatment regime helps a little. Did Marilyn recommend the 0.3ml dose knowing that David is only 4 months old?
Click to expand...

hello laura, ye she did. do you think thats too much? let us know and ill reduce the dose i dont want to make things worse for him he has had that this morning though x

i dont think my local vet knows much about guinea pigs at all cus she said that i shouldnt be giving him sudofed xx
 
Most vets will say not to give anything made for humans, they tend to stick rigidly to what the RCVS states and what is actually licensed or extremely widely used for specific species. Understandable - they don't want to be sued after all - but it severely limits what medical care they can offer to guineas. Luckily, a few vets are more forward-thinking and willing to listen and learn!

0.3ml is not likely to have any adverse effects on him, but for any pig under 6 months old I feel safer advising a lower dose. To be fair, the adult dose is 0.4ml daily so there is some reduction in dose there already. How much does he weigh?
 
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