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Possible URI, Urgent Help Please!

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*Nibbles&Nugget*

*Nibbles&Nugget*

Adult Guinea Pig
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I have come down this morning to find Nutty, hunched and fluffed up. At first I thought he was a bit cold but he didn't get up when fresh food and water was put in or squeak at me to hurry up like he usually does. When I got the veg there was no reaction either. I have had him out on my lap and he has nibbled a spinach leaf but not done much else. Spinach is his absolutely favourite and he fights for it usually.

One of his eyes looks a bit 'greasy' on the fur around it and his is very lethargic. He just pooped but it was a tiny stringy little thing and took ages for him to pass it fully. He seems quite bright otherwise and bustled around on the floor when I put him down but he is not right. He feel skinnier and has lost 40g since I weighed him mid week.

His breathing sounds a bit heavy and my Mum said it was slightly crackly when she went to check on him first thing.

It is so sudden and frightening and I'm waiting 20 minutes for the vet to open (it is the nearest and it would take longer to drive to the out of hours vet than it would for me to wait this time) and taking him in because I am just petrified by how quickly he is going downhill.

Does this sound like a URI? What is the best treatment? Is there anything else you think it sounds like?

Thanks in advance.

Amy
x
 
Good luck. Apparently cardiac issues are frequent in piggies. I just lost mine very sadly to heart failure. I would get an x-ray so they can see the heart and lungs, and have temp checked for ? infection. x
 
Thank you. I just want to know what is wrong with my baby. I lost one of my boys to a heart attack three years ago and he didn't make it to the out of hours vet. The symptoms seem different for Nutty though which has panicked me a bit.

Amy
x
 
I think get the vet to have a good look, feel, auscalation, temp, ? x-ray. Mine had fluid on her lungs as her heart failed her, so it looked like a breathing problem/chest infection. She was struggling to breath and did not want food and her tummy was sore. She made it to the vets and stayed for a day as they medicated her but they lost her. Just cover your basis to give Nutty the best chance. x
 
I dont want you to be scared, just use my info to help you get everything covered when you get to the vets. x
 
Any news? Hope Nutty ok x x
 
Just got back from the vets. He isn't doing too well. It is a URI as suspected and the vet said his digestive system was begining to shut down. She gave him anti-biotics and a 'gut-stimulant'. Not sure about the gut thingy but I hope it works. Had to force feed him critical care and clean his weeping eye but he is a little brighter. Just managed half a spinach leaf.

Any advice on how much critical care and how often. The vet said every three hours and as much as I can get down him but I don't want to over do it.

His breathing is quite rattly and he is currently curled on my lap on a heat pad having a little snooze. Bless my poor baby.

Amy
x
 
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Oh I am sorry he is poorly. You have caught it early so hopefully he will get better soon.
 
Hi, I think every few hours is ok, I reckon you will be able to get 2-3mls in realistically, I suppose you may want a little more in. I was told you will know when they have had enough. Maybe someone else can advise what to try and make them have. I have used zantac a gut mobility agent. It gives softer poos. I was told if they are in pain they can stop pooing and this is dangerous. Look at nuttys feet and ears check they are pink. If they look bluish you may want get nutty in for oxygen. Has Nutty got painkillers? Do you think Nutty is in pain? Keep Nutty warm today and a cuddle from me. x
 
When they are having difficulty breathing it is better to syringe feed very slowly, little and often. You want to aim to get as close to 100 mls in over a 24 hour period if he isn't eating anythng for himself, but don't worry if he won't take that much. The important thing is to keep the gut moving. For very poorly piggies I tend to give 1 ml and then leave 5 to 10 mins and then give another 1 ml and keep doing it that way, rather than a certain amount every few hours. I have had far better results with the little and often approach. What antibiotic have you been given and what dose? Just keep him nice and warm. Do you have a heat pad?
 
He is on Baytril 0.4 twice a day. No pain relief needed as far as we can see. His paws are dark as are his lips and ears so I wouldn't be able to see if he was blueish. His tongue however if lovely bright pink and he just took some probiotic water quite enthusiatically which has cheered me up no end.

