vets just don’t know. Guinea pig sneezing a lot/ 1 runny nostril metcam not working.

[Natli]

Hi has anyone had this issue before or is there a vet that can help? My Guinea pig has been sneezing very often for 2 months and getting a runny nose (just one nostril & clear fluid)
He’s absolutely fine in himself the vets say it’s NOT an infection because the runny nose is clear and he’s eating well putting ON weight, running around my flat as happy as normal. But I can tell it’s getting on pigs nerves abit rubbing his nose and I can hear his breathing is getting louder/squeakier hes obviously blocked up. The vets did prescribe Metacam twice and although he loves the taste of it it’s not fixing the problem.
Not sure what to do as they can’t suggest anything else to give him except Metacam which isn’t working. They can’t see anything up his little nose when they look and it’s not an infection. So what’s going on?
They said they could put him under and look up the nostril further to look for a possible polyp or to do a ‘controlled nasal rinse’ but that they wouldn’t recommend it really as it’s a lot of stress to put him under when he’s Infact quiet happy at the mo. (I don’t have the money to do that anyway either)
Any ideas please anybody?
Anything else medication wise that has fixed a sneezing irritation with your piggie before?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Once your vet has checked for a bacterial respiratory infection and it has been ruled out, then you look to environmental factors.
Metacam is an anti inflammatory pain killer and won’t do anything to kill any bacteria.
Generally, sneezing and clear nasal discharge is due to nasal irritation rather than infection. Piggies have narrow airways and any small obstruction such as from hay or bedding dust can cause issues.
Bacterial respiratory infections usually result in noisy chesty breathing, clicking in the chest etc as first symptoms rather than nasal discharge and sneezing.
If your piggy had a bacterial infection which has gone untreated (which essentially giving only metacam would have been ) for a couple of months then it is likely your piggy would be rather poorly by now.

Can you tell us what bedding your piggy is on?
Is your hay dust extracted?
Is your piggy indoors?
Has this coincided with you putting your heating on in your house? Dry centrally heated air can cause this kind of thing in indoor piggies
Have all irritants such as candles, sprays, perfumes, been eliminated from the room?

 

[Swissgreys]

I would also ask does he live on his own, and if not does his cage mate show any signs of similar issues?

 

[Natli]

Thank you for replying! Well they are convinced it’s not bacterial given all the things like clear fluid and 2 months but still acting normal like you said. Nothing has changed in terms of bedding/ hay etc in his hutch the same stuff he’s used for years. He’s on cotton type bedding as I didn’t like the idea of sawdust. And his hay has 80% of the time not been dusty. There was a couple occasions that it was randomly very dusty but I only used it like twice on those occasions and then asked for an exchange for another pack. I never use scented items like perfumes etc round the house cos it actually irritates my nose. He is an indoor pig by the way yes. His sneezing issue started during a time it was exceptionally cold though inside and out when temperatures dropped outside to below zero and storage heaters aren’t the best. So I initially thought he may have a little cold or something but it’s nice and snug in my house now and vets said it wouldn’t have been a cold cos Guinea pigs can naturally produce something in their body to warm themselves up (I’m para-phrasing) can’t remember his exact words but that was the jist.
Would love to hear your further thoughts.

 

[Piggies&buns]

To add, putting a bowl of steaming water by the cage or taking piggy to the bathroom with a shower running may help ease his breathing and clear congestion.

 

[Natli]

Once your vet has checked for a bacterial respiratory infection and it has been ruled out, then you look to environmental factors.
Metacam is an anti inflammatory pain killer and won’t do anything to kill any bacteria.
Generally, sneezing and clear nasal discharge is due to nasal irritation rather than infection. Piggies have narrow airways and any small obstruction such as from hay or bedding dust can cause issues.
Bacterial respiratory infections usually result in noisy chesty breathing, clicking in the chest etc as first symptoms rather than nasal discharge and sneezing.
If your piggy had a bacterial infection which has gone untreated (which essentially giving only metacam would have been ) for a couple of months then it is likely your piggy would be rather poorly by now.

