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Poorly Guinea Pigs - Only Had Them 5 Days!

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Lisa.Griff

Lisa.Griff

Junior Guinea Pig
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Shropshire
Hi All, this is my first post. We got two guinea pigs last weekend. We initially tried to find a suitable pair from local rescue centres, but having come up with nothing ended up buying two 12 week old guineas from pets at home on Saturday. They have been fine - we keep them inside and they are slowly becoming less nervous. However, yesterday, one of them was really not himself. He was lathargic, one of his eyes was closing and I heard him sneeze. We took him to the vet first thing this morning and he said it looked like a URI and that these can be brought on by the stress of moving home. He prescribed him some baytril and told us to give it him twice a day. He has picked up a bit since this morning and is now eating a little more. His eye is all crusty though - am I okay to wipe it with boiled water and cotton wool?
This evening I've noticed the other Guinea Pig sneezing! He is still full of beans, but do you think he could have caught it? He doesn't seem ill in any way.
I'm really worried about the pig with the URI - although he seems to be okay now and I think we caught it early. Should he make a full recovery?
Please advise - I already love these little piggies and just want to do what's best for them.
 
Bless you, it's such a worry when they are poorly. Yes, you are fine to bathe eyes with cooled boiled water and cotton wool. It's good you caught the URI early. It's true that stress can bring on infections in piggies and they do get very easily stressed. As for the second piggy, did they go to the vets as a pair and if so did the vet listen to the second piggy's chest? If not, it may well be worth getting that little one checked over too. They are good at hiding illnesses as they are prey animals. I'm not able to offer much advice other than to say anything caught early usually has a better outcome for a piggy. Good luck.
 
Thank you for the reply. I did take both of them to the vets together. He did listen to the other one's chest but at that time there was no sneezing. He did say that one might give it to the other, I might take him tomorrow in case. Olaf (poorly piggie) seems a lot chirpier now - the pair have been running around the indoor run all night and eating lots. I will bathe his eye before bed.

Any tips for administering antibiotics without stressing him out too much?
 
Baytril tastes vile, I know cos I got some on my hands -it is very bitter. I have mixed mine with a drop or 2 of neat Ribena before now but it still tastes vile. I'm afraid that catching the piggy and administering it by syringe is the only sure way to get the dose into the piggy. It gets easier the more used you become to doing it, but can be stressful for you as well as the piggy at first. They will go off you for a bit but will get over it with food bribery!
 
Lisa.Griff said:
Hi All, this is my first post. We got two guinea pigs last weekend. We initially tried to find a suitable pair from local rescue centres, but having come up with nothing ended up buying two 12 week old guineas from pets at home on Saturday. They have been fine - we keep them inside and they are slowly becoming less nervous. However, yesterday, one of them was really not himself. He was lathargic, one of his eyes was closing and I heard him sneeze. We took him to the vet first thing this morning and he said it looked like a URI and that these can be brought on by the stress of moving home. He prescribed him some baytril and told us to give it him twice a day. He has picked up a bit since this morning and is now eating a little more. His eye is all crusty though - am I okay to wipe it with boiled water and cotton wool?
This evening I've noticed the other Guinea Pig sneezing! He is still full of beans, but do you think he could have caught it? He doesn't seem ill in any way.
I'm really worried about the pig with the URI - although he seems to be okay now and I think we caught it early. Should he make a full recovery?
Please advise - I already love these little piggies and just want to do what's best for them.
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Hi! Please have the other boy seen tomorrow morning; URI is highly infected, especially in young guinea pigs hwose immune system is still developing and that have just undergone several major changes to their young lives!
Please also ask your vet for some bisolvon powder to help dissolving the mucus for your first boy and to ease the breathing as much as possible. Using boiled water is fine for gently wiping the eyes. You can also place a bowl of steaming water next to the cage to help ease the breathing.
If the lungs are congested, we recommend to ask your vet for a diuretic to help clear them as quickly as possible.

Baytril tastes horrible and it is also very harsh on the guts. You can help bolster them by giving a pinch of probiotics 1-2 hours after the antibiotic (in an emergency, the p@h one will do). Also try to boost the immune system with some extra vitamin C; 1/8 of a human tablet, if necessary dissolved in a little bit water and syringed. If your boy is not eating, please top him up with hand feed; he will need all his strength to fight the illness. Between the appetite dampening effect of the baytril and the need to breathe surpassing both the need to drink and thirdly the need to eat, he is up against it food-wise. Your vet may have some recovery food; otherwise, mushed up pellets will also do the trick. Weigh your boys daily at the smae time.
You can find all necessary information and tips in our illustrated step-by-step hand feeding guide, including information on probiotics and vitamin C: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/complete-hand-feeding-guide.115359/
 
What a unlucky start for your piggies and for you! Sending healing vibes!
 