Yes, he does have a heatpad which he is currently cuddling on. I just took about half an hour and got 15ml of critical care down him so he is taking another nap. Would you say that is a good amount? He seems a bit more interested in food than he was half an hour ago and has also had a few small carrot chunks. Thankfully he doesn't fight me too much on it and even licked the syringe towards the end.

What should I do about during the night? I want him and me to be able to get some sleep and Mum has already volunteered to take one shift but I don't know how much I should do then? I also have work tomorrow so Mum will be doing it then, how much and how often should I tell her to go for?

Amy
x
 
Hi, Piggies dont sleep at night as we do therefore I would recommend the same at night, unless you are sure he is eating. Get up every 3 hours and do the same. Youe mum could do it leave a note and you do the next. My piggie is on 0.2ml baytril x2 per day and she weighs 950g. Your mum will need to do the same tomorrow. Its all worth it. xxxxx
 
Here is the patient:

2013-01-20132829.jpg


A little reluctant and making a mess as I try to work out the best way to do things (he now sits normally and I hold him in the blanket then ease it bit by bit into the corner of his mouth, slow but infinitely easier on my jumper!)

2013-01-20130641.jpg
 
I'm syringe feeding my piggy Petal at the moment, she is being treated for gut stasis as she started doing stringy poos after initially being treated for cystitis & had a bladder flush 2 weeks ago. She responded well to antibiotics but there was a whole lot else going on inside that only an ultrasound scan revealed (Ovarian cyst, bladder & uterine thickening). So now I have 7 different types of meds to give her over the day (Yes you did read that right lol)

I would say he needs pain relief too, try to get some tomorrow from the vets. Also make sure they give you plenty of Critical care/recovery & continue to syringe feed even if he is eating a little on his own. I am doing feeds every 2 ish hours, just 10 ml at a time. The vet said, like Debbie, little & often is best. If you do a last feed around midnight then you should really be ok with one feed in the night. Did she give him any Furosemide at all? If it is a serious URI then he will need the diuretic to get rid of the fluid on his lungs, you will also need to make she he is well hydrated, give a tiny amount of water from a syringe held at an angle into his mouth, being careful not to squirt it straight into the back of his throat. I give 1-2 ml of water at a time to prevent this. Always finish a feed with a little water & wipe his mouth clean after to prevent oral thrush occurring.

Definitely get back to the vets tomorrow for pain relief & the Furosemide if he is not much improved by the morning. I also have bought a car massaging seat cover, which I sit Petal on whilst feeding her, this has definitely helped her to shift the gas in her tummy & she seems to love it, we both fell asleep with it on Friday night :)
 
Thanks for the advice. I got plenty of critical care and also still have some in date from when Bingo was unwell. He is having alternate syringes so one critical care, one probiotic water to wash it down and he seems to like it that way.

Being the over protective - possibly slightly over reacting - slave that I am I'm not prepared to wait till tomorrow for pain relief if he is hurting. Dad can't get the car out but just phoned the vets and I'm going to walk over there are pick some up. It is just over a mile. Wish me luck, it has now decided to snow really heavily!

Amy
x

ps. I've been cleaning his weepy eye with a little warm water, is there anything else I can use that would be better or soothe it a bit?

pps. the vet said he isn't too crackly and it doesn't sound too serious but I'm bringing him back in mid week if I'm not happy with him
 
I will just say personally I find they take it much easier if I sit them on my lap facing to one side, then I stroke their head/back etc & slip the syringe in whilst they are being stroked. I may try to get hubby to upload a video of how I do it but this is very similar :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvBZvhg6Ayg

HTH :)
 
That's kind of how I tried to do it at first but he keeps turning his head away. How do you get them to relax? Also how thick do you make the critical care as I'm not thinking mine is a little too watery and maybe that's why I end up making such a mess. Does it help to have someone else hold the piggy as my Mum said we could do that?

Sorry for the continual questions, Nutty just behaves very differently to Bingo or Nibbles when they were ill!

I am popping out now but I will read and reply when I get back home.

