How long to quarantine a sick guinea pig?

[6guineas]

Last week one of my guinea pigs was breathing funny. We separated her from her cage partner and took her to the vet. She had a respiratory infection, with the vet being undecided on whether there was anything in her lungs from the x-ray. She has been taking her antibiotics like a good girl and getting much better! She has been on the antibiotics almost a week and the noise is gone.

When do you think we can safely put her back in with her cage mate? Since she's on antibiotics I was thinking she wouldn't be contagious, but I don't want to cause the other one to suffer! Any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Wiebke]

Last week one of my guinea pigs was breathing funny. We separated her from her cage partner and took her to the vet. She had a respiratory infection, with the vet being undecided on whether there was anything in her lungs from the x-ray. She has been taking her antibiotics like a good girl and getting much better! She has been on the antibiotics almost a week and the noise is gone.

When do you think we can safely put her back in with her cage mate? Since she's on antibiotics I was thinking she wouldn't be contagious, but I don't want to cause the other one to suffer! Any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated!

Hi!

You can re-introduce them on neutral ground anytime except for the proviso mentioned below.

Generally URI does not require a full quarantine as a healthy piggy has a fully working immune system strong enough to fend off any bacteria. In good care, URI rarely affects any companions.

The piggies at risk are the highly stressed pet shop babies whose immune system is not yet fully developed when they are kept in close contact with other highly vulnerable animals or the ill, frail, elderly or pregnant/nursing and newborn.
If your companion has got an underlying health problem and is in at risk group, then please wait 2-4 days until after the end of the full course of antibiotics to make sure that she is fully recovered and is not carrying any live bacteria across (transmission is by air).

 

[6guineas]

Hi!

You can re-introduce them on neutral ground anytime except for the proviso mentioned below.

Generally URI does not require a full quarantine as a healthy piggy has a fully working immune system strong enough to fend off any bacteria. In good care, URI rarely affects any companions.

The piggies at risk are the highly stressed pet shop babies whose immune system is not yet fully developed when they are kept in close contact with other highly vulnerable animals or the ill, frail, elderly or pregnant/nursing and newborn.
If your companion has got an underlying health problem and is in at risk group, then please wait 2-4 days until after the end of the full course of antibiotics to make sure that she is fully recovered and is not carrying any live bacteria across (transmission is by air).

Thank you! I guess I freaked out a little when she started getting sick and should have kept her with her mate. Reintroduction to begin shortly!