Emergency urinary infection?

[linny14]

so my piggy has been sick for about a week. she has been breathing really slowly and heavily, hasn't been peeing or pooping or eating as much, she has just been really slow and doesn't really move, and she just hasn't been her feisty self. we took her to the vet and got sent home with pneumonia and respiratory medicine. we've been giving her the medicine almost always on schedule and she looked like she was doing much better but yesterday she went back having really bad breathing and being really slow. when i was syringe feeding her her her veggies yesterday it looked like she was gagging or twitching really bad whenever i got some in her mouth. she did that when she was first sick but only that first day then she just excepted the veggies. now she's twitching and spitting it up. we've called the vet about it. my mom thinks it might be a urinary tract infection along with a respiratory infection. what do you guys think?

 

[Siikibam]

I’m afraid we can’t tell you what’s wrong. Piggies can’t spit food out so it may be she’s having trouble swallowing. And what you’re describing doesn’t sound like a UTI

What medicine were you given for her? How long have you given it to her and how long is the course for? Are you weighing her daily and topping up with syringe feeds? Hay is the biggest part of their diet so eating veg won’t be enough to maintain her weight. If she’s not eating hay (losing weight every day you weigh her) then she needs to be syringe fed to help her maintain.

For now you can soak her pellets in warm water and syringe them into her, or put in a bowl, or spoon feed her. I would take her back to the vet to see what may be going on with what you’ve described.

Please can you also amend your profile and add your location - state/county or country is enough. It makes it easier when giving you information.

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

 

[Piggies&buns]

not pooping is usually as a result of not eating properly - she needs to be syringe fed fibre rich recovery food such as oxbow critical care, emeraid or mushed up pellets. Syringing vegetables to her isn’t the right thing as it isn’t fibre and fibre is essential to keep her guts going. it doesn’t sound like a urinary tract infection at all.

 

[Wiebke]

so my piggy has been sick for about a week. she has been breathing really slowly and heavily, hasn't been peeing or pooping or eating as much, she has just been really slow and doesn't really move, and she just hasn't been her feisty self. we took her to the vet and got sent home with pneumonia and respiratory medicine. we've been giving her the medicine almost always on schedule and she looked like she was doing much better but yesterday she went back having really bad breathing and being really slow. when i was syringe feeding her her her veggies yesterday it looked like she was gagging or twitching really bad whenever i got some in her mouth. she did that when she was first sick but only that first day then she just excepted the veggies. now she's twitching and spitting it up. we've called the vet about it. my mom thinks it might be a urinary tract infection along with a respiratory infection. what do you guys think?

Hi! Guinea pigs don't have a vomit reflex. she needs to be urgently seen by a vet. Ask them to check for oral thrush (a candida infection in the mouth) or something stuck in the mouth/blocking the throat. But a problem in the mouth is most definitely not caused by a problem in the plumbing. it does however re quire a careful examination as soon as possible. A guinea pig that can no longer swallow as yours is in real danger.

Please be aware that 80% of what guinea pigs eat in a day is hay, hay and more hay. Fresh veg should be about 15% - the equivalent of an afternoon snack and 1 tablespoon of pellets per piggy per day should make the last 5%. It is the silica in hay and grass that keep the crucial back teeth ground down evenly and the guts working properly, is vital for good long term health and a longer life span.
Please read the very important information in these guides here:
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
List Of Life And Death Out-of-hours Emergencies

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

Fingers firmly crossed for your poorly girl!

 

[linny14]

I’m afraid we can’t tell you what’s wrong. Piggies can’t spit food out so it may be she’s having trouble swallowing. And what you’re describing doesn’t sound like a UTI

What medicine were you given for her? How long have you given it to her and how long is the course for? Are you weighing her daily and topping up with syringe feeds? Hay is the biggest part of their diet so eating veg won’t be enough to maintain her weight. If she’s not eating hay (losing weight every day you weigh her) then she needs to be syringe fed to help her maintain.

For now you can soak her pellets in warm water and syringe them into her, or put in a bowl, or spoon feed her. I would take her back to the vet to see what may be going on with what you’ve described.

Please can you also amend your profile and add your location - state/county or country is enough. It makes it easier when giving you information.

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

the vet wasn't sure if it was pneumonia or upper respiratory infection so he gave us 2 oral medications. baytril for her pneumonia and doxycycline for her respiratory. we give her the doxycycline twice a day and the baytril once a day. we are supposed to feed her the medicine every day until the 30th. we syringe feed her Peas mixed with apple sauce every 2 hours and have been giving her bell pepper, spinach, and lettuce every day. we've been keeping her hay stocked but she doesn't really eat on her own she just sits in her hidey all day until we come to feed her. a couple days ago she was eating a few pellets but she doesn't even do that anymore. also i forgot to mention she had a buddy but we separated them for now. her buddy had the same symptoms but is doing much better. i haven't weighed her yet but i am going to once i find where my scale is. we haven't tried giving her her pellets like that so i think ill try that

 

[Wiebke]

the vet wasn't sure if it was pneumonia or upper respiratory infection so he gave us 2 oral medications. baytril for her pneumonia and doxycycline for her respiratory. we give her the doxycycline twice a day and the baytril once a day. we are supposed to feed her the medicine every day until the 30th. we syringe feed her Peas mixed with apple sauce every 2 hours and have been giving her bell pepper, spinach, and lettuce every day. we've been keeping her hay stocked but she doesn't really eat on her own she just sits in her hidey all day until we come to feed her. a couple days ago she was eating a few pellets but she doesn't even do that anymore. also i forgot to mention she had a buddy but we separated them for now. her buddy had the same symptoms but is doing much better. i haven't weighed her yet but i am going to once i find where my scale is. we haven't tried giving her her pellets like that so i think ill try that

She needs either mushed up pellets (as an emergency stop gap measure) or otherwise fibre based support feed. Weighing a crucial health monitoring measure; poo output lags 1-2 days behind. PLEASE read the guide links in my first post. All the necessary information, tips and resources are in there. We cannot pack it all in just two sentences.

However, what really worries me is the gagging/spitting. A guinea pig only does it when it struggles or is unable to swallow. And a guinea pig that can no longer swallow is no longer eating and can also no longer take any oral medication. At some point the gut will slow down and stop, your piggy will run out of steam from lack of energy and the body will start to close down. A lethargic, flat guinea pig is a red alert symptom. Unlike cats and dogs, guinea pigs have a much faster metabolism and need their hay fibre based food very regularly; they cannot fast for long. When they go downhill, they do so with rather frightening speed.

 

[Freela]

None of this sounds like a UTI (and since she is on antibiotics that would likely be prescribed for UTI, that makes it seem even less likely.) Unfortunately, it sounds as though she is in distress. Not being able to swallow is an emergency, please let your vet know for any advice they may be able to give you. Unfortunately respiratory illnesses can go downhill rapidly, sometimes even with treatment and intervention. Best wishes to you all!