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Ongoing Uri Problem? Or Something Else?

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AshleyElvisPriscilla

AshleyElvisPriscilla

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One Of my guinea pigs started having a sniffly nose and as I have dealt with a uri before I separated her an took her straight to the vets. The vet gave me baytril for just over 1 week, the symptoms did not get better or worse so on a follow up the vet changed meds to septrin. I haven't used it before but was told it's a childrens antibiotic. I have now been using this for about a month and the snuffling has still not gone away - or got any worse even tho I have upped the dose myself slightly. Could it be something else? The vets dd mention something like if it's viral then there wouldn't be a cure with antibiotics? Thanks x
 
I would consider looking into allergies (hay, dust, pollen). Sometimes heart problems can also be at the bottom of recurrent/stubborn URI symptoms.
 
Do you think she could be allergic to sawdust? Also I don't know whether you would know this but do you think it is unlikely to be a uri considering the amount of time she's been on antibiotics with absolutely no change good or bad to the snuffling xx thank you
 
It is most likely not a URI; there would have been a response to the antibiotics by now.

You can look at changing the bedding, dust extracted hay, dry air (which could cause rhinitis) etc. Are your piggies indoors or outdoors?

With members from all around the world, it would be very helpful for us if you please added your country, state or (for the UK) your county, as medical and product recommendations can vary. Click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll dwn to location. That will enable us to always give you the appropriate advice straight away.

We also have got a pigy savvy vet locator for our UK members on the top bar.
 
Ok thank you I have added my details, I will try changing the bedding and hay and keep on with medication to see what happens, I just find it strange that she hasn't had a crusty nose or anything just the snuffles.. They live indoors in my bedroom and I'm forever fussing over the temperature being too hot or cold... Thanks everyone xx
 
I'm not sure if this will me of any help but our Pretzel had the sneezes one morning and was making this very strange hooting sound. We'd never heard this sound before in years of having our 7 piggles so we were very concerned and got her booked straight in at our local vet who is an exotic animal expert. By the time we got her there she had stopped making the noise but still had the occasional sneeze.

Our vet checked her over and was initially concerned about her heart witch really alarmed me but then he asked about her bedding etc but then he asked if I had been doing any cleaning because dust can cause this. There cage is in the living room next to our large window sill and I had dusted it the previous day as my in-laws were coming down!

I was just convinced it was this that has started the symptoms and after that day she never did it again! I don't suppose you had been dusting near the cage or changed to a different bedding?
 
Hopefully it is an allergy thing but it may also be worth asking the vet about a stronger antibiotic like Marbocyl or Zithromax if the change of bedding does not help. I can also let you know the symptoms and types of medication for a heart pig should you need it (I have 6). As Wiebke says a recurrent URI can be a symptom.
 
Hi thanks for the replies, I'm not sure about the dusting thing as I usually Hoover a couple of times a week but I do use "sawdust" lol. I buy it from pets at home. This is what happened before, I got her as a baby from pets at home a year ago to go with my male and she was making this sniffly noise then, I didn't think there was anything wrong with her tho as she seemed fine and after 2 weeks she stopped doing it by herself but my male started, and within a few days he was at deaths door and took a long time to recover from this URI. (With baytril) sorry for the long story, I'm wondering if it could be her heart now tho... My vets do treat guinea pigs but don't 100% trust them as after my male was on baytril for ages he got a fungal infection (which I had looked up online) and they insisted it was mites. I knew it wasn't as iv dealt with mites before and I ended up wasting money on 'mites meds' when I was right about the fungal infection... Hmm got a few things to try it's so annoying that a lot of vets seem to think I'm a nutcase for even bothering with such a small animal. Xx
 
Have a look on our vet locator in case there is a better vet near you.

As for heart issues:

How is her breathing? is it laboured? does she nod as she breathes? is it rapid?

Does she ever make a hooting noise sometimes followed by a cough?

Random coughing especially when eating or being handled?

Has she ever had bumblefoot?

Does she sleep deeply? is she difficult to wake up?

Are her lips, ears or other extremities ever blue?

Does she have any abdominal bloating?

How is her weight?
 
Hello thank you I have to say no to all of these questions you asked! Other than the noise she seems extremely happy. She's always popcorning and chatting and very active, her weight is normal just under a kilo she's always eating and drinking and apart from this she's never been ill (apart from when I got her but she's never had medication) she sleeps normally I think just in short intervals.. It really is a mystery.. I'm going to buy some vet bed and see how she gets on. One last question (in your opinion) should I carry on with the antibiotics or maybe leave it for a few days just to see how she goes? I keep thinking another few doses and she'll be fine and she just stays the same lol xx
 
Well that's good then, means a heart issue is unlikely. See what happens with the vet bed and go from there. I am not comfortable with telling you to stop the Septrin so I would speak to your vet about that. You could also ask the vet about whether it would be ok to use Children's Piriton Syrup if it is allergies, the dose I would usually give is 0.2ml twice a day. I think the active ingredient in it is listed in my exotic animal formulary but I can't check on that until I get home.

Also just in case there is any mucuous in her nose, ask the vet about Bisolvon too.
 
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