Can you tell us what bedding your piggy is on?
Is your hay dust extracted?
Is your piggy indoors?
Has this coincided with you putting your heating on in your house? Dry centrally heated air can cause this kind of thing in indoor piggies
Have all irritants such as candles, sprays, perfumes, been eliminated from the room?

Thank you for replying! Well they are convinced it’s not bacterial given all the things like clear fluid and 2 months but still acting normal like you said. Nothing has changed in terms of bedding/ hay etc in his hutch the same stuff he’s used for years. He’s on cotton type bedding as I didn’t like the idea of sawdust. And his hay has 80% of the time not been dusty. There was a couple occasions that it was randomly very dusty but I only used it like twice on those occasions and then asked for an exchange for another pack. I never use scented items like perfumes etc round the house cos it actually irritates my nose. He is an indoor pig by the way yes. His sneezing issue started during a time it was exceptionally cold though inside and out when temperatures dropped outside to below zero and storage heaters aren’t the best. So I initially thought he may have a little cold or something but it’s nice and snug in my house now and vets said it wouldn’t have been a cold cos Guinea pigs can naturally produce something in their body to warm themselves up (I’m para-phrasing) can’t remember his exact words but that was the jist.
Would love to hear your further thoughts.

 

[Natli]

I would also ask does he live on his own, and if not does his cage mate show any signs of similar issues?

He lives on his own now other piggies passed away a couple years ago x

 

[Piggies&buns]

If he is on fabric bedding, have you changed laundry detergent? Has the ingredients in your laundry detergent changed?
Try the bowl of steaming water by the cage and see if that eases anything for him.

Its good if a bacterial infection has been completely ruled out, but finding the cause if it is environmental may not be straight forward.

Piggies do not catch viral colds like humans do.

 

[Natli]

To add, putting a bowl of steaming water by the cage or taking piggy to the bathroom with a shower running may help ease his breathing and clear congestion.

That’s a good idea! thank you

 

[Natli]

If he is on fabric bedding, have you changed laundry detergent? Has the ingredients in your laundry detergent changed?
Try the bowl of steaming water by the cage and see if that eases anything for him.

Its good if a bacterial infection has been completely ruled out, but finding the cause if it is environmental may not be straight forward.

Piggies do not catch viral colds like humans do.

He’s on cotton wool bedding from fitch first. He does have a fabric bed like a lil tent that he sleeps in at night but nothings changed detergent I use to wash it has been the same one since I got him 5 years ago. Baffling isn’t it.
Are you a vet (u sound very knowledgeable.about the cold question) can you think of any other meds than metacam ?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi has anyone had this issue before or is there a vet that can help? My Guinea pig has been sneezing very often for 2 months and getting a runny nose (just one nostril & clear fluid)
He’s absolutely fine in himself the vets say it’s NOT an infection because the runny nose is clear and he’s eating well putting ON weight, running around my flat as happy as normal. But I can tell it’s getting on pigs nerves abit rubbing his nose and I can hear his breathing is getting louder/squeakier hes obviously blocked up. The vets did prescribe Metacam twice and although he loves the taste of it it’s not fixing the problem.
Not sure what to do as they can’t suggest anything else to give him except Metacam which isn’t working. They can’t see anything up his little nose when they look and it’s not an infection. So what’s going on?
They said they could put him under and look up the nostril further to look for a possible polyp or to do a ‘controlled nasal rinse’ but that they wouldn’t recommend it really as it’s a lot of stress to put him under when he’s Infact quiet happy at the mo. (I don’t have the money to do that anyway either)
Any ideas please anybody?
Anything else medication wise that has fixed a sneezing irritation with your piggie before?

