Sick Pig - What Is The Normal Range For Respiratory Rate For Guinea Pig?

[peach]

Hello,


My guinea pig popcorn has been diagnosed with pneumonia. She has been on antibiotic Enrofloxacin 0.35ml since last Friday (08/19/2016) (injection at vet) then at home oral. Yesterday she was eating very little so I brought her back to the vet for a re-check. It is a different vet. At the vet she had Resp. rate at 38 rpm. My vet told me the guinea pig resp. rate should be around 20 rpm. But online search it shows it should be 40 to 150 breaths per minute. I took her resp. rate by watching her body contraction. Today she is about 30 rpm. Now I am kind of doubting my vet.


Another question, should I give her pain medication? I asked for it last night and I was given buprenorphine 0.3m/ml. I did give her one dose last night. She was not very happy at all.


This morning I have been trying to hand feed with critical care. She did get some down but not much. During lunch time I made veg and fruit smooth and added critical care with pedialyte. She did not like it either. With her heave breath it is hard to force food down. Are there other ways to feed her more food?


She was diagnosed with pneumonia in March and recovered from it. This time it seems worse than last time.


Thanks in advance!

 

[Wiebke]

Did your vet consider or would he consider prescribing a diuretic to help clear the lungs and ease the breathing? When pneumonia comes back, it is unfortunately usually worse. An extra painkiller will do little, what is important is to drain and clear the congested lungs.

It is to be expected that a stressed piggy at the vets will breathe faster than at home when it is more relaxed.

Please step in with syringe feeding and watering, little but often round the clock. it is likely to be quite a fight with a seriously ill piggy. baytril (which enrofloxacin is) is especially hard on the gut bacteria, so your piggy is currently dealing with a double whammy when it comes to the appetite. Give one pinch of probiotics 1-2 hours after the antibiotic or simply add it to the syringe mix to help prop up the guts. Weigh her daily at the same time to monitor the food intake.

Extra vitamin C to boost the immune system can also help; about a 1/4 of a human tablet per day maximum.

You can also place a bowl of steming water with or without 2 drops of olbas oil (NOT vicks) next to the cage to help ease the breathing. Keep refreshed.

 

[peach]

Thanks so much for the quick response. I have put a steamer next to the cage after I read another post earlier. No my vet did not consider prescribing a diuretic. I will call and ask.

I just gave her some water. She breathed so hard. I am going to get some olbas oil and vitamin C.

It is so hard to force the water and food on her. She just settles down and then I am here to make her uncomfortable with water and food.

Thanks!

 

[peach]

Just heard back from a nurse from the clinic regarding diuretic. She talked to the vet on duty who has seen my guinea pigs for some other issues. She does not think it is a good idea to start on diuretic. She worries that it makes popcorn dehydrated. I asked if they can switch the antibiotics from Enrofloxacin to Ditrim. Last time popcorn had Ditrim when she had pneumonia.

 

[peach]

Sadly, my girl popcorn just went over the rainbow bridge over1 hour ago. She started drinking water on her own yesterday and I was so happy. But today she did not want to eat anything. I was having so much easier time to hand feed her. But this afternoon around 2 pm US central time she started moving and just clapped, I called my husband so he could come home. My little girl popcorn waited until he was home. Then couple minutes later she was out.

She was my first pet. She was 5 years and 8 months old. My sweet girl, now you are meeting up with your little sister Meimei and Coco over the rainbow bridge. It hurts so much.

RIP, my sweet heart!