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Shallow But Rapid Breathing

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Virtues2011

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Hello. Please could someone offer some advice. My little long haired pig is two years old and lives indoors with my husband and I. He is so chirpy and playful and loves running around our lounge and is constantly munching, his cage is massive and looks like a palace. Sunday I noticed he wasn't drinking or eating so much, his breathing was rapid, shallow and quite loud and raspy. He had no discharge from his nose or eyes and he wasn't sneezing or coughing, he was alert but very quiet and a little lethargic. I took him to the vet first thing this morning and they have given him baytrill for two weeks, twice a day. They think it could be a chest infection and he may not survive. I am devastated. I love him so much. .. I have already found some fab advice on hand feeding which i will begin. .is there anything else I can do? Thank you so much.
 
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It's great that you've seen a vet and started an antibiotic and have gotten info on hand feeding if he isn't eating well. The best you can do for him is make sure that he gets enough food and water to keep his gut moving and to keep his strength up in order for the antibiotic to kick in. A lot of pigs do beat respiratory infections, and it sounds like you got him treated promptly and are prepared to supplement him as necessary, so hopefully the odds will be in your favour! Hopefully someone else can come along with some more specific advice soon. I hope he makes a speedy recovery for you!
 
Hi, welcome to the forum, please could you update your location as it will affect the advice we give you.

First of all, did the vet mention probiotics? if he is on Baytril he will need probiotics too, given at least an hour after the Baytril dose. Here is a link to the UK products available, the most easily accessible is Pro C from Pets at Home:

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/...vitamin-c-overview-with-product-links.115404/

Secondly, did the vet say whether he had any fluid on his chest? if so, he will need a diuretic to help clear it. This can be given at the vets by injection but also in tablet or liquid form too. He is likely to need more than one dose.

You say there is no mucous which is good, if this does appear, I recommend Bisolvon which you can also get from the vets and it will help clear it.

Another option is steam therapy, place 2 drops of Olbas oil in a bowl of hot water next to his cage or you can use a steam inhaler if you have one where you hold it over the nose in 5 second bursts.

Finally, Baytril is not always the most effective, but vets often give it first as it is the only product licensed for guinea pigs. If the infection is not clearing please ask the vet about a change in antibiotic to either Septrin, Zithromax, Doxycycline or Marbocyl. Some vets like to carry out a culture to see what will be most effective but this cannot be done if he is already on antibiotics, but sometimes it is vital to get started on the antibiotics straight away instead of waiting for cultures.
 
Thank you all so much for your replies. Is it possible for a pig to get accustomed to syringe feeding? the reason that I say this is since yesterday I have been doing just that, through the advice given on a sticky on this forum. ( crushing his excel nuggets with warm water and fed through syringe) It is working, he eats about 15 syringe fulls of food this way but put him back in his cage and he may chew on a single nugget or dig out a piece of hay this is not normal for him, he continually eats. At the moment without the syringe method he will only eat curly kale.... I don't see him drink at all. He has Vic C drops in his water too. He is very quiet and subdued in his cage but when he is out he runs around like a mad piggy and seems back to normal. Is this normal?
 
helen105281 said:
Hi, welcome to the forum, please could you update your location as it will affect the advice we give you.

First of all, did the vet mention probiotics? if he is on Baytril he will need probiotics too, given at least an hour after the Baytril dose. Here is a link to the UK products available, the most easily accessible is Pro C from Pets at Home:

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/...vitamin-c-overview-with-product-links.115404/

Secondly, did the vet say whether he had any fluid on his chest? if so, he will need a diuretic to help clear it. This can be given at the vets by injection but also in tablet or liquid form too. He is likely to need more than one dose.

You say there is no mucous which is good, if this does appear, I recommend Bisolvon which you can also get from the vets and it will help clear it.

Another option is steam therapy, place 2 drops of Olbas oil in a bowl of hot water next to his cage or you can use a steam inhaler if you have one where you hold it over the nose in 5 second bursts.

Finally, Baytril is not always the most effective, but vets often give it first as it is the only product licensed for guinea pigs. If the infection is not clearing please ask the vet about a change in antibiotic to either Septrin, Zithromax, Doxycycline or Marbocyl. Some vets like to carry out a culture to see what will be most effective but this cannot be done if he is already on antibiotics, but sometimes it is vital to get started on the antibiotics straight away instead of waiting for cultures.
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Thank you so much for this information. I have updated my location now. I don't think my vet really understands much about pigs, he just really said the outlook is bleak and they are not very robust and gave me baytril after looking in his book. This is what prompted me to find a forum as I'm sure I would find out more information this way, and I am grateful that I have found this forum as I have taken and used some advice already.
 
That does sound normal, but I am also thinking that he is choosing the breathe rather than eat, is he nodding at all?

How much syringe food is he having in total?
 