Hi

If two lots of antibiotics have not done the trick, then please look at environmental issues (irritants, sensitivies - including to hay dust) or a rhynitis. Has your ved checked the nostril for something stuck or growing in it that could cause a chronic irritation (polyp or - thankfully very, very rarely - a tooth growing in the wrong direction)?
Unfortunately, this is a rather difficult area as you and your vet have to work through quite a lot of aspects to find the cause once your vet has excluded a respiratory infection. Metacam is an analgesic (painkiller-cum-anti-inflammatory) - since your vet has obviously ruled out a bacterial infection, they have prescribed the metacam not as a painkiller but to help swell down the tissue inside the blocked nostril. Unlike other pet medication, painkillers usually have a pleasant flavour as they have to be accepted even when your pet is totally off food.
See whether a bowl of steaming water next to the cage will help ease the sneezing. In this case, your vet may want to consider whether they may recommend nebulisation with a suitable mild antiseptic in addition to any further measures. We do not recommend to do this on spec since it can aggravate certain respiratory issues. Nebulisation can also not replace any necessary medication.

Here is a list of potential irritants: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/irritants-to-avoid-around-guinea-
pigs.175309/
Please also check whether a different hay brand may work.

If you are not happy with your vet, then you may find a vet you can get to on our forum list of recommended vets: Recommended Guinea Pig Vets
PS: We are an owners forum that has been running for over 15 years. We have experienced members but cannot replace a vet visit, only show you up avenues to pursue and help you with the care support at home during recovery. Our special section monitors have a badge in their signature.

 

[Natli]

If he is on fabric bedding, have you changed laundry detergent? Has the ingredients in your laundry detergent changed?
Try the bowl of steaming water by the cage and see if that eases anything for him.

Its good if a bacterial infection has been completely ruled out, but finding the cause if it is environmental may not be straight forward.

Piggies do not catch viral colds like humans do.

Attaching a video of what hes sounding like tonight, turn the volume right up please .. hes definitely congested isn’t he.
Edit; Oh it wouldn’t let me upload but load squeaky type sound from nose.

 

[Piggies&buns]

He’s on cotton wool bedding from fitch first. He does have a fabric bed like a lil tent that he sleeps in at night but nothings changed detergent I use to wash it has been the same one since I got him 5 years ago. Baffling isn’t it.
Are you a vet (u sound very knowledgeable.about the cold question) can you think of any other meds than metacam ?

I'm not familiar with cotton wool bedding? Can you clarify exactly what you mean please. Post a picture of it perhaps?

No, we are not vets on here - we are all just owners.

Metacam is a painkiller. It won’t cure anything
Antibiotics are used when there is a bacterial infection but if you are not dealing with a bacterial issue, then there is nothing to treat

Attaching a video of what hes sounding like tonight, turn the volume right up please .. hes definitely congested isn’t he.

You will need to upload a video to YouTube and then post a link to it here. We cannot host video directly on the forum

 

[Natli]

I'm not familiar with cotton wool bedding? Can you clarify exactly what you mean please. Post a picture of it perhaps?

No, we are not vets on here - we are all just owners.

Metacam is a painkiller. It won’t cure anything
Antibiotics are used when there is a bacterial infection but if you are not dealing with a bacterial issue, then there is nothing to treat



You will need to upload a video to YouTube and then post a link to it here. We cannot host video directly on the forum

Soft cotton

 

[Popcorns & Wheeks]

Hi has anyone had this issue before or is there a vet that can help? My Guinea pig has been sneezing very often for 2 months and getting a runny nose (just one nostril & clear fluid)
He’s absolutely fine in himself the vets say it’s NOT an infection because the runny nose is clear and he’s eating well putting ON weight, running around my flat as happy as normal. But I can tell it’s getting on pigs nerves abit rubbing his nose and I can hear his breathing is getting louder/squeakier hes obviously blocked up. The vets did prescribe Metacam twice and although he loves the taste of it it’s not fixing the problem.
Not sure what to do as they can’t suggest anything else to give him except Metacam which isn’t working. They can’t see anything up his little nose when they look and it’s not an infection. So what’s going on?
They said they could put him under and look up the nostril further to look for a possible polyp or to do a ‘controlled nasal rinse’ but that they wouldn’t recommend it really as it’s a lot of stress to put him under when he’s Infact quiet happy at the mo. (I don’t have the money to do that anyway either)
Any ideas please anybody?
Anything else medication wise that has fixed a sneezing irritation with your piggie before?

