• PLEASE NOTE - the TEAS facebook page has been hacked, take extreme care when visiting the page, for further information visit here
  • 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

Emergency Looking For Advice Please! - Uri / Pneumonia

Status
Not open for further replies.
Almostmad

Almostmad

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Feb 8, 2015
Messages
88
Reaction score
58
Points
220
Location
Northern Ireland
I adopted a Guinea about a month ago and turns out that she had a respiratory infection...quickly got her to a Vet which prescribed a course of Anti-Biotics and painkillers. My Pig is due off the medication tomorrow but, I've noticed her coughing and it seems as though her breathing is laboured again! I'm thinking of taking her to a different Vets (one that I know the Partner of the Practice is a qualified Vet in Small Mammals) to get another opinion (I'd visited them previously when I got her health checked after getting her and the Vet said she may have signs of a respiratory infection developing but he said he didn't want to stress her un-necessarily at the time).
 
- didn't have enough space to continue!- Now the Vets that I have been using that have been treating her, have said that if she gets sick straight again after she finishes her meds that we might have to think about PTS as she is going to keep getting sick constantly throughout her life :( does anyone have any advice? The Vet said that being on Anti-Biotics long term isn't really an option and my Pig also gets extremely stressed when I'm giving her her meds :( it's something I feel so guilty about and I don't want her dying or being PTS :(! I feel really helpless and I don't know what to do! Any help or advice will be brilliant - thank you x
 
I would definitely take her to the other vet for a second opinion. I am a newbie myself so can't advise too much . There are several forum members who have guinea pigs on long term medication who will advise you further.
 
I've had to submit an online request for an appointment because they're closed today! Hopefully they'll phone tomorrow morning :) I was tempted to go to the out of hours Vets but I can't afford their consultation prices :(
I've been wanting to get her a friend since she's come to our home (she was on her own when I got her) but the second Vet (the good one) said that if she did have a respiratory problem, she could transmit it to the new Piggie :( so I've been waiting for over a month and so has she! Poor Piggles :( I just don't want to give up on her! People have dogs and cats on long term meds and they live a happy life so why can't my Piggles?!
 
Almostmad said:
I've had to submit an online request for an appointment because they're closed today! Hopefully they'll phone tomorrow morning :) I was tempted to go to the out of hours Vets but I can't afford their consultation prices :(
I've been wanting to get her a friend since she's come to our home (she was on her own when I got her) but the second Vet (the good one) said that if she did have a respiratory problem, she could transmit it to the new Piggie :( so I've been waiting for over a month and so has she! Poor Piggles :( I just don't want to give up on her! People have dogs and cats on long term meds and they live a happy life so why can't my Piggles?!
Click to expand...


You clearly love her very much. I'm sure an appointment sometime next week will be fine.
 
Sorry you and your piggy are going through this, I hope an appointment comes up x

How long was the course of antibiotics?
And what antibiotic?
 
She probably just needs either a longer course of antibiotics or a different type. I agree with getting a second opinion - can you use our vet locator on this forum to find your nearest piggy savvy vet?
 
She has been on Baytril since 6th March (just over 2 weeks). She was on Metacam too but that finished last Monday.
I know Cedarmount Vets have Craig which is one of two qualified Small Mammal Vets in Northern Ireland so that's who I've requested an appointment with :). Thanks everyone! X
 
The Baytril is 2.5% so I think that's pretty strong? She's getting 0.25ml per day - she's only little (450g) and only young (about 6 months) :( poor Betty! X
 
Good luck at the vets, see what he says, it seems a long enough course, he may feel another antibiotic like Septrin may work better - it depends where the infection is really?

Let us know how it goes, if you need any more help throughout the day - just ask someone will be around to help :) x

Let me just check my Baytril bottles x
 
She seems a bit small for 6 months, I don't know though... all pigs are different!
So I'm not too sure, although I know that when Bert had Baytril... he was on 0.15 twice daily and was about that weight... so it's probably an ok quantity... tagging @helen105281 x
 
Almostmad said:
- didn't have enough space to continue!- Now the Vets that I have been using that have been treating her, have said that if she gets sick straight again after she finishes her meds that we might have to think about PTS as she is going to keep getting sick constantly throughout her life :( does anyone have any advice? The Vet said that being on Anti-Biotics long term isn't really an option and my Pig also gets extremely stressed when I'm giving her her meds :( it's something I feel so guilty about and I don't want her dying or being PTS :(! I feel really helpless and I don't know what to do! Any help or advice will be brilliant - thank you x
Click to expand...

Please see another vet. Baytril may not be not be strong enough to cut through and she may need a stronger antibiotic like Zithromax or marbocyl.
Make sure that you also ask for bisolvon powder to help with getting rid of any mucus build-up and a diuretic to help ease any congestion in the lungs in the case of pneumonia. You are now fighting for her life with everything you can. See a vet asap!

Please place a bowl of steaming water next to the cage and of possible, add 2-3 drops of olbas oil. Don't use vicks, it is noxious to guinea pigs.

The need to breathe comes before before the need to drink and thirdly the need to eat. Weigh your girl daily at the same time and make sure that you water and hand feed your girl to keep up her strength as much as possible. Also up her vitamin C intake and give a pinch of probiotics 1-2 hours after any antibiotic to help the guts.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/complete-hand-feeding-guide.115359/

I am keeping my figners firmly crossed; I know that it is much harder in Northern Ireland to find a good vet.
 
My two girls were on antibiotics for awhile when they had a URI thing I wouldn't worry too much, she probably just needs more antibiotics. When I took amber and Trixie back after the meds finished they were still abit like sneezy and stuff for a few days after but it cleared up.
Getting a second opinion will probably put your mind at ease anyway :) but I wouldn't worry too much! Like I said my girls were on antibiotics for a good few weeks if not longer! Try giving a treat after you've administrated the meds too, after awhile they associate meds with treats so take it easy without stress :)
 
Oh my word I'm really panicking now with that reply! Do I need to go to the out of hours one today?! I can't afford it! She's started coughing like she did when she first got diagnosed! Also she peed on out leather sofa and it looked milky?! Is that a urinary tract infection?! She's eating an I hand feed her nuggets too and she's drinking/ eating her veggies. Will she be okay until tomorrow?! What should I do!
 
She sounds raspy but she's breathing okay, I think it's different from normal like a little exaggerated? I'll try the mushed up pellets, already have a syringe. She's nibbling away at her hay and she's eaten most of her hay house that she's in!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top