Pneumonia Recovery Time?

[sopheeandrose27]

Sophee was brought to the vet Monday morning after I noticed unusual labored and noisy breathing. She had an x ray done, showed "lung consolidation on left side", vet deemed it pneumonia and she was put on antibiotics for a week (doxycycline .16ml 2x a day + zeniquin .13ml 1x a day). It is now Thursday, so day 4 of antibiotics, and I do not see improvement in breathing- if anything it seems like it's getting tougher for her. I sent the vet a video update of her and he said its unfortunately part of the process. Since we're already into day 4 how long should I wait to see breathing improvements?

Now the positives- she's eating and drinking pretty normally. She isn't lethargic and can move around. She is also separated from her cage mate and I put her on fleece bedding to minimize dust (was using Carefresh). She is 5-6 years old so I can also presume that recovery may take longer for an elderly piggy. What else can I do? Do you think her still breathing harshly is normal after days of antibiotics?

 

[Lady Kelly]

I had a piggy with pneumonia and other health complications who unfortunately did not survive however the vet said to me that it can cause considerable scarring to the lungs and even if you get back on top of it you can continue to see/hear issues with the breathing as a result. This was from a hugely knowledgeable guinea pig vet and might help to explain why you feel that things are getting worse. I would also guess that older pigs will be slower in recovering from most conditions also

If you are concerned at all you have two options - go back for another check up with the same vet or seek a second opinion.

 

[DM030819]

@sopheeandrose27 It can take a while for a URI to clear up. Sometimes weeks.

If you don't think she is improving then please take her back to the vet.

They could change the antibiotic, or add in a diuretic to help with the fluid.

 

[Wiebke]

Sophee was brought to the vet Monday morning after I noticed unusual labored and noisy breathing. She had an x ray done, showed "lung consolidation on left side", vet deemed it pneumonia and she was put on antibiotics for a week (doxycycline .16ml 2x a day + zeniquin .13ml 1x a day). It is now Thursday, so day 4 of antibiotics, and I do not see improvement in breathing- if anything it seems like it's getting tougher for her. I sent the vet a video update of her and he said its unfortunately part of the process. Since we're already into day 4 how long should I wait to see breathing improvements?

Now the positives- she's eating and drinking pretty normally. She isn't lethargic and can move around. She is also separated from her cage mate and I put her on fleece bedding to minimize dust (was using Carefresh). She is 5-6 years old so I can also presume that recovery may take longer for an elderly piggy. What else can I do? Do you think her still breathing harshly is normal after days of antibiotics?

It can easily take a week or longer, but if there is no improvement whatsoever within a week it may be worth checking whether the antibiotic is working on the bacteria your piggy has contracted. If there is a noticeable deterioration at any point, see your vet promptly.

Please keep in mind that guinea pig airways are very narrow, so you hear every little bit of obstruction very loudly, much more than you would in a human. Airways in older piggies can additionally narrow.

The good news is that she is actually not too badly impacted if she is still eating/drinking normally (please check the food intake by weighing once daily at the same time in the feeding cycle as you cannot check the hay intake otherwise - and it makes ca. 80% of the daily food intake).

See whether a bowl of steaming water next to the cage helps to ease the breathing. If yes, half an hour on a dry towel in a steamed-up shower may help; it is basically an improvised nebuliser.

You can also give extra vitamin C for 2-3 weeks to help boost the immune system.
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links

 

[Abi_nurse]

As others have suggested, potentially weeks to really improve. She will need to be on a long course of antibiotics. Hope she starts to improve.

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum .
Sorry to hear about Sophee- hope she recovers soon.

 

[helen105281]

Am sorry she is poorly. As Jaycey said, I would ask the vet about adding in diuretics. They can really help if there is fluid on the chest.