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savycavies

New Born Pup
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Hi, I recently adopted two guinea pigs from PAH to join my other one at home. Two days later the little piggy had a very crusty eye and was sneezing a lot.. phoned vets and was advised to keep an eye on it. Two days later and no better so rang again to book an appointment which they couldn’t fit me in for another two days (even after explaining it was eye issues and I was concerned about it spreading but was advised it is “probably a little sniffle”) So on the day I go to take her the other one I adopted also has similar issues, gunky eyes, nose and sneezing a lot. I was so upset by the experience with this particular vet who asked if I’m cleaning them out properly and wrote on her notes that she just needed better ventilation. She also said if she was a dog she would give her steroids but as she’s only a guinea pig we will leave it for now. I paid £55 to be told to try some eye drops from home bargains😂 Anyway a week later and their eyes are looking a lot better but they are both still sneezing a ridiculous amount and the original older piggy (4) now is looking rather poorly, very swollen and sore eyes, congested and obviously not quite right. she is eating a drinking which is a plus but again today the same vet was so dismissive, said that antibiotics are not safe for piggies (i’ve had them all my life and many have been on antibiotics) she also said that it’s something they will have to live with and I just need to keep giving them vit C drops😳 Anyway rant over but i’m just hoping that someone can relate to vets being hopeless with piggies and also maybe anyone can offer advice on how to help my older piggy be a bit more comfortable :)
 
I'm afraid I have no advice. Where in the country are you roughly? Have you checked the recommended vet list? Anyway, welcome to the forum I won't be the only person to ask for pictures, we all love to drool over piggy pictures. I am slave to the beastie boys George (black and white) and Boris (cream satin)IMG20231008161044.webp
 
Sorry for your poorly piggies and especially your bad vet experiences.
Definitely time to find a different vet, that one takes the general vet ignorance about guineas to a whole new level.
As you already know, they can have antibiotics, some are licensed for guineas, most aren't but do work. However they shouldn't have steroids except in an end of life situation.

Recommended Guinea Pig Vets
Here is the forum's recommended vet list, hopefully one is in range for you
 
I’m down south, near Southhampton.. where can I find this list, i’ve tried a few vets in my time but have always struggled to find one that seems more knowledgeable with our smaller friends. Your boys are gorgeous!
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
Sorry for your poorly piggies and especially your bad vet experiences.
Definitely time to find a different vet, that one takes the general vet ignorance about guineas to a whole new level.
As you already know, they can have antibiotics, some are licensed for guineas, most aren't but do work. However they shouldn't have steroids except in an end of life situation.

Recommended Guinea Pig Vets
Here is the forum's recommended vet list, hopefully one is in range for you
Click to expand...

I was so shocked by the whole experience in general, I know normally they can be a little uneducated but honestly this experience tops them all. I will have a look on that list thank you !
 
Just click on the highlighted bit that says recommended vet list, should link you to it
 
savycavies said:
Hi, I recently adopted two guinea pigs from PAH to join my other one at home. Two days later the little piggy had a very crusty eye and was sneezing a lot.. phoned vets and was advised to keep an eye on it. Two days later and no better so rang again to book an appointment which they couldn’t fit me in for another two days (even after explaining it was eye issues and I was concerned about it spreading but was advised it is “probably a little sniffle”) So on the day I go to take her the other one I adopted also has similar issues, gunky eyes, nose and sneezing a lot. I was so upset by the experience with this particular vet who asked if I’m cