Poorly Piggies

[Tom and Jerry]

We bought Tom and Jerry on a whim just over 3 weeks ago, after a visit to Pets @ Home so little research was done into how to keep Guinea Pigs (although I am rectifying this pdq)

We bought what was recommended to us by Pets @ Home, large cage (including water bottle, hayrack and dish), nuggets, Timothy Hay, shavings and shredded paper for bedding. I thought it best to replicate what they already had then the change wouldn’t be as stress full for them.

They had been home for just over a week when Jerry started showing signs of being ill (not eating much, rapid breathing, very snuffly and just not himself). I phone P@H who advised me to go to the vets and they would reimburse me. Jerry was given antibiotics for a week but picked up immensely after a couple of days. I have continued with the course and he is due to finish today after a checkup at the vets.

We were worried as to why Jerry had become ill, maybe they were cold or there was a draught that we weren’t aware of, so we covered 3 sides of the cage with a blanket, gave them more shredded paper to bed down on and bought a heat pad for night time. All seemed fine and they have been out of the cage a couple of times on the floor running around and becoming much braver and inquisitive.

Last night I noticed that Tom wasn’t being his usual greedy self. He was very quiet, rapid breathing, very snuffly (same signs as Jerry). As we’re at the vets this evening, I gave Tom a dose of the antibiotics (he is larger than Jerry so the dose wouldn’t be too much) and will get him prescribed some antibiotics tonight.

What I am wondering is, am I doing something wrong or is it just ‘one of those things’? Could Tom have caught this off Jerry (I don’t have room to isolate them, but by the time I realised they were ill, it would have probably been to late anyway).

Any advice welcome.

 

[Wiebke]

URI (upper respiratory tract infections) are very common in shop piggies and transmit very easily. They are opportunists that hit whenever the immune system is lowered - your boys' lives have been turned upside down several times over the last few weeks, no blame to you; Jerry must have caught his in the shop! Please bill Pets@home for it - it is the only way of forcing them to clean up their act in the long run and stop selling ill and/or pregnant piggies.

Please always finish any course of antibiotics; illnesses can otherwise make a very unwelcome return! See a vet as soon as something is not right; piggies can go downhill quite quickly.
Here is more about URI: http://www.guinealynx.info/uri.html
Early signs of illness: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=36332

Please weigh your ill boys daily; once weekly when healthy. If Tom continues to lose weight, please inquire about handfeeding tips. At his young age and with his illness, you need to be extra careful about it to avoid anything getting into his lungs. http://www.guinealynx.info/weigh.html

You can find out more about housing (minimum recommendation from the RSPCA is 2x4 ft) and bedding, diet, good quality pellets etc. in our Care subsections.

You are taking good care of your little boys; they have a found a good home!

 

[Shellza]

As Wiebke said, respiratory infections are surprisingly common in Pet shop piggies. Pest at Home have recently had some bad press due to issues with the animals they sell. It is through no fault of your own that they have come down with this and in all honesty the pigs are lucky you have them as you have taken them to the vet and given them the treatment they need.
Good luck with the treatments, fingers crossed for a full recovery! Please make sure Pets at Home reimburse you the vets fees too

 

[Sarah McGarry]

Aww I hope your piggies start to feel better soon! I have not experienced anything like this but I have also heard that pet shop piggies can have this problem.

 

[Tom and Jerry]

Thanks guys, I felt really quite emotional reading your replies that my piggies were lucky to have me :0

Anyway a quick update, both went back to the vets last night. As suspected Toms coming down with a uri and has been given antibiotics. Jerry is to continue for another couple of days as well. Hopefully they'll soon both be much better.

Oh and I'm off to p@h at the weekend to claim my vet bills back grrrr

 

[Abi_nurse]

Hope your little ones get better soon. Unfortunatly a regular occurance with Pets at home piggies being unwell. I think its down to the bad breeding conditions that many come from.

Get well soon piggies. And welcome to the world of piggies.

x.

 

[sport_billy]

Hope your piggies get well soon.

 

[Tom and Jerry]

Thanks Abi_nurse.

I really wish I had looked more into buying them first but wouldn't be without them now.

I did ask the vet if I was doing something that caused this (p@h assured me that none of their piggies become ill after leaving the store, but I obviously know better now ) but he agrees that with the timing, it probably came from the store.

 

[SpinningNickel]

p@h assured me that none of their piggies become ill after leaving the store

What a load of complete rubbish! Obviously SOME of them must become ill at some point, even if their breeder standards were top-notch. Also, if they never become ill how come the standard "warranty" is a mere three days? That doesn't scream confidence to me. How daft of them to say!

I got two boars from P@H; one passed away of an ear infection in fairly short order. The other one is a touch runty for his age but otherwise very healthy so far... I don't necessarily blame P@H for Picchu's illness but I know URIs etc. are quite common because those pigs are transported in very close quarters. If one is sick, it can spread quickly. I'm not a diehard anti-pet-shop person and I don't regret my first pair of boars for a second; I would rescue going forward (and have with my most recent boar) but at the time I simply wasn't aware that guinea pig rescues even existed -- I thought rescues were for cats and dogs, full stop!

I will say that the cages they recommend (recommendations that often come from the manufacturers, not just the shops themselves) are far too small. I bought one of the recommended cages and it was visibly too small for them after a couple of months. They told me it would be suitable for two pigs for their whole lives. Maybe if they have twice-daily floor time, but while I'm at work all day? Nuh-uh.

I know a few people have experienced difficulty claiming back fees etc. from store managers. If this is the case just escalate to head office by phone or in writing; it takes longer but having worked in (non-pet-related) retail for many years I know that a lot of times store managers' hands are just tied.

 

[Tom and Jerry]

Update

Well both piggies are fine now (unlike me >>> )

Both have completed their course of anti biotics, Jerry had to continue his for a few more days just to make sure he didn't catch the uri back.

We have noticed that they now seem to be eating a LOT more than they we're a couple of weeks ago. not sure if this is just just due to them getting bigger / older and feeling much better. The only downside is what goes in must come out and they are pooing for england rolleyes I'm taking it as a good sign though.

Also, I took my reciepts back to p@h (but a different store to where i bought them). I was told that I had to go back to the store which I bought them but I insisted that I was told I could get a refund there and they would phone the store where the purchase was made. The cashier went off to phone the store but the depty manager (who I'd spoke to) wasn't in work, so she just gave me a refund :{ Not sure why she had to go through the performace of ringing the other store if she could just give me a refund but hey ho at least I got my money back. result :<> :<>

 

[Toffeewoffee]

Great News that they are feeling much better, they are probably eating more as they are settling in nicely and feel more confident, yes plenty of poo is good, - welcome to the world of piggies - i have 4, so double the amount

Hope you feel better soon xx