Hi, my piggie Susie had a very similar issue. However on examination bacteria was found. We were in and out of the vets like a yoyo for a few months and she had 5 courses of antibiotics (which sent her into stasis) and the issue sometimes cleared up but came back everytime.

She had one nostril either runny or crusty and noisier/faster breathing but was completely happy and well in herself. It wasnt until the last vet we saw explained what she thought the issue was and it was similar to a human deviated septum, she suggested trying her on a nebuliser.

We bought a plastic storage box and put a hole in one side for the nebuliser to go in and air holes in the other. The vet gave us f10 antiseptic solution and told us to dilute it down with water. It really did help, her runny/crusty nose cleared up and her breathing became more stable.

Maybe mention this to your vet as it may help your piggie too? We also found out my Susie had a heart murmur too, that was contributing to her noisier breathing. Here is a pic of my other piggie Heidi to give you an idea.

 

[Freela]

I'm wondering if it's worth asking the vet to culture nasal discharge for bacteria just in case. I did have one pig who had low-grade wheeziness that didn't progress to her being acutely ill (she did eat, act, normal, didn't lose weight, but was slightly congested and sometimes noisy breathing.) She did respond to an antibiotic. Other than that, you are doing all the right things here. Metacam is an anti-inflammatory and could knock down some swelling in her mucous membranes if any exists, but it's not going to address an underlying cause of respiratory illness. I know it has been suggested to set a bowl of steaming water to increase the humidity of the air... you can also try to cool-air humidifier in the room to reduce the dryness of the air (I have one for myself, because I always get nasal irritation and super dry skin in the winter when the air is dry.) You just refill them once a day and because it's cool there's no risk of it getting moldy. Hope this helps a bit, all the best!

 

[Natli]

Hi, my piggie Susie had a very similar issue. However on examination bacteria was found. We were in and out of the vets like a yoyo for a few months and she had 5 courses of antibiotics (which sent her into stasis) and the issue sometimes cleared up but came back everytime.

She had one nostril either runny or crusty and noisier/faster breathing but was completely happy and well in herself. It wasnt until the last vet we saw explained what she thought the issue was and it was similar to a human deviated septum, she suggested trying her on a nebuliser.

We bought a plastic storage box and put a hole in one side for the nebuliser to go in and air holes in the other. The vet gave us f10 antiseptic solution and told us to dilute it down with water. It really did help, her runny/crusty nose cleared up and her breathing became more stable.

Maybe mention this to your vet as it may help your piggie too? We also found out my Susie had a heart murmur too, that was contributing to her noisier breathing. Here is a pic of my other piggie Heidi to give you an idea.

View attachment 218046

Wow thank you so much for this it does sound really similar and something Il get on to the vets about! So how did they find bacteria upon inspection did they do a swab up the nose or something or could they just see some white stuff when they looked at her.
Was the f10 solution expensive to have to keep purchasing? I'm imagining you had to keep buying it for the rest of her life didn’t u? As sounds like it didn’t make it go away/stop the issue but just helped ease the symptoms yeah?
Sorry for the loss of lil Susie! Hope you’ve got the the hard part of the loss.
Look at Heidi haha she looks like what on earth is this planet lol

 

[Piggies&buns]

Wow thank you so much for this it does sound really similar and something Il get on to the vets about! So how did they find bacteria upon inspection did they do a swab up the nose or something or could they just see some white stuff when they looked at her.
Was the f10 solution expensive to have to keep purchasing? I'm imagining you had to keep buying it for the rest of her life didn’t u? As sounds like it didn’t make it go away/stop the issue but just helped ease the symptoms yeah?
Sorry for the loss of lil Susie! Hope you’ve got the the hard part of the loss.
Look at Heidi haha she looks like what on earth is this planet lol