Wish me luck braving the outdoors!

Amy
x
 
Its nice to see the picture, you will be ok in snow just wrap up. I agree pain meds is a good idea as we cant easily tell if they are in pain. Frusemide was injected into my piggy to try to save her, but I understand that can be given orally. Look at the guinea lynx web site at medication. Frusemide is a diuretic. I had eye drops for Debs before she had a sore eye. The vet did say I could use cold tea bags? I am not sure what type ? could someone else can give tips, what tea bags? I opted for ointment as I could easily afford it. x
 
Mine's on Recovery, I find mine like that, Critical Care has an aniseed taste but apparently the Fine Grind one tastes better I haven't tried it though lol! Just plain warm water is fine to keep the eye clean, don't wipe it too much or that will make it sore. Good luck in the snow, I will try to get some pics whilst you are gone.
 
Give a feed just before you go to bed and then once in the night is fine. You need some sleep if you are going to cope with a poorly piggie and as long as he's had plenty throughout the day then he will be fine overnight. You could put some Critical Care or mushed up nuggets on a plate for him to eat as he may prefer that to eating the hard pellets. Your mum should just continue with more of the same tomorrow, and hopefully he will soon start to feel a little better and be able to eat more for himself again. You just don't want to risk his guts slowing down as you will then be dealing with more than one problem. Find a way that suits you and Nutty for syringe feeding. I generally sit them on my lap facing across ways towards my right hand as I am right handed. I then hold the head with my left hand and syringe in using my right. Some piggies don't need their head holding and are happy to just grasp the syringe. However, I have found some who prefer to be held up onto my chest and fed that way. They are all different! It sounds like you're doing a fantastic job and hopefully you will soon see an improvement in Nutty. x
 
I'm back and I tell you I have such a bruise on my bum! I skidded over on the garden path and put my hands in the air so I didn't damage his medication. Ouch. Thankfully he is doing a bit better. He has eaten two spinach leaves and two slices of red pepper. I broke them into little pieces as he struggled to eat them otherwise and he has just had 5mls of critical care. I have to hold his head to give him it but we are getting better and I think we got more in him than down me this time so I consider that an achievement. He isn't squeaking much and does seem very lethargic still but so much better than he was this morning.

Fingers crossed he keeps improving and is back to his silly self soon.

Amy
x
 
*Nibbles&Nugget* said:
I'm back and I tell you I have such a bruise on my bum! I skidded over on the garden path and put my hands in the air so I didn't damage his medication. Ouch. Thankfully he is doing a bit better. He has eaten two spinach leaves and two slices of red pepper. I broke them into little pieces as he struggled to eat them otherwise and he has just had 5mls of critical care. I have to hold his head to give him it but we are getting better and I think we got more in him than down me this time so I consider that an achievement. He isn't squeaking much and does seem very lethargic still but so much better than he was this morning.

Fingers crossed he keeps improving and is back to his silly self soon.

Amy
x
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It sounds very encouraging and I think as long as you can keep food going through his system while the antibiotics start to work, then you are giving him the best possible chance. It sounds like you're getting pretty good at syringe feeding. I remember how useless I was when I first tried to do it. I never thought I would be able to do it! xx
 
Can't get the thread to load properly but glad Nutty is ok. Syringe feeding can be tricky, hopefully he'll relax into it. Lots of love to him and healing vibes. Glad you ok after your fall.
 
Ouch. I hope you are not hurt. It is so good he is taking food. I am terrible at syringe feeding. Matthew has the knack and does it when it needs to be done.
 
So sorry to hear Nutty is poorly, but it sounds like you are doing pretty well with him. I'm sending "get well" thoughts, and will look forward to your update tomorrow.
 
Nutty is still managing a few bits of veg is small pieces and we are getting the critical care into him but his breathing is awful. His eye is much better too and he seem more awake and like himself but that may be down to the painrelief rather than anything else.

I've not been well myself today which has made it so much more stressful. I just want him to get well.

Amy
x
 
Oh Amy I am sorry you are both so poorly right now. It is such a worry. I just hope you both get better soon.
 
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