Emergency Piggy With Suspected Pneumonia - Advice Please!

[nikkilou]

Hi I have a 8 month old guinea pig who 10 days ago started losing her balance and lying on her side - I took her to the vets and they thought she had suffered a stroke or a possible heart attack and should be put to sleep. Having researched these I felt that it was neither of these as she wasn't displaying the symptoms such as eyes flickering.I asked for antibiotics as I have had piggys with ear infections before showing similar symptoms - so after Baytril 0.2ml twice a day after three days of hand feeding, she made an amazing recovery and was back up running around . After a week of antibiotics, they ran out and I thought she was fine, but the next day she started declining again I took her to another vet who said best to continue with Baytril for another 10 days as possible inner ear infection, but nothng visible he could detect from examination.

After 2 days back on Baytril, she is very poorly, very little balance and off her food. Her breathing is shallow and she sounds very chesty so I'm wondering if its pneumonia. I think Baytril would still be suitable but have read that ways to help can include giving them an expectorant to help any fluid in lungs? I am not an expert and just going by threads on the internet so any advice is gratefully received. I also read Metatone 0.5ml a day is a good idea with Diorolyte too? Hoping someone can help! Thanks xx

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome!

Which country are you located in, please? Click on your username, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. Add your country, state or (for the UK) your county; that will help us tailor any advice and recommendations.
We have got a piggy savvy UK vet locator on the top bar, but can provide a link for recommended vets in other countries.

Please contact your vets asap as an emergency. Ask them for a diuretic if the lungs or chest cavity are fluid filled and for bisolvon powder if there is a lot of mucus. They may also look at a higher dosage of baytril or another stronger antibiotic like marbocyl or zithromax.

You can place a bowl of steaming water next to the cage and start hand feeding asap to keep the strength up and the guts going.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/complete-hand-feeding-guide.115359/

Probiotics, vitamin C or metatone and dioralyte are all support measure that can help perk up a piggy short term, but they won't change the ultimate outcome. Please treat this as an emergency.

 

[nikkilou]

Hi and welcome!

Which country are you located in, please? Click on your username, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. Add your country, state or (for the UK) your county; that will help us tailor any advice and recommendations.
We have got a piggy savvy UK vet locator on the top bar, but can provide a link for recommended vets in other countries.

Please contact your vets asap as an emergency. Ask them for a diuretic if the lungs or chest cavity are fluid filled and for bisolvon powder if there is a lot of mucus. They may also look at a higher dosage of baytril or another stronger antibiotic like marbocyl or zithromax.

You can place a bowl of steaming water next to the cage and start hand feeding asap to keep the strength up and the guts going.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/complete-hand-feeding-guide.115359/

Probiotics, vitamin C or metatone and dioralyte are all support measure that can help perk up a piggy short term, but they won't change the ultimate outcome. Please treat this as an emergency.

Hi - thankyou for your help. Am hand feeing the critical care food and giving fluids, just given metatone too. Phoebe is starting to eat some hay and seems to be perking up slightly .. How can I tell if pneumonia? Should I return to vet or see how she goes in next 12 hours? Her breathing seems to have eased - not sounding chesty.. Wonder whether it was because she slept on her side last night? Thanks for your help ! Nikki

 

[Wiebke]

Hi - thankyou for your help. Am hand feeing the critical care food and giving fluids, just given metatone too. Phoebe is starting to eat some hay and seems to be perking up slightly .. How can I tell if pneumonia? Should I return to vet or see how she goes in next 12 hours? Her breathing seems to have eased - not sounding chesty.. Wonder whether it was because she slept on her side last night? Thanks for your help ! Nikki

That is good news. I would still have her checked. Fluid buil-up cannot just happen in the lungs, but also in the chest; bad breathing should be monitored in any case. Piggies with URI can go downhill very quickly, especially as yours is having an already somewhat lowered immune system. There is still a chance that the problems are linked.

 

[nikkilou]

Hi - saw the vet, they said def pneumonia, gave her a diuretic injection and an anti inflammatory injection. Also gave her baytril injection and marbocyl 2.5mg a day tablet . Vet said worth treating for parasites just incase so also gave me panacur to give her. Phoebe is trying to eat hay and tries to clean herself so is showing some fight! Hopefully have covered all bases in helping her.. Only time will tell .. Thanks for your advice it was really helpful

 

[Wiebke]

Fingers firmly crossed! I hope that you can pull her through. Please support her with hand feed, probiotics and extra vitamin C to get her through the crisis, but she will hopefully make it on the stronger meds and the diuretic. Good that you have had her seen so promptly!

 

[helen105281]

Glad the vet has given diuretic, it really can help. You may find you need to go back for a further injection or ask the vet for some oral diuretic to give at home - the most common is Frusol.