Try the steaming water by her cage or take her into a steamy bathroom. The effect will be very similar to using a nebuliser and will tell you if it is going to help before purchasing nebulising equipment.
Do also discuss with your vet before nebulising

 

[Natli]

Try the steaming water by her cage or take her into a steamy bathroom. The effect will be very similar to using a nebuliser and will tell you if it is going to help before purchasing nebulising equipment.
Do also discuss with your vet before nebulising

I put a bowl of steaming water next to his hutch lastnight was a great idea thanks, don’t know if it helped as It was bed time for me too! but I will continue doing it and watch whether it helps.
Yes I’d always speak to a vet first don’t worry

 

[Josie_lg]

If still no luck with the wonderful suggestions made by everyone it may be worth asking the vet to have a look up the Nostril if they can. We had a piggie brought into work once with continued sneezing which didn’t go away with antibiotics. The vet somehow managed to find a massive piece of hay stuck up her nose. Had obviously been there a while it was massive.

 

[Natli]

Thank you, that’s crazy that the peice of hay was so massive!
Do you know if they looked up the nose by putting him under anesthetic first and having a good look that way or did they just managed to have a peek up the nose and spot it without needing to put him under and all that?.. I have wondered for a while if something like hay was stuck up there but the vets said he’d be behaving differently acting slightly fed up cos he’d be in pain?
So I’m not sure whether to pay all that money for him to put him under when they aren’t seeing signs of pain.

 

[Josie_lg]

Thank you, that’s crazy that the peice of hay was so massive!
Do you know if they looked up the nose by putting him under anesthetic first and having a good look that way or did they just managed to have a peek up the nose and spot it without needing to put him under and all that?.. I have wondered for a while if something like hay was stuck up there but the vets said he’d be behaving differently acting slightly fed up cos he’d be in pain?
So I’m not sure whether to pay all that money for him to put him under when they aren’t seeing signs of pain.

No the vet was just very lucky the piggie was so docile. I was in shock when he came to show me. Their nostrils are so so tiny I don’t know how he saw it or how the forceps didn’t damage the piggies tiny nose.
My girls are normally fed Timothy hay from HayBox. During lockdown we couldn’t purchase this so had to buy a dustier meadow hay from our local farm and they would get quite sneezy and sniffly on that.
Buttercup also had nasal discharge and sneezing last summer but no eye discharge and randomly it was an eye ulcer that caused it they really do run us up the wall with stress
I suppose if with antibiotics and looking at your bedding, hay, detergent etc don’t work you can always ask for conscious x rays. Poppy was diagnosed with a lower resp infection with conscious ones. But they aren’t always very accurate as the patient can’t be positioned correctly.

 

[Popcorns & Wheeks]

Wow thank you so much for this it does sound really similar and something Il get on to the vets about! So how did they find bacteria upon inspection did they do a swab up the nose or something or could they just see some white stuff when they looked at her.
Was the f10 solution expensive to have to keep purchasing? I'm imagining you had to keep buying it for the rest of her life didn’t u? As sounds like it didn’t make it go away/stop the issue but just helped ease the symptoms yeah?
Sorry for the loss of lil Susie! Hope you’ve got the the hard part of the loss.
Look at Heidi haha she looks like what on earth is this planet lol

Yes, they took a swab from her nostril and looked under the microscope, they told me there was more bacteria than should be present. I can't remember just how much the f10 was but it was around £20 I think. In all honesty, it lasts ages I still have the first bottle with loads left in. Unfortunately, Susie only lived around 7 months longer after so now I use it for cleaning my piggies cage.

I think it's 1ml of f10 for every 250ml of water, it tells you on bottle but unfortunately don't have it to hand at minute. It cleared her runny/crusty nose, lessened her sneezing and her breathing improved so to me it did help. The vet explained it was a condition that could not be cured but managed and the f10 did manage it. The antibiotics probably had an effect but she didn't have to have anymore of them while I was nebulising her so.

