Poorly Pig - I would love some advice please!

[Camoch37]

Hi All,

I have been a member of this forum for some months and have found it very useful and have learnt a lot from the wealth of Guinea knowledge that is shared here. This however is my first post due to the fact I am at a loss with what to do next with my sick pig.

I have two guinea pigs both 11 months old and have had them since being around 5/6 weeks old. They have been pretty much healthy throughout the time they have been with me (with only 1 URI at around 4 months old).

Around a month ago I noticed that my bigger pig Amelie was lethargic and began sneezing etc - which I recognised as URI symptoms. We had not changed anything in our usual routine, food / hay and sawdust was the same type as always.

Off to the vet we went and Amelie got a week’s supply of antibiotics. We went back a week later (as requested by the vet) where she got a shot of steroids as it still had not shifted off her chest. A week later we went back again and the vet gave us the all clear from the rattle in her chest (even though there was still sniffles and occasional snot) but that she might ‘always be a snotty pig’. She stated if we wanted she could take swabs and x-rays and send them for testing which she said is expensive and might not give us conclusive answers. I am willing to pay this if it might be beneficial to solving our sniffle issue.

We discussed with the vet if there was a possibility that there was an underlying allergy to the sawdust / hay as we had found it odd that Duchess our other pig has been perfectly healthy throughout. The vet told us that it was a long shot but that there is no need to change our routine.
Last night (this not being two weeks since our last visit to the vet) I found Amelie sneezing and snotty again and she is the same today. I am at a loss as to what to do next? I am thinking another vet visit but do I go to the same vet? She was pretty comfortable and experienced with Guinea Pigs.
Has anyone else experienced anything like this?
Or paid and got swabs / x-rays? – What was the outcome? Was it helpful?
Do you think it could be an underlying allergy?

I have tried to include as much as I can about this situation, if i have missed anything or you would like more information please ask.

Thanks

Camoch - A concerned Mama pig!

 

[piggyfan]

Have you changed the bedding? I find many piggies allergic to sawdust and shavings.

 

[Camoch37]

I haven't yet. We changed nothing before she got ill and haven't since. She has been on the same sawdust and bedding since we got them both.
Do you think it will be worth changing?
If so would it be worth trying the dust free bedding?

 

[sport_billy]

Sorry to hear Amelie is poorly

Has she lost any weight? This is often an indication of illness. If it were an allergy I wouldn't expect weight loss, but were it an infection it is more probable to see some weight loss.. I would get it checked over again by the vet in case it is a URI though as it is always better to err on the side of caution and get these things checked out.
Some piggies do seem more suspectible to infections than others.

Have you thought of switching to Fleece as a bedding? Our 2 girls are on helmes dust free woodshavings and have no issues, our single piggie is bedded on fleece as shavings are too dusty for her.

 

[piggyfan]

I really do think it is worth changing. Fleece or vetbed is ideal.

 

[Jerrybelly]

Sometimes a week's worth of antibiotics isn't long enough to fully shift the infection, and sometimes the antibiotics given are not really suitable. Do you know the name of the antibiotics? You may need to try a different AB, and for a longer period of time. In this situation, a second opinion from a cavy-savvy vet certainly wouldn't hurt.

I have a pig with a very sensitive little nose. If the hay is slightly dustier than normal then he'll sneeze. I even had a problem with the air freshener that was in the room. He does only sneeze though, there's never any snottiness.

All my boys are now bedded on vetbed which really helps him as the sawdust was far too dusty (and I couldn't get on with fleece).

 

[shiny]

My 4 month old guinea Pip is current on his 4th or 5th week of antibiotics for a stubborn respiratory infection (main symptoms are runny & crusty nose). He had 3 weeks of Baytril & we have now swapped to doxycycline. What antibiotic & at what dose did you have for your guinea?

 

[Wiggie]

I would not use sawdust. I use newspaper and hay. Years ago I used sawdust but soon thought against it. I have vet bed but rather not use it regularly. I would get your piggy sorted as I know the pain of losing a piggy. What antibiotics you have used and dose? I have a sneezy pig but not snoty! That would bother me to get to a cavy savvy vet. Good luck. X

 

[Pound Shilling & Pig]

Hi, i would recomend taking him to an other vets for a second opinion. where abouts are you? hopefully someone will be able to reccomend a cavy savvy vet in your area. as jerrybelly says a week of antibiaotics is often not enough to effectivly cure a URI. what antibiotic was he given? most vets start with baytril, which unfortunetly is often not very effective against URIs. a cavy savvy vet will know which others to try and would also be unlikely to have jumped in with steriods at such an early stage, if at all, as they surpress guineapigs immune systems.