Yes he is nodding, not all the time, just randomly, I have also noticed that he is cleaning and scratching his sides a lot and brushing his head against the sides of his body. I haven't experienced this sort of behaviour - I wondered if the antibiotics were making him itchy. As for the syringe food I watched him for a few hours today and he never moved, so I took him out and syringe fed him, this is where the 15 syringe fulls came from. I just thought if he had had enough he wouldn't take anymore. When he had finshed I put him back in his cage and again he just sat there not really moving so again a few hours later I took him out and he had another 12 syringe fulls in one go. At the moment he is running about in the lounge. His breathing has returned to normal, it is not raspy today but I am still giving him the antibiotics. What does the nodding mean?
 
That's not a side effect I have heard of but if he is run down he will be susceptible to skin issues that can strike when their immune system is compromised.

The nodding means that his breathing is laboured. If he is still doing it tomorrow I would ask the vet to see if he needs diuretics.

It's good that he is running about out of his cage.

If he is not eating for himself, aim to give at least another 15 mls tonight, especially if he is keen to take it.
 
Just to let you know that my Fergie has won against his pneumonia even though he has a heart disorder. The most difficult part was getting a proper diagnosis but, thanks to Helen, Wiebke and others on this site, we were expertly guided. Honestly, I truly believe that you are in the right place. These wonderful people really do know what they're talking about so never be afraid of challenging the vet or asking for specific medication if that what's suggested on here. Best of luck x
 
Unfortunately, my youngest piggy didn't show any symptoms until it was too late, I lost him yesterday, he had to be PTS. :(
 
I doubt that he is not eating because he is accustomed to the syringe feeds... I think it's likely due to the illness. If his breathing is labored it will be hard for him to chew. I've found that my pigs, when sick or uncomfortable, would not eat on their own but would swallow syringe feeds when given them. When they stop swallowing syringed food, they are really in a bad way. Keep up with the syringe foods, he shouldn't become accustomed and will go back to eating on his own when he feels better.

I live in a totally different country, so can't recommend anyone specific, but I know there are vets listed on the forum that have experience with guinea pigs. Having a vet with guinea pig experience makes a huge difference in treatment sometimes, and treatment can make all the difference in outcome.
 
I'm far from an expert but my Cinnamon who is 11 months old has beaten 4 URIs so far always put on Baytril and unfortunately I don't have any guinea pig expert vets here. During her last infection a couple of weeks ago I took her into the bathroom and ran the hot shower for the steam which the vet suggested and that also helped her raspy breathing. I also ran a humidifier for her at night
 
Thank you for your advice Freela...because he runs all around the lounge sqeeking I couldn't quite grasp why he couldn't chew a nugget. He had eaten about six little nuggets this evening and is munching some hay. ..no water - although he had lots of water in the syringe feeds. Not so many poos as usual but they are coming out and he tiddled on my lap which I was quite pleased about in this case. He hasn't 'nodded' for a few hours but you can see his chest rise and fall with every breath I don't recall him ever breathing so hard that I noticed his fur moving but it may be that I'm over sensitive to his behaviour at the minute. I feel positive that he will be ok. I just wish he could talk.
 
irene said:
I'm far from an expert but my Cinnamon who is 11 months old has beaten 4 URIs so far always put on Baytril and unfortunately I don't have any guinea pig expert vets here. During her last infection a couple of weeks ago I took her into the bathroom and ran the hot shower for the steam which the vet suggested and that also helped her raspy breathing. I also ran a humidifier for her at night
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Thank you Irene. Does Cinnamon live indoors with you? I wonder if the heat of the radiators upsets their breathing and causes these issues?
 
Yes she is indoors and the heat can be drying so I'm assuming the humidifier helps with that! I know how hard it is to hear that raspy breathing! You just want to help them! The vet said she was definitely wheezing last time.I also have to be careful( because I worry about my piggies a lot) and Cinnamon snores at night! So have to check when she's awake to make sure that what I'm hearing is not wheezing!
 
I've been using a nebuliser and really like it so maybe, if one of the experienced advisors think it's a good idea, it's worth thinking about. Like when your kids get croup! I understand from the vet that it can't do any harm but, as I say, the forum's experts will have a better overall view.

Boss Hog - so sorry to hear about your piggy, sad for you.
 
I know some members on here have used them with great success and a friend recently bought one for her poorly pig. I plan on getting one at some point. The OP could discuss with their vet to see what medication would be needed.
 
I thought I'd give you a little update on my poorly pig Buddy. I purchased a small animal heat pad that he absolutely loves laying on. I challenged my vet (that didn't go down to well! ha) I gave Buddy some steam therapy with a small drop of Olbas oil from the advice on this fab forum, I have been syringe feeding him for the last two days which I wouldn't have known what to do if I hadn't read some of the information given and I am delighted to say he is much better - he is today, eating and drinking on his own accord, doing lots of poops and I have even witnessed him popcorning....I think we are going to make it..... thank you all so very much for all your advice and wishes I couldn't have done it without all your help. Bev x
 
Happy to help, am so pleased he is feeling brighter.
 
Thank you for the update, I'm so pleased it is a positive one. Well done on having a conversation with your vet, I know its hard, but I think like the NHS say, "Its OK to Ask". Afterall you are paying for his treatment. A professional should not mind having a dialogue about treatment with an animal's owner.
 
Delighted to hear it. Vigilance & quick action is always necessary with these little furry emotion-hoovers!
 
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