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possible uri

Ab1991

New Born Pup
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Hey (new to this forum)

Any advice would be appreciated.

I've had 2 female piggies for a couple of months they were not cared for properly by previous carers.
I've noticed the past couple of days 1 has been breathing faster with a slight head twitch when she is resting, and a slight eye discharge.... so I took her to the vets. Vet said if her breathing continues next day then to contact them and get antibiotics. They couldn't find anything physically wrong apart from she is apparently a tad chubby. They are in a huge well ventilated clean area aswell.

She has no other symptoms, still eating, pooping, bossing her pal around. So my question is.. is fast breathing the very first sign?
 
Is it faster than she usually breathes? Remember they’re fast breathers anyway. I don’t know the exact symptoms of URI but I think some are a runny/snotty nose, crackly cheat sounds and crusty eyes. Someone will correct me if I’m wrong.

Have you been weighing them weekly? How old are they roughly? Pellets should be kept to a tablespoon each per day. 50g/a cup of veg and lots of hay(should be available 24/7).

Heft is the better indicator of their body condition. You should feel a layer of meat on their ribs. You shouldn’t feel each one individually and you shouldn’t not feel them at all either. Have a read of the link below.
Weight - Monitoring and Management

PS have a look at the vet locator for recommendations.
Vet Locator
 
Was her chest listened to? Often you hear honky, clicky breathing, sneezing and discharge can accompany it. Fast breathing can be a sign but it can also be a sign of other issues within the chest such as heart problems.
Was the vet cavy savvy?

Guinea pigs need to be weighed each week as part of normal care. Weight loss can often be one of the early signs of a medical issues brewing, but where a medical issue is suspected, then switch to daily weighing (at the same time each day) so you can monitor that piggy a in fact eating enough hay (hay is their main food but you can’t judge they are eating enough of it by eye, hence weighing being so important). Veg should be kept limited to 50g per day and just one tablespoon (approx 5-7g) of pellets per day.
 
Breathing fast could potentially be a sign of a URI, but if your piggy is overweight and came from a bad background, possibly she is just unfit and out of shape? We brought home 2 giant fatties 2 years ago whi had been kept in a hamster cage and just waddling 6ft had them puffing and panting and needing a rest! So I would go with what the vet suggests, the vet will have listened to their chest and throat with a stethoscope and if they cannot hear any grunting/wheezing/rattling in the airways then there may not be an infection, often you can hear a URI quite clearly yourself as a grunty/rasping sound.
 
Thanks all for the advice.
They are now on a healthy diet and I've given them tons of space to exercise. The vet was cavy savy, listened to her breathing, checked teeth, temperature, but did say she couldn't hear anything. I've kept a close eye on her overnight whilst she naps and the only thing she is doing is the faster breathing, no more discharge, I've tried to listen for any cracking but none. Perhaps I'm being paranoid and she just needs to loose a bit of weight.
 
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