Respiratory infection

[Lisa71]

I’m after some help if you can.
I have a 14 week old guinea pig diagnosed today with a respiratory infection by the vet and started on antibiotics. We’ve moved her away from the other two and brought her indoors. I’ve given her first dose on antibiotics at 3pm and I’m planning on staying up late to get a second dose in her tonight. She was eating yesterday and this morning but isn’t really eating much now. I’ve crushed up some pellets in water and feeding as directed with a 1 ml syringe but I’m not sure what else if anything I can do to help her. Her breathing appears to be an effort and she makes a clicky noise from her nose. The vet says her lungs sound crackly but her heart sound strong?
Is she likely to recover from this? Is there anything else I can do to help?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I am sorry to hear she is poorly
It is a good idea to bring her indoors, but did the vet advise you to separate her? Separation is stressful for piggies, they are much happier and under less stress when they remain with their friends.
You need to give the meds time to work, syringe feed her often while she is not eating for herself, weigh her daily to ensure she is getting enough food, but importantly take her back to the vet if you are at all concerned about her

 

[Lisa71]

She said to keep them out of the same air space where possible and keep her warm, so we though indoors might be best. Should we put the others in with her? Really don’t know what to do for the best.
Do the antibiotics work quite quickly normally?

 

[Siikibam]

It would be neat to put them with her. Why do they think she should be kept out the same air, is it to stop her passing it on? She’s already been around them so the risk was already there.

I don’t think the antibiotics work quickly.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I agree with siikibam. The others have already been exposed to the same bacteria so there is likely no benefit in keeping them separated - it’ll only serve to stress them
It would be best if you could bring them all indoors Together
Antibiotics will take a few days to kick in

 

[Lisa71]

Thank you for your advice, the cage isn’t massive so I might just bring them in overnight with her and put them back out in the daytime when it’s warmer. Do you think they’d be ok in a smaller cage just overnight? Sorry for all the questions!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you for your advice, the cage isn’t massive so I might just bring them in overnight with her and put them back out in the daytime when it’s warmer. Do you think they’d be ok in a smaller cage just overnight? Sorry for all the questions!

What size is the smaller cage?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

If possible, keep all your piggies together indoors unless advised otherwise by your vet. Exposure will have already happened but the stress of separation can contribute to lowering the immune system further. Healthy piggies with a fully working immune system can usually fend off a URI.

Weigh daily at the same time and step in with top up support feeding if your piggy has lost more than 50g of weight.
Weight - Monitoring and Management
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links (how to make 'poo soup' properly, i.e. live transfer of healthy gut microbiome) in the case of loss of appetite.

Please be aware that intense heat and sudden drops in temperature can weaken guinea pigs; outdoors ones are especially at risk.
Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike

Keep your girl in stable environmental conditions (i.e. preferably indoors), monitor/weigh and step in with appropriate feeding support.

It can take a couple of days before you see any improvements or even longer as the antibiotic needs to build up in the body. See your vet again if there is no improvement by the end of the course and anytime asap if there is a marked deterioration.
Keep in mind that the need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly the need to eat - hence why support feeding in the case of an impacted or completely lost appetite is so important.

And take a deep breath! The overwhelming majority of bacterial URI cases especially those that are seen and treated promptly will make a perfect recovery. Just be patient and hang in there. You are aiming firstly at stabilising her in her coming days.

 

[Lisa71]

What size is the smaller cage?

Small 31” x 19” (x17” high)

 

[Lisa71]

Tha

Hi!

If possible, keep all your piggies together indoors unless advised otherwise by your vet. Exposure will have already happened but the stress of separation can contribute to lowering the immune system further. Healthy piggies with a fully working immune system can usually fend off a URI.

Weigh daily at the same time and step in with top up support feeding if your piggy has lost more than 50g of weight.
Weight - Monitoring and Management
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links (how to make 'poo soup' properly, i.e. live transfer of healthy gut microbiome) in the case of loss of appetite.

Please be aware that intense heat and sudden drops in temperature can weaken guinea pigs; outdoors ones are especially at risk.
Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike

Keep your girl in stable environmental conditions (i.e. preferably indoors), monitor/weigh and step in with appropriate feeding support.

It can take a couple of days before you see any improvements or even longer as the antibiotic needs to build up in the body. See your vet again if there is no improvement by the end of the course and anytime asap if there is a marked deterioration.
Keep in mind that the need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly the need to eat - hence why support feeding in the case of an impacted or completely lost appetite is so important.

And take a deep breath! The overwhelming majority of bacterial URI cases especially those that are seen and treated promptly will make a perfect recovery. Just be patient and hang in there. You are aiming firstly at stabilising her in her coming days.

Thank you, that makes me feel much better, she just looks so poorly at the moment and hasn’t really moved from her bed pod. Fingers crossed if we can support feed and help her she can fight it off

 

[Piggies&buns]

Small 31” x 19” (x17” high)

78cm x 48cm

I’m afraid that isn’t suitable for guinea pigs at all, not even one piggy. You certainly will not be able to put three piggies in it. Can you move their normal cage/hutch indoors?

 

[Lisa71]

We literally bought it quickly as a hospital cage for while she’s not well enough to move around. Their existing hutch is too big to fit anywhere in the house, I guess I’ll just keep her in it overnight and move her back in with the others in the morning to stop her getting cold overnight.

 

[Wiebke]

Here are ideas on improvising in a pinch that don't cost the world and can be adapted/pack away neatly: Temporary Housing Solutions?

Cage Size Guide