Upper Respiratory Infection Continues

[Natalie S]

So since October 1st there’s been a rollercoaster of my guineapig Mickey continuously getting upper respiratory infection, I take her to a vet and they give her baytril for a week, after that it seized but then noises came back and I got worried so once again we went to a vet and they gave us baytril for two weeks ! Once again she got sick after a week or two being off but finally we went to the third vet and they had given us antibiotics, probiotics, and this fluid to put inside a nebulizer so she can inhale it and after those two weeks she was perfect for the longest period of a month, but of course once again she’s having the breathing issues and mucus again... I’m not sure what to do anymore am I supposed to accept that the bacteria isn’t going to fade and to let her go ? I need help

 

[sport_billy]

So sorry to hear this, it sounds like a very stubborn URI. Would the vet consider giving him a diuretic such as Furosemide this will help clear any fluid from lungs. Possibly Bisolvon is also something to talk to the vet about, info on a thread here Bisolvon Powder

Tagging @Wiebke @Freela @helen105281 @Jaycey into this also

 

[sport_billy]

Are they eating okay?

 

[Natalie S]

Are they eating okay?

Yeah she’s fine eatting and drinking it just started two days ago again. Is this something you need to get from a vet or in any pharmacy?

 

[DM030819]

@Natalie S Is the mucous coloured or clear?

Bisolvon is handy as it is a decongestant and so helps the mucous work it's way out of the body.

Which antibiotics have been tried? Sometimes URI's can be really stubborn, and can take a month or so to clear.

How is she acting otherwise? Bright and active? Eating okay?

 

[Wiebke]

So since October 1st there’s been a rollercoaster of my guineapig Mickey continuously getting upper respiratory infection, I take her to a vet and they give her baytril for a week, after that it seized but then noises came back and I got worried so once again we went to a vet and they gave us baytril for two weeks ! Once again she got sick after a week or two being off but finally we went to the third vet and they had given us antibiotics, probiotics, and this fluid to put inside a nebulizer so she can inhale it and after those two weeks she was perfect for the longest period of a month, but of course once again she’s having the breathing issues and mucus again... I’m not sure what to do anymore am I supposed to accept that the bacteria isn’t going to fade and to let her go ? I need help

You may want to have the mucus cultured to see which antibiotic is most suitable for the particular bacteria you are dealing with. It is not cheap, but worth in a case of persistent illness. While baytril is the only antibiotic that is officially licensed, there are several others that can be safely used for guinea pigs (septrin/bactrim/sulfatrim, doxycycline, zithromax/azithromycin and marbocyl (the latter is related to baytril/enroflaxacine)).

Your vet may also consider giving a mucus thinning powder like bisolvon if the mucus is thickish and coloured (i.e. bacterial). Recurring URIs can also be a sign of an underlying health issue/suppressed immune system (heart?). A diuretic may also be something that your vet may want to consider. Continue using a nebuliser, even if it is just with steaming water.

 

[gizzy]

D

You may want to have the mucus cultured to see which antibiotic is most suitable for the particular bacteria you are dealing with. It is not cheap, but worth in a case of persistent illness. While baytril is the only antibiotic that is officially licensed, there are several others that can be safely used for guinea pigs

:like::like::like:

As Wiebke said not cheap but it could save you a fortune it time and money in the long term

 

[Freela]

It may be that the antibiotic being given is not a good fit to the bacteria involved, particularly if she has been given repeated courses of Baytril without long-range improvement. I would see if they will trial another antibiotic (they might be able to culture the mucus to test for an agent, but this can be costly and may not be accurate if antibiotics are already given.) We went through something similar last year, where Hadley had a URI that keep on recurring after courses of sulfatrim, but cleared up with a different antibiotic.

 

[Dindypig]

Yeah she’s fine eatting and drinking it just started two days ago again. Is this something you need to get from a vet or in any pharmacy?

Bisolvon is POM (prescription only medicine), so the vet would have to prescribe it and supply it.