Thank you so much for the replies. It's not the best start at all! Phoned the vet this morning and they are happy for me to give him the antibiotics too. Is there a particular probiotic I should give? They are still eating - Olaf just isn't eating quite as much as usual. Will start weighing them today too. Neither boy seems to be struggling to breathe. The only symptom Sven has is the sneezing, but obviously I want to nip it in the bud.

Should I be separating the guinea pigs? Or as they both have a URI does it not matter?
 
VickiA said:
Baytril tastes vile, I know cos I got some on my hands -it is very bitter. I have mixed mine with a drop or 2 of neat Ribena before now but it still tastes vile. I'm afraid that catching the piggy and administering it by syringe is the only sure way to get the dose into the piggy. It gets easier the more used you become to doing it, but can be stressful for you as well as the piggy at first. They will go off you for a bit but will get over it with food bribery!
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I agree Baytril tastes vile - but , if they need it - then they need it !

The vet once gave Baytril diluted - that made things worse as it increased the volume of medicine to give.

I'm rubbish at giving mine medication - and have had a lot of support from the person who boards them when I am away. I'm gradually getting better at it.

My Bess has just completed a course of antibiotics - Max is 1/2 way through his. I have had to set my alarm clock earlier - so I have time and am not stressed when giving them their medication.

The syringe feeding guide already posted by Wiebke is invaluable .

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/complete-hand-feeding-guide.115359/

I wrap mine and I have found that the hand towels in our local supermarket's budget range are just he right size
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/administering-medications-and-wrapping-piggies.36533/
and I also agree with Wiebke that giving them a piece of their favourite food straight after helps .... Food Bribery !
 
Lisa.Griff said:
Thank you so much for the replies. It's not the best start at all! Phoned the vet this morning and they are happy for me to give him the antibiotics too. Is there a particular probiotic I should give? They are still eating - Olaf just isn't eating quite as much as usual. Will start weighing them today too. Neither boy seems to be struggling to breathe. The only symptom Sven has is the sneezing, but obviously I want to nip it in the bud.

Should I be separating the guinea pigs? Or as they both have a URI does it not matter?
Click to expand...


The probiotic available from shops is this one ...

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/small-pet/small-pet/rat-healthcare/proc-probiotic-100gm

Some forum members use Avipro - which is available online
 
Thank you for the advice PiggyOwner. I hadn't seen the wrapping piggie info - will be definitely doing that today. Administering the antibiotics last night was NOT a fun experience for anyone involved! Off to Pets at home I go this morning!
 
Lisa.Griff said:
Thank you for the advice PiggyOwner. I hadn't seen the wrapping piggie info - will be definitely doing that today. Administering the antibiotics last night was NOT a fun experience for anyone involved! Off to Pets at home I go this morning!
Click to expand...

I have almost 20 years experience of medicating piggies and the first time of syringe feeding or giving meds to a new piggy is always stressful as you haven't yet built your strong bond with them. The wrapping technique is great if you have a really reluctant piggy and are having difficulties. I've used it just today with my old lady Mrs Fudge who is my most tricky piggy.
 
For goodness sake! One of them is now itching furiously as well! This is so stressful! Both piggies are sneezing, but are eating well. Got the probiotics.
Have been researching and have yet to find examples of young guinea pigs with URIs surviving, never mind ones that clearly have mites/some other itchy companions!

The vet put the pigs on 0.1 of baytril twice a day. Is there anyone on here who might advise if that sounds about right for 12 week old guinea pigs? I've just read of a pig who was prescribed too low a dose and the pig died of pneumonia.

Can anyone recommend an exotic pet vet in the vicinity of telford/stafford? I feel a need further advice here.
 
There's a vet locator at the top of the page. This is one I got from it but there are others. I'm sorry I haven't had young ones with colds, I'm sure someone will come along soon and answer your question about the meds.

Taylor and Marshall Vets
Hannah Bould
45 High Street
Shifnal
Shropshire, TF11 8BL
01952 460781

Here's a site that MIGHT be able to give you an idea in regards to the mite problem. Once you get to a vets they'll be able to help.

http://shop.gorgeousguineas.com/identification-32-w.asp
 
Thanks so much - I will be phoning first thing on Monday for a second opinion with them. I will NEVER buy another animal from pets at home. :no: Poor little piggies.
As I said earlier, apart from the scratching and sneezing, they are both eating well and are running about the place like there's nothing wrong. It would be reassuring to speak to someone who is really knowledgeable about them, as opposed to a general vet (who I saw on Thurs).
 
I don't blame you, I've seen/heard lots of things about people getting pets from there and them getting ill/dying. They shouldn't be allowed to sell pets.

I hope everything turns out well for your little ones.
 
