Sick Pig, Worried Owner.

[Piggums]

Hi everyone,

I'm a new guinea pig owner and for the last month that I've had my new pig Ralphie (who is approximately 4 months old now) it's been a struggle to keep my pig healthy. It seems like it's one thing after another with this poor little guy. I first brought him into the vet about two weeks ago because he was sneezing and coughing frequently and he was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection. He was put on enrofloxacin and I administered it daily... all seemed to be good until I noticed a swelling on his left cheek. A hard lump of sorts. It appeared overnight so I brought him back into the vet immediately and they said that it was an abscess. I had to leave him with the vet overnight while they lanced/drained/flushed the thing out. Afterwards he was given pain killers and more anti-biotics for a total of a one month course of those. I do warm compresses every day but it still seems just as big as it was when I brought him in for the surgery.

He acts like a very happy, energetic pig... always popcorning, weeking, begging for food, chewing his toys, etc... I know that pigs can be deceiving because they are prey animals but I would honestly say he looks like he's feeling okay.

Tonight though, I noticed that he was straining quite a lot (more than usual) to go to the bathroom and with each pellet he let out a little squeak/whine. I've also noticed that he does his weird little bubbly/whiny noise while he pees. I'm scared now that there is yet another problem. His pellets look normal; all often uniform size, brown and they aren't soft. His urine is usually a white-ish yellow but it will dry brown.

One final, more "awkward" issue is I've started to notice he will protrude his penis and lick it for a few moments before it will return to its sheath. He does weird little thrusty gestures and whines before hand, is this maybe just typical boar behavior?

I'm sort of at my wits end. It's a full time job taking care of him and I don't know what to do. I love him dearly and I'm really worried about him. Any input about these problems/possible solutions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Piggums]

Post abscess removal, shaved cheek and open wound.




He fell asleep. Awww.

 

[Stewybus]

I think he definitely needs to go to see the vet again. Are you happy with your current vet or do you think seeing a more piggy savvy vet would help. If you check the vet locator at top of page you may find one close to you.

 

[Dindypig]

I agree with Stewybus about seeing the vet. His penis cleaning is normal and the shuddering is part of the process of 'getting it out'.

 

[Piggums]

He had x-rays done the first time he went to the vet, wouldn't that identify a bladder stone if that was the case? And if it is an UTI wouldn't the month long course of anti-biotics eventually clear it up? I feel like going in for a 4th visit in less than 2 weeks might be a bit over-zealous and they might start thinking I'm paranoid, haha.

Could it possibly be that he squeaks and stuff because he is outside of his cage? He will usually make a bunch of noise as he explores my desk but will only ever week for food when he's in his cage, and I don't hear him whining or straining unless he's outside. Maybe he is scared of me still... I wish I knew guinea behavior a bit better and that I could have worked it out trial an error with a piggie that wasn't so sickly. Poor Ralphie.

 

[piggyfan]

Bump.
I am sorry he is poorly. He is gorgeous.

 

[GuineaGuy]

That is one cute piggy. He is gorgeous and lucky to have such a caring owner.

Don't worry too much about being over zealous at the vets. I think when Benny was really ill we went 6 times over 3 days.

He actually ended up having bladder sludge which we controlled with a low calcium diet, cutting out certain veggies and even bottled water but he was a much happier little guy. I'm not sure how quickly

He was also susceptible to getting hay stuck in his bum and penis, I can remember one time when he was really crying when he urinated and he had a large piece of hay lodged in his penis. He did suffer from impaction which would cause him to strain and squeal a bit especially if he had a bit of hah stuck as well. I feel Ralphie would be too young to suffer from impaction but it could be worth checking.

If it was a UTI, some antibiotics are better at clearing it up than others, I have seen Septrin mentioned on here as a good one for UTIs before now.

I would play safe and take him to the vets - good luck, I wish you and gorgeous Ralphie all the best.

 

[Wiebke]

Please have him seen at the vets again. Abscesses can come back and are often a real pain to get rid of. I am sorry that your lovely boy has got such a tough start to his life!

Which country are you in? Enroflaxin/baytril - even though it is officially the only licensed antibiotic for guinea pigs - is often not strong enough to cut through an abscess or strong bacterial infection and he may need lancing and a stronger antibiotic. We have got a piggy savvy vets locator on the top bar for our UK members.

PS: With members from all over the world, we would be grateful if you added your country, state (US/aus) or county (UK) to your details, so we can give you the appropriate advice straight away. click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details/location. thanks!

 

[Piggums]

I live in Alberta, Canada. The vet that I have taken him to previously has a special exotics animal center and very knowledgeable staff so I trusted their treatment.

Last night while applying hot compresses, Ralphie's abscess drained entirely... it was disgusting but I was thrilled. So much gunk came out. I'm hopeful that continuing the compresses and anti-biotics will eventually lick it without having to have another surgery... the poor little guy is on so many drugs as it is.

I really appreciate everyone feedback, it's greatly appreciated. I plan on bringing him back to the vet soon to have him examined once more.

 

[Stewybus]

Another thing I have used to good effect with abscesses is Manuka honey applied to the drain hole with a cotton bud. The honey needs to be warmed but not hot so that it is easier to apply. This sort of treatment was used for centuries before penicillin was discovered & still has a place in medicine. Please check with your vet first so that they can maybe advise.