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Sick Guinea Pig Emergency - Please Help

Possible URI?

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Kate L

Kate L

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My 3 1/2 year old guinea pig phoebe has recently been put on pine bedding (as I read it was safe on guinea lynx). I have woken up this morning and she had a crackly sounding breathing that went after about 10 mins, she then did quite a few sneezes that sounded (watery and quite chesty). She was immediately put in a separate cage with fresh hay, pellets, water and her favourite veggies (watermelon). She has just been lying down for the last hour with the occasional sneeze and hasn't touched her watermelon which she would normally gobble up with in about 2 seconds. I'm scared that the pine bedding has given her a URI after all I have read on the internet about it. I cant get her to the vet for the next 24 hours as none are open as it is a public holiday in New Zealand. I don't know weather this is serious enough to kill her over night? Since she hasn't been eating for the last hour should I give her some critical care?. and is there anything I can do to help her.
Kate
 
Yes I would give her some critical care, is she eating hay at all? and her pellets?

I don't think pine can cause a URI as such, more like an allergic reaction. Now she is off the pine you should hopefully see an improvement. It may be though that she does have a URI which she was developing already and was not caused by the bedding. Does her breathing seem laboured at all? are her eyes crusty?
 
Sorry I just saw your post on another thread so recommended you started a new one as I didn't see you had already done it.
 
shes not eating much hay and hasn't eaten any pellets, but has had some lettuce, grass and parsley as that is all she would eat. Her eyes are not crusty and has no laboured breathing. so should I assume it may be a allergic reaction? I feel kind of bad separating her from her piggy friend and I was wondering weather she would get really stressed if she is away from her for a while, should I put them together or leave them apart as URI is contagious.
thx
 
This is my view - if she was with the other guinea pig when she took Ill, the other guinea pig will already have been exposed to anything contagious. If being apart is stressing either of them - I would put them back together.
 
HI! It is possible that your girl may have an allergy to the dust in the pine bedding; the bedding itself cannot cause a respiratory infection (URI). She can get URI from other guinea pigs, drafts, dampness or sudden changes in temperature. It is however unlikely that your girl is going to die overnight.

What you can do until you can see a vet:
- Take her off the pine and switch back to your old bedding. There are other possible options you can research if you want to change the bedding. See whether the sneezing stops in the hours afterwards (it may take a while for the dust to be completely sneezed out). Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview
- Place a bowl of steaming water next to the cage to help ease her breathing.
- weigh your girl daily at the same time in the evening, ideally before you give her dinner or after. If she has lost more than 50g (2 oz) and is not eating her dinner, then you can step in with topping up or totally syringe feeding and watering. A guinea pig that is not eating or drinking at all in 24 hours is losing about 100g/3oz from one day to the next. if she is not eating at all, you will see that reflected in smaller, drier poos by tomorrow. Remember that up to 80% of the daily food intake should be hay, which you cannot judge, just by watching her eating.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

Emergencies and illness never happen at a good time, and as loving owners, we tend to be more jittery over weekends and bank holidays, so it would be good to have a few things at home to help you over that time.
First Aid Kit For Guinea Pigs

Could you please add your country to your details. We have got members from all over the world, so it is very helpful to tailor any advice that can take in your climate, available brands and vet/rescue access if you clicked on your username on the top bar, then went to personal details and scrolled down to location. That way, we can give you the approprite advice straight away. Thank you!
 
Thank you so much for your advice, I have woken up to see her quite energetic and has stopped the sneezing. She has still not eaten much but I think that if I put her back with her piggy friend she might eat more.
 
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