Yer last year was a hard year, I lost 3 piggies in just 4 months. Ha ha, Heidi does look rather confused in this picture .

 

[eileen]

you need F10 ANTISEPTIC,not the F10 cleanser for cleaning cages !

 

[Popcorns & Wheeks]

you need F10 ANTISEPTIC,not the F10 cleanser for cleaning cages !

Yes that's what I do have. I said I also use it to disinfect cages.

 

[Popcorns & Wheeks]

I stated what it was in my first post. My vet told me I could also use this to disinfect cages. Please look at the conversation properly next time.

 

[Natli]

Hi

If two lots of antibiotics have not done the trick, then please look at environmental issues (irritants, sensitivies - including to hay dust) or a rhynitis. Has your ved checked the nostril for something stuck or growing in it that could cause a chronic irritation (polyp or - thankfully very, very rarely - a tooth growing in the wrong direction)?
Unfortunately, this is a rather difficult area as you and your vet have to work through quite a lot of aspects to find the cause once your vet has excluded a respiratory infection. Metacam is an analgesic (painkiller-cum-anti-inflammatory) - since your vet has obviously ruled out a bacterial infection, they have prescribed the metacam not as a painkiller but to help swell down the tissue inside the blocked nostril. Unlike other pet medication, painkillers usually have a pleasant flavour as they have to be accepted even when your pet is totally off food.
See whether a bowl of steaming water next to the cage will help ease the sneezing. In this case, your vet may want to consider whether they may recommend nebulisation with a suitable mild antiseptic in addition to any further measures. We do not recommend to do this on spec since it can aggravate certain respiratory issues. Nebulisation can also not replace any necessary medication.

Here is a list of potential irritants: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/irritants-to-avoid-around-guinea-
pigs.175309/
Please also check whether a different hay brand may work.

If you are not happy with your vet, then you may find a vet you can get to on our forum list of recommended vets: Recommended Guinea Pig Vets
PS: We are an owners forum that has been running for over 15 years. We have experienced members but cannot replace a vet visit, only show you up avenues to pursue and help you with the care support at home during recovery. Our special section monitors have a badge in their signature.

Thank you for your great reply. I appreciate you trying to help. He’s actually never taken any antibiotics as they said they didn’t think it was bacterial. So it was just the 2 lots Metacam he had.
I asked about whether something like hay may be stuck in the one nostril that he’s having a runny nose from and they said it is highly unlike because he would be exhibiting pain and be miserable (considering it’s been 2 months of these symptoms) but as he is happy and healthy they don’t think antibiotics are necessary. Now that he is getting much louder squeaky breathing I’m still beginning to wonder again if it is Infact something stuck there. When I asked about next steps with the vets though they said that they ‘could’ put him under anesthetic and have a look up the nose incase of blockage / possible polyp. They also mentioned a controlled nasal flush. But then they followed on with saying that it’s a lot of stress to put him under when he’s actually not acting poorly or anything, and a very difficult part of the body to check 100% they still might not be able to know for sure. (I also just don’t have the money as they said it would need to be through a specialist) so that’s not an option. Someone else on the forum mentioned a conscious X-ray instead so I’m thinking it may be worth seeing about that. Tho I imagine they will say no, no he has to be put under.
But anymore ideas of things I can ask the vet to do for him would be great (that wouldn’t cost too much)
It’s not environmental/ allergy’s as nothing has changed in that respect since I got him 5 years ago. I don’t used sprays or perfumes as it irritates my own nose lol and his bedding/hay has always been the same. X

