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Recurrent Respiratory Infections

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MiamiButtons

MiamiButtons

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Hi guys

I have 3 guinea pigs, 2 of them currently live together and the third on his own at the moment as he gets neutered next week. We are having issues with recurrent respiratory infections in the two females who live together, they have been on baytril and septrin I think it is called. This is what I have done so far to minimise any potential risks for respiratory infections:
I have removed any furniture from the room that may be collecting dust,
We have bought a hand held hoover to ensure all dust is removed if it collects
I have bought an air purifier at the weekend after reading about how these can help respiratory issues in guinea pigs/ other small animals
They are on Back to Nature bedding, which is meant to be dust-free
We are changing their hay from Pets at Home brand to Oxbow Timothy Hay, which is coming tomorrow
We do not spray any perfumes, deodorants, cleaning products or anything in or near the room
I always remove uneaten hay and constantly put in fresh hay
They get a wide selection of all vegetables that are suitable for guinea pigs every morning and every night - they get a wide variety of veggies and I am constantly reading about different vegetables which are suitable for guinea pigs.
They are not positioned next to any draughts and do not experience drastic temperature changes.
They live indoors and live in a large C and C cage.

I just really don't know what to do about this, I don't understand why this keeps happening and I am really trying to do everything I can to prevent it. Does anyone have any other ideas or suggestions regarding this? I'm very upset that this keeps happening and I feel so helpless. We have had several trips to the vets back and forth now.

Thanks.
 
Hi and welcome!

I am very sorry for your problems. As they haven't reacted to the antibiotics, it is likely not a bacterial respiratory infection, which is a real relief.

What are their symptoms exactly? Is it just the sneezing and hooty breathing/stuffy nose or has your vet found problems further down in the airways? Is their appetite affected and have they thick crusts in eyes and nose?
 
Hi there, nice to meet you.

They are all sneezing occasionally however, tonight Miami was having sneezing fits very frequently, it sounded as if there was lots of mucus so we took her to the vet and she is on baytril again. There is no other symptoms, no crusty eyes, discharge from nose, they are eating really well and are running around their cage playing so all looks good. I am not sure if i have became overly paranoid about the sneezing! My first guinea pig Peanut had to be put to sleep a while ago due to a recurrent respiratory infection she was young and did not respond to lots of courses of antibiotics and this went on for 2 months or so. The vet reckoned she had a heart defect or problem as she became extremely ill and found it hard to recover . I have been reading up about everything but still so unsure of why this could be happening :(
 
MiamiButtons said:
Hi there, nice to meet you.

They are all sneezing occasionally however, tonight Miami was having sneezing fits very frequently, it sounded as if there was lots of mucus so we took her to the vet and she is on baytril again. There is no other symptoms, no crusty eyes, discharge from nose, they are eating really well and are running around their cage playing so all looks good. I am not sure if i have became overly paranoid about the sneezing! My first guinea pig Peanut had to be put to sleep a while ago due to a recurrent respiratory infection she was young and did not respond to lots of courses of antibiotics and this went on for 2 months or so. The vet reckoned she had a heart defect or problem as she became extremely ill and found it hard to recover . I have been reading up about everything but still so unsure of why this could be happening :(
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You are not reporting the typical symptoms for a URI, but more an allergic/sensitive reaction to dust or pollen with a bunged up nose as a result. Please take a deep breath; they are not going to die anytime soon. Hopefully you can find some hay that is not too dusty. Even with dust extracted hay, there are degrees. Finding the right one can take time, but make a difference. Some guinea pigs are more sensitive than others.
See whether a bowl of steaming water next to the cage can ease the breathing. Has your vet every prescribed bisolvon powder to help drain any mucus?
 
Hi there,

That is a relief, thank you so much. Their new hay comes tomorrow so hopefully that will make a difference. I will put a steaming bowl next to them too. My vet hasn't mentioned that but I will phone tomorrow to ask about that :-)!
 
My boar was very much like this. We treated for a URI a few times but it became obvious that it wasn't that. Various things used to set him off.

Eventually we invested in a nebuliser, which acts in the same way as the bowl or steaming water. On occasion the bowl wasn't enough so the nebuliser was used.
 
Jaycey said:
My boar was very much like this. We treated for a URI a few times but it became obvious that it wasn't that. Various things used to set him off.

Eventually we invested in a nebuliser, which acts in the same way as the bowl or steaming water. On occasion the bowl wasn't enough so the nebuliser was used.
Click to expand...
That's great, thanks for letting me know. I will have a look into this :-)
 
@MiamiButtons if you need any further information just give me a shout.

I know some people and vets can be reluctant to use nebulisers as they seem a bit extreme.

You can use them with medicine but boy just had an antibacterial solution, nothing tough. It really helped him.
 
Hi guys, just been awoken to that horrible cough/sneeze they do that sounds full of mucus and occurs one after the other despite them both being on baytril. I am absolutely exhausted with this its almost every week i am at the vets, i am really not sure what to do now :(
 
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