Is my pig ok?

Sazziej

Sazziej

Junior Guinea Pig
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We have had our Guinea Pigs for 3 weeks now. When we first got them hone one was sneezing quite a bit however this calmed down to it almost never sneezing. Last night i picked her up and put her out the cage for floor time (this is the first time i have managed to pick her up) she ate and moved around although she didnt run round as much as her sister she went for a few little wanders but generally sat near me nibbling away on food. I then managed to pick her up to put her back, so thought id try a little stroke but she just started to squeak a bit so i put her down right away in her cage. She hid for a while but did come back out for the food in her cage later on. Whilst she was out for floor time i noticed her breathing being a bit fast. Today she hasnt really come out for food and her breathing still seems fast. She was the braver of the 2 and she loved the nuggets and would choose them over veg if she could. Her sister has been out and eaten most of the veg but i havent seen her out at the nuggets. Should i be worried? Have i traumatised her by picking her up? Her sister is very scared and whilst she will take food from your hand if you move she darts away. I have no idea what to do, someone said to handle them daily so they get used to it but we are lucky if we can even catch them and the 1 time i have i seem to have traumatised her! I was gentle i didnt grip her hard or anything but now I'm really worried as shes not herself :(
 
No you didn't traumatize her by picking her up but she needs to be seen asap. It's good she's still eating but watch that very. very carefully. I'm not a vet but this sounds like she may have had this infection for a time already. She needs antibiotics as soon as you can get her to a vet. My first guinea pig came home with a uri but it was very subtle as this sounds and it took some time to show up more. Weigh her and make sure she's not losing much. If it's uncomfortable for her to be picked up, you can use a small blanket or pad to put her gently on and pick her up that way. There will be others whom can tell you a lot more that will jump on but please get her to the vet. The heavy breathing is never a good sign. You're doing a great job in your concern; guinea pigs are not easy pets to know off the bat. They can be very sensitive and any little problem can turn fast.

Please keep up with us. Very sorry you have to worry so soon but it's good you are catching this.
 
What bedding do you have? Bedding may cause sneezing.

I read your previous posts and saw you might be switching to fleece. This will probably help.
 
PiggyPoo said:
Not sure what to advise sorry! How is she today? Xx
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She has come out this morning and had a bit of food and water. I've rung the vet, they have suggested i take her to vets4pets at the pets at home i got her from so i will ring them shortly and get her booked in for a check up.
 
Hope everything goes well. That is a great suggestion from the vet, really. Keep everyone up to date on how she's going.
 
She is booked in at 4:30 at the vets4pets at the store i got her from. They have offered to cover the cost as i have only had her 3 weeks which is great :) lets hope its nothing too serious.
 
The vet said we did well to spot her breathing so soon. She has an infection and is on antibiotics until Sunday. They saw her and gave us the antibiotics all free of charge which i think is very good of them :) hopefully she will be back to her happy self soon enough. I have also removed all the hay from her bedding area and replaced with towels and fleece. This was always the plan for when we moved them into their big hutch but it is not quite ready for them yet!
 
Sazziej said:
The vet said we did well to spot her breathing so soon. She has an infection and is on antibiotics until Sunday. They saw her and gave us the antibiotics all free of charge which i think is very good of them :) hopefully she will be back to her happy self soon enough. I have also removed all the hay from her bedding area and replaced with towels and fleece. This was always the plan for when we moved them into their big hutch but it is not quite ready for them yet!
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Hi, I’m not sure about removing all the hay as this makes up the majority of their diet.
 
You must keep Hay in the cage, I understand why you have done it to keep the dust down. Have you just removed the hay from the bedding area, & left plenty of hay for eating.
 
Yes they have plenty of hay to nibble on i have just removed it from the bedding area so she isnt sleeping in it all night :) some in a hay rack and a pile in the corner for them as well. They seem to like the new sleeping arrangements :)
 
I'm glad she's doing better!
It's definitely a good idea to separate your pigs until she's been on the antibiotics a few days. Your other pig is likely to get sick as well if they are kept together. Although, it might be worth having your other pig checked out also anyways.
That's just what I would do, but as you just got them, I don't know how they would do on their own.
 
It's definitely worth seeing a vet, as upper respiratory infections can start small but escalate quickly, especially in young pigs that have gone through recent stress (like moving to a new home.) I would definitely rule it out before it gets severe, particularly if you are seeing a difference in her breathing.
 
lexi468 said:
I'm glad she's doing better!
It's definitely a good idea to separate your pigs until she's been on the antibiotics a few days. Your other pig is likely to get sick as well if they are kept together. Although, it might be worth having your other pig checked out also anyways.
That's just what I would do, but as you just got them, I don't know how they would do on their own.
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Our other piggie accompanied her to the vets and also had a once over. We didnt seperate them so i hope she doesnt come down with it also. I will remember that for future though, thank you :)

Nibbles is doing much better now, last lot of antibiotics tomorrow. She discovered baby corn today and seemed to love it! Broccoli on the other hand did not go down so well, both Nibbles and Speedy took one bit then decided nah thats not tasty lol
 
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