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for your great reply. I appreciate you trying to help. He’s actually never taken any antibiotics as they said they didn’t think it was bacterial. So it was just the 2 lots Metacam he had.
I asked about whether something like hay may be stuck in the one nostril that he’s having a runny nose from and they said it is highly unlike because he would be exhibiting pain and be miserable (considering it’s been 2 months of these symptoms) but as he is happy and healthy they don’t think antibiotics are necessary. Now that he is getting much louder squeaky breathing I’m still beginning to wonder again if it is Infact something stuck there. When I asked about next steps with the vets though they said that they ‘could’ put him under anesthetic and have a look up the nose incase of blockage / possible polyp. They also mentioned a controlled nasal flush. But then they followed on with saying that it’s a lot of stress to put him under when he’s actually not acting poorly or anything, and a very difficult part of the body to check 100% they still might not be able to know for sure. (I also just don’t have the money as they said it would need to be through a specialist) so that’s not an option. Someone else on the forum mentioned a conscious X-ray instead so I’m thinking it may be worth seeing about that. Tho I imagine they will say no, no he has to be put under.
But anymore ideas of things I can ask the vet to do for him would be great (that wouldn’t cost too much)
It’s not environmental/ allergy’s as nothing has changed in that respect since I got him 5 years ago. I don’t used sprays or perfumes as it irritates my own nose lol and his bedding/hay has always been the same. X

A nasal swab for a culture could test for the absence or presence of bacteria in case you are dealing with a low load upper respiratory tract infection. But something is most definitely going on that is obviously not being addressed by he current measures.
F10 antiseptic solution costs around $10? I am not currently up to the actual exchange rate between UK pounds and US dollars; it's been changing a lot lately.
If you are really short on money, then homemade saline solution will work very similarly but may not be quite as effective depending on what you are dealing with. You can however use it for the bowl test if you wish to.
If you notice an improvement, then that is one area you can pursue with your vet to help ease the breathing. It won't get down to the bottom, though.
Once you are past the standard illnesses and treatments, it often gets pretty difficult and rather expensive unfortunately. Since guinea pigs are not much in the way of mouth breathers any blockages of the very narrow nasal ducts and cavities are more noticeable and serious.
Please do not order things for a nebuliser unless you are sure it has a positive impact.

PS: You can make saline solution yourself at home by boiling 250 ml/1 pint of water, letting it cool and then mixing in 1 teaspoon of salt. It comes in handy fos disinfection in an emergency or if you are very short on money.

 

[Natli]

A nasal swab for a culture could test for the absence or presence of bacteria in case you are dealing with a low load upper respiratory tract infection. But something is most definitely going on that is obviously not being addressed by he current measures.
F10 antiseptic solution costs around $10? If you are really short, then homemade saline solution will work very similarly but not quite as effective. You can use it for the bowl test if you wish to. If you notice an improvement, then that is one area you can pursue with your vet to help ease the breathing. It won't get down to the bottom, though.
Once you are past the standard illnesses and treatments, it often gets pretty difficult and rather expensive unfortunately. Since guinea pigs are not much in the way of mouth breathers any blockages of the very narrow nasal ducts and cavities are more noticeable and serious.

Ok il make sure these things are mentioned when the vet calls later then thank you, cos they didn’t have any ideas of next steps besides the procedure of full nasal check/flush etc but I think your right and a swab would be a good idea first and foremost. Then possible conscious X-ray that the other suggested. Been steaming his hutch last couple days does seem to make him breath much better so I don’t think the solution is needed but Il bare it in mind just incase. This forum is great by the way! Never used one before, and especially didn’t expect any replies on this particular one for some reason. Thanks

 

[Wiebke]

Ok il make sure these things are mentioned when the vet calls later then thank you, cos they didn’t have any ideas of next steps besides the procedure of full nasal check/flush etc but I think your right and a swab would be a good idea first and foremost. Then possible conscious X-ray that the other suggested. Been steaming his hutch last couple days does seem to make him breath much better so I don’t think the solution is needed but Il bare it in mind just incase. This forum is great by the way! Never used one before, and especially didn’t expect any replies on this particular one for some reason. Thanks

I was prescribed a course of inhaling saline twice at a specialist's doctor's during the decade I had chronic sinusitis as a teenager. See whether the saline in the bowl will help further with easing the breathing and discuss the results with your vet.

Better breathing may help to then allow further examinations.