V Worried Piggie Owner

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karenben

karenben

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My female piggie Daisy who is 10 months old has been poorly since just before Christmas. She has seen the vet 3 times (ashleigh vets manchester) and is on her second lot of antibiotics. She only started the new med yesterday and is v snuffly/crackly, she is eating a little and is on my lap now as I am trying to tempt her to eat more. Her buddy Jasper knows something is wrong. I am at my wits end really as costs are mounting and she is a fighter and I dont want to give up on her. Any advice appreciated.
 
Sorry to hear Daisy is unwell. I have a lot of experience with URI, never had one in my piggy room till last year and spent a lot of time a the vets over the last year. Firstly what antibiotics are you being given? Has the vet checked for fluid on her lungs? Have you been given any anti inflammatory like metacam?

Sometimes URI's can be stubborn and take two lots of antibiotics to clear. I usually ask for bisolvan for snuffly piggies as helps clear the airways, you add it to food or water. You can also use vicks vapour rub on tissues around the cage, also steam can help free the airways. I take mine in the bathroom when i have a shower. If shes not eating much it would be worthwhile supplementing her diet with some critical care of failing that mashed up pellets via a syringe, it will help keep her weight up to fight off the infection as well as keeping the gut moving. A probiotics is also worthwhile using if your not already as added boost of vitamin c. If your not happy I would see another vet, there is a vet finder at the top of the forum, recommended vets by members so might be someone better in your area.
 
Are you weighing her to see if she is losing weight? If she is you will need to syringe feed her food. I'm only new to guinea pigs but I have been in and out of vets over past month with mine and my vet recommended rubex vit c (quarter of a tab) dissolved in water and syringed to build them back up. Good luck!
 
Please weigh her daily and if necessary hand feed her with either recovery food or mushed up pellets to keep up her strength and the guts going. Cut the tip off a 1ml syringe for easier feeding. We recommend to try and get as close to 120ml in either solid food or syringe feed into her over the course of 24 hours. It can be quite a struggle with a severely ill piggy. Also syringe 1ml of water every 3-5 ml. Loss of appetite is a tpyical symptom of URI. A piggy needs to breathe first, drink second and eat third to survive.

I would also enquire about diuretics and bisolvon powder to help get rid of the mucus/fluid on the lungs and to make breathing easier. What antibiotic in which dose is she on?
 
The vet we are using is a recommended vet, we travel quite a way to go there. The first course of antibiotics were marcobyl and the new one is engemycin which is a 10 day course, she is also on metacam. The crackles always seem to be worse in a morning. I have started her on metatone.
 
Metatone is a good move as it will stimulate her appetite. Another antibiotic to ask the vet about if this one isn't effective would be Zithromax (Azithromycin). As far as I can tell it is not the same thing as the antibiotic you have been given.

If she is crackly, I agree that she may need a diuretic, did the vet say if she had any fluid on her chest? Is her breathing laboured at all?

I also agree with the recommendations for Bisolvon to get rid of any snot up her nose, and steam therapy. I use a steam inhaler, and 2 drops of Olbas oil in boiling water, then hold the mouthpiece over the nose in 5 second bursts.
 
I would try some vicks or steam therapy to see if it helps. I put mine in the bathroom whilst I have a shower and also cover the cage at night with a fleece with vicks rubbed into it. It does help like with us but obviously builds back up and overnight whilst they are asleep it obviously builds up like with humans. Bisolvon is something you could ask your vet for, it helps clear the mucus and easy to give in water or on food. Has the vet checked her lungs for fluid?

I don't have any experience with those two antibiotics I always get Ronaxan but I can recommend it if I'm dealing with a URI, never had a URI last more then one or two doses with that.

I would weigh her daily like been mentioned that way you will be able to assess how well she is coping :)
 
Your girl is on effective antibiotics, in both cases. Baytril, the only officially licensed AB for guinea pigs, is often not cutting through, so please excuse us from making sure what meds she is on! I hope that she can get better soon! URI can be very persistent.
 
Daisy seems a little better this morning, had her metacam and metatone. Has been eating and had a little trot around the living room playing follw my leader with jasper. She is now having a little rest, will keep them out so I can monitor her food intake. Fingers crossed.
 
I would agree with degu-rock regarding using a probiotic. Bio-Lapis is very good. Also Fibreplex is a very good supplement which I use when they're not eating, 2 1ml doses a day is suffient just before feeding time. Both of these can be bought without a prescription from places such as Vet UK or your vet should have them in stock if you want to get them quickly. I always keep some in my piggies medicine box.

A tip when using Bio-Lapis. When you mix it you have to use the mix within 24 hours & 50ml is quite a lot so I split a sachet into 3 & mix a 1/3 of a sachet with 16ml of water & feed this morning, afternoon & evening in 5 to 6ml sessions. Always give some water afterwards, I usually give 2ml.
 
Stewybus said:
I would agree with degu-rock regarding using a probiotic. Bio-Lapis is very good. Also Fibreplex is a very good supplement which I use when they're not eating, 2 1ml doses a day is suffient just before feeding time. Both of these can be bought without a prescription from places such as Vet UK or your vet should have them in stock if you want to get them quickly. I always keep some in my piggies medicine box.

A tip when using Bio-Lapis. When you mix it you have to use the mix within 24 hours & 50ml is quite a lot so I split a sachet into 3 & mix a 1/3 of a sachet with 16ml of water & feed this morning, afternoon & evening in 5 to 6ml sessions. Always give some water afterwards, I usually give 2ml.
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Thanks for that, I have just ordered the bio-lapis.
 
Good news, Daisy improving. She just had a chomp on spring greens, even having a tug of war with Jasper. She is definitely more interested in food now. Its good to vent your worries on here and the support is brill. Thank you all. Not out of the woods yet but fingers crossed.
 
That's really good it sounds like the antibiotic has started working. I'd still weigh him daily which is the best way of seeing that he's getting enough nourishment.
 
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