New Piggie Owner Uri Advice Please

[Kate88]

Hi I'm new to the forum and in fact owning GPs. I got 2 girls from pets at home 2 weeks ago. I allowed them to settle in and they both seemed to enjoy their new home. However Gabi had sneezed a little bit since I've had her but seemed fine. Yesterday I noticed that she was quiet and had crackly breathing with slight nose discharge. I rang the store and saw a vet. One vet practically blamed me for the lack of vitamin c (these girls get a good veg/fruit variety), but the other vet said it was basically the other stores fault. She had an injection and she has antibiotics for 2 days. I've read so much about it all I don't know what I can do to get her better. They have now been bought into the house again.
What else can I feed her specifically or do? I desperately want my girl better.. And should I seperate them because Gina seems fine and they love each other's company.

 

[pig in the city]

Respiratory problems are very common in piggies and can be very serious, so its good that you have taken Gabi to a vet straight away. Is she eating and drinking ok? keep her warm, maybe use a heat pad if you have one. Did the vet give metacam as well ( this is equivalent to ibuprofen for humans) this will help make her feel more comfortable and reduce any inflammation in her airways. Is the vet intending to see her again in 2 days as this is a very short course of antibiotics, is it Baytril she is taking?
If her breathing deteriorates I would recommend taking her back to the vet asap as it could be a chest infection.
I wouldn't separate the piggies, her companion has already been exposed to the bug so there is nothing you can do and it will be less stressful for them to be kept together. Keep them inside until she is fully recovered and then gradually reacclimatise them to living outside ( eg outside in the day, brought in at night).
It is just one of those things, the stress of the move has probably reduced her immunity, so its nobody's fault. So saying that avoid woodshavings as they are very dusty and irritate the nose and lungs. I hope Gabi gets better soon

 

[Wiebke]

Hi I'm new to the forum and in fact owning GPs. I got 2 girls from pets at home 2 weeks ago. I allowed them to settle in and they both seemed to enjoy their new home. However Gabi had sneezed a little bit since I've had her but seemed fine. Yesterday I noticed that she was quiet and had crackly breathing with slight nose discharge. I rang the store and saw a vet. One vet practically blamed me for the lack of vitamin c (these girls get a good veg/fruit variety), but the other vet said it was basically the other stores fault. She had an injection and she has antibiotics for 2 days. I've read so much about it all I don't know what I can do to get her better. They have now been bought into the house again.
What else can I feed her specifically or do? I desperately want my girl better.. And should I seperate them because Gina seems fine and they love each other's company.

Hi and welcome!

If the sneezing has been ongoing since you brought them home, you can reclaim the vet cost from the shop together with their sales receipt. URI is not at all rare in young guinea pigs with a not yet quite fully developed immune system, especially if you are having them as outdoors piggies without proper acclimatisation.

2 days of antibiotics is very short - are you supposed to bring her again on Tuesday? Please keep your guinea pigs indoors in steady temperatures; it is far too cold for the outdoors season yet with near freezing nights and they have not yet the body mass to compensate!
When you see a vet again, you can ask him for bisolvon powder to help clear out the mucus in the airways if the nose/eyes are still gunky and/or a diuretic if there is a build up of fluid in the lungs. The priority next to the antibiotic action to get on top of the bacteria has to be to clear the airways as quickly as possible.
It sounds like you are a conscientious owner and have taken to Gabi to see a vet in time, so she will hopefully recover fully.

What you can do to support the antibiotic treatment:
- place a bowl of steaming water close to the cage (but not so close that the hot steam can damage their tender respiratory system) and replace it from time to time to help ease the breathing. If you wish, you can add 1-2 drops of olbas oil. Vicks is not recommended; it contains substances that are noxious to guinea pigs.

- give 1/8 of a human vitamin C tablet to help boost the immune system. Either sprinkle it on veg or syringe dissolved in 1 ml of water (i.e. one syringe full). Give this in 3-4 mouthfuls to avoid things going down the wrong way, considering that they are still very small (about 0.25 - 0.3 ml per lot).

- Please weigh your girls daily at the same time in the feeding cycle (instead of the regular weekly weigh-in) to keep an eye on the food intake. Up to 80% should be unlimited hay, which you cannot keep track of. If they lose more than 30g, start stepping in with syringe feed top-up and watering. The need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly the need to eat.
That is why loss appetite is very common in fully developed URIs. Antibiotics (especially baytril) are additional appetite dampeners/killers. You can support the guts with a pinch of probiotics either on veg or mixed in with syringe feed.
You can find lots of tips (including what you can do with what you have got at home, as well where you can get things from online) in our illustrated step-by-step syringe feeding guide: Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

As we have members and enquiries from all over the world, we find it very helpful if you please added your country or county to your details, so we can help you with local recommendations as much as possible. Click on your username on the top bar, then got personal details and scroll down to location. Thank you!
We have got a recommended UK vets locator on the top bar.

 

[Kate88]

Thank you. They have not been outside in the air at all they have been in the out house but that's not at night however they are now in the house and will be until she recovers.

I am taking her back on Monday afternoon, she is currently on Baytril. They also told me to use pro c probiotic on their food. How much fruit am I allowed to give them, because I keep reading about diabetes and not to much . She's eating fine still but I don't see either of them at the bottle but someone is definitely using it.

They are on saw dust but what can I use instead, I know fleece is an option but they haven't settled their toilet place yet so won't that smell?

I will attend to what ever they need as I love them so much already, my partner got them me as a gift to cheer me up over the loss of a family member and I don't want to lose her too

Gabi was always the one who ran away so perhaps everything was too much.

 

[pig in the city]

You can use fleece over newspaper or puppy pads, but remember to give them a big pile of hay too. Or you can use alternative beddings that are not as irritant such as megazorb.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you. They have not been outside in the air at all they have been in the out house but that's not at night however they are now in the house and will be until she recovers.

I am taking her back on Monday afternoon, she is currently on Baytril. They also told me to use pro c probiotic on their food. How much fruit am I allowed to give them, because I keep reading about diabetes and not to much . She's eating fine still but I don't see either of them at the bottle but someone is definitely using it.

They are on saw dust but what can I use instead, I know fleece is an option but they haven't settled their toilet place yet so won't that smell?

I will attend to what ever they need as I love them so much already, my partner got them me as a gift to cheer me up over the loss of a family member and I don't want to lose her too

Gabi was always the one who ran away so perhaps everything was too much.

You can find answers to your questions via this link here; it includes detailed information on settling in piggies, diet, bedding (including more alternatives to wood chippings) etc.: " Starter Kit" Of Information Threads For New Owners

Fleece is better for indoors cages. Guinea pigs often have specific peeing areas, but you cannot toilet train them. Some are scattier than others. A shallow tray filled with soft hay underneath a hay rack does make a good toiletting area if you are using fleece. For some reason, piggies love to munch on hay while they are doing their business and they also love to sleep or burrow in it!

If you are allowed (many people in rented accommodation aren't), then I would consider keeping your guinea pigs indoors, as you have so much more interaction with them and they get used to you much mre quickly.