Lisa.Griff said:
For goodness sake! One of them is now itching furiously as well! This is so stressful! Both piggies are sneezing, but are eating well. Got the probiotics.
Have been researching and have yet to find examples of young guinea pigs with URIs surviving, never mind ones that clearly have mites/some other itchy companions!

The vet put the pigs on 0.1 of baytril twice a day. Is there anyone on here who might advise if that sounds about right for 12 week old guinea pigs? I've just read of a pig who was prescribed too low a dose and the pig died of pneumonia.

Can anyone recommend an exotic pet vet in the vicinity of telford/stafford? I feel a need further advice here.
Click to expand...

We see a fair number of shop piggies with URI on here, and the vast majority survive if they ar seen and treated promptly. ;)

It is likely that the suppressed immune system can have allowed mange mites to hit. Please see your vet again, especially if the itching/bald spots are getting worse. Do not treat with shop products, as they are too low dosed for effective treatement. Your vet also needs to make sure that it is mange mites and not fungal that you are dealing with, as both need different treatments but can look similar initially.

Any probiotic will do in a pinch. it is just a supportive measure; it is not a medication. https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...vitamin-c-overview-with-product-links.115404/
 
Piggies can get fur mites from hay btw (I added that because I know sometimes people think it's their fault their pets have mites). Mange mites are horrible.
 
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I am going to ring the vet that specialises in exotic pets near me tomorrow and see if they can see them there. It must be very distressing for them, having been here for only a week, to have me constantly shoving antibiotics in their mouths. One of them (Sven), however, is easily bribed with food and doesn't seem to resent me for it. Last night he climbed rested his head on my chest and kept putting his face right up to mine. He's so lovely - I hope I can help them!
 
I use avipro, it's a small tub. I guess it doesn't matter what you use really as long as it's for guinea's and it helps their tummies while you give them antibiotics.

The vet will advise you anyway and if you ask for probiotics I'm sure they'll supply you with some or at least give advice on what to get :)

Guinea pigs are lovely animals, I was very attached and had a bond with the little boy in my profile pic, sadly we had to have him pts about a month or so ago due to useless vets letting him down, the was the second piggie let down by vets and the second we had to have pts since Feb. So I'm really glad that your taking yours to an exotic vet, according to the locator the closest on to us is Derby :(

Anyway, please update us when you have taken your guinea pigs to the vets, I hope everything goes well for them both.
 
Thank you everyone for all of your advice. I don't know what I would have done without this forum! I will keep you posted when I have seen the vet. Both boys are doing okay today, still eating well. Scratching a bit less since I used fleece instead of shavings (though that could be a coincidence). They are both getting used to being given the antibiotics and both will now be bribed by a little bit of carrot straight out of my hand afterwards. I got some probiotic from pets at home for now - it says to sprinkle a bit on their food. They seem to find their nuggets even tastier as a result - they are gobbling them up! Fingers crossed I can get an appointment tomorrow.
 
hi there welcome to the forum :wel:

not much advice to give as a lot already seems to have been covered, but i see you have changed to fleece, that's probably better than shavings (if you mean wood shavings) sometimes the dust in the wood causes respiratory or eye problems & the urine can react chemically with the shavings causing respiratory problems too,
personally i use newspaper covered with shredded paper then hand fulls of hay on top (easy to spot clean or roll out in a sausage & dispose of when cleaning out too).

if you use fleece you will need an absorbent layer underneath, some members use puppy pads, towels, newspaper, shredded paper, or megazorb, to name a few.

A fleece will also need at first to wash about 3 wash cycles with no conditioner, so that the urine wicks through underneath. this will prevent your new furball babies sitting in any urine, thus getting wet& cold or urine scald.(conditioner makes urine sit on top of the fibres enabling puddles!)

make sure you keep them warm enough & out of any draughts especially whilst they are under the weather.
get a recommended cavvy savvy vet to check for mites, etc, whilst they are there too.

it sounds like you caught things quickly, so the chances of a full recovery are far greater than if you had left them.:tu:
Make sure you talk to someone/manager in Pets at home ref paying your bills for this, if they have to keep paying out for bills it may make them look after them better when they are under their care, before being sold. keep & copy vet receipts.

they sound promising if they are running around & eating well
welcome to the worrying world of addictive furry fluffballs! The joys of piggy parenthood! lol!

Congratulations on your new babies :clap:
pigtures of fit & healthy piggies to follow soon i hope ;)
xx
 
Just got back from different vets. The good news is that there is no fluid on the lungs and she was pleased that they were both bright and alert. They say to persist with the Baytril, but have also given me some Bisolven because she could see a little discharge in their noses.

I've been told to dissolve the bisolven and give each piggie one ml twice a day. Does anyone have any experience of giving their pigs this medication? Its a bigger dose than the Baytril, and I'm worried that they won't take it.

