I recently got a new Guinea pig and I'm worried he's not feeling the best. He's been sneezing for the past few days. I made an appointment for him on Friday (tomorrow) to get an exam and checked out. I thought maybe he was allergic to his bedding, so I switched it out for fleece. Then on Tuesday night I noticed a little bit of discharge from his nose and a tiny bit of "crusties" on the corners of his eyes, so I cleared it away and he was fine. The vet I go to for my Piggies to is off on Wednesdays, but since he seemed to be a little better I wasn't too worried. Then this morning (Thursday) he was sneezing more than normal and I noticed his breathing sounded a little congested. He isn't as active as he normally has been, but definitely not lethargic. He's been eating, not as much as he did before but still enough (especially his veggies!) and he has been drinking normally. I was just wondering opinions on if I should see if he should be seen by the vet today, or if I can wait until tomorrow. My appointment is early morning and the clinic is 45 minutes from my house, so I would prefer not to drive that far today as tomorrow I'm in the area anyways, but obviously would if he needs it! Thanks!
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Uri Question: How Urgent Is Vet Care?
- Thread starter Meggan339
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Hi and welcome!
If you can get an appointment today, please do so! The URI is clearly developing rather quickly; it is not an illness that can be trifled with.
Please ask your vet for either mucus thinning medication if the upper airways are congested and/or a diuretic if the lungs are fluid filled in addition to an antibiotic. With a URI it is vital that the airways get cleared as quickly as possible since guinea pigs can't breathe through their mouths. The need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly the need to eat.
You can support your guinea pig at home by placing a bowl of steaming water next to the cage and renewing it to help ease the breathing. Give 1/8 of a human vitamin C tablet to support the immune system and one pinch of probiotic 1-2 hours after the antibiotic in order to bolster the guts.
Please start topping up with syringe feed and water and switch to weighing daily at the same time instead of weekly to monitor the food intake. Be aware that up 80% is hay, which you cannot control just be looking at your piggy. Any antibiotic is also an appetite dampener/killer, as the antibiotic also affects the gut bacteria, not just the respiratory bacteria. The more you can support your piggy while it is fighting for its life, the more of a chance you give it.All the best!
Here is our illustrated step-by-step guide with information on recovery foods, probiotics and what to do in an emergency: Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Administering Medications
Tips For Vet Visits
tabelmabel
Adult Guinea Pig
Hi please get an emergency appointment. I haven't got nearly the experience or expertise of wiebke but I'm speaking from recent personal experience. Please don't delay.
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