With regards to the itching. The vet couldn't see any mites on Sven, but saw some black dots on Olaf. She treated them all with some spot on stuff. Should that do the trick do you think?

Finally, she commented that Sven looked a little bloated. I agree, he looks a little podgier....I don't know them well enough to say if he is or he isn't. He seems to be pooing fine. Is there any way I can tell if he is or not? If he is, what do I do about it?

Thank you for all your help so far!
 
Glad you got them seen to.

I bet @Wiebke or @helen105281 or both could advise you :)

My experience with mites is that I had to treat them with the spot on stuff weekly for 3 weeks or they had one pipette every two weeks for six weeks (if that makes sense).

Our two young boars will be going for a check up next month to see if their mites have gone.
 
Re: the bloating. I did think Sven looked a bit puffy. We were out of the house for about an hour and a half for the vets and I just realised that there were only a couple of poos in his box. They've been in their indoor run since being home and I've just looked in their pigloo and seen that there are about a million poos in there. Do you reckon that will be why he looked a bit bloated? I don't think he looks bloated any more.
 
Lisa.Griff said:
Just got back from different vets. The good news is that there is no fluid on the lungs and she was pleased that they were both bright and alert. They say to persist with the Baytril, but have also given me some Bisolven because she could see a little discharge in their noses.

I've been told to dissolve the bisolven and give each piggie one ml twice a day. Does anyone have any experience of giving their pigs this medication? Its a bigger dose than the Baytril, and I'm worried that they won't take it.

With regards to the itching. The vet couldn't see any mites on Sven, but saw some black dots on Olaf. She treated them all with some spot on stuff. Should that do the trick do you think?

Finally, she commented that Sven looked a little bloated. I agree, he looks a little podgier....I don't know them well enough to say if he is or he isn't. He seems to be pooing fine. Is there any way I can tell if he is or not? If he is, what do I do about it?

Thank you for all your help so far!
Click to expand...

You need to repeat the mites treatment twice at about a two week interval for best effect.

It can be that Sven isn't eating quite regularly. Please take a suspected bloat/tummy upset piggy off any fresh food for a day or two and see how that is going. Substitute veg with hand feed. You give the bisolvon mix and any hand feed if mouthfuls (for young piggies that is about one quarter or one third of a 1 ml syringe in one go. Adult piggies can have about half a syringe in one go without the risk of things going down the wrong way.
Here are tips on how to be syringe and syringe feed: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/complete-hand-feeding-guide.115359/
 
*** UPDATE *****
Hi All. So Olaf and Sven have been on anti-bios for two weeks now. Olaf's eye has cleared up and both boys are putting on lots of weight, have lots of energy etc. They have been to two different guinea pig vets. We contacted Pets at Home, who agreed to pay our vets fees (by now well over £100) and invited us to bring them to their vet to be checked over. Both boys are still sneezing and have wet noses. I knew that the vet I was seeing wouldn't give them any more anti-bios, so thought no harm in taking them to p@h. The vet there said that she can give another week's worth of anti-biotics, but that it looks like Olaf and Sven were unlikely to overcome the infection :(. She has suggested that unless they are "markedly improved" next week, it might be kinder to put them to sleep. It's so unfair. They look healthy except for the sneezing, and their lungs are clear. As I said, Olaf's eye is better and there's no crust on their noses. Feeling really upset about it as I've grown really attached to them and our daughter has formed a real bond with them.
Does anyone have any miraculous tales of recovery?
I'm also feeling annoyed. The Vets IN p@h said that unfortunately these infections are very common given the way so many are transported and housed together. Brilliant. These were our first family pets, and the whole experience has been totally ruined. I'm angry that they think it's acceptable that the way they treat their animals results in them getting fatal illnesses. I appreciate that they have paid the vets bills, but we have shelled out time, money and energy into preparing for these pets, buying them, taking them to a suitable vet (20 minute drive away) four times in two weeks. Not to mention the emotional heartache of having two poorly pets, which is by far the worst part of the lot. Sorry for the rant. Feeling emotionally drained and very frustrated.
 
I wouldn't consider PTS at this stage and I am the first to recommend it if needed. Am on my phone so is not easy to scroll back. What antibiotics have they been on? And what are they bedded on?
 
Oh I am sorry for you & your poor daughter :( URIs are tricky to treat, what antibiotic were/are they on? If it is a serious infection then you could try Zithromax, or I am not sure if Marbocyl is suitable for URIs but @furryfriends Excellent Adventure Sanctuary has had great success with it in injection form, so hopefully she can advise & also @helen105281 as she is experienced in these matters too. They would both need a diuretic such as Frusemide, but Helen will advise you more on that, it will help with any fluid on their lungs. Hang in there, you sound like loving owners & they might make it through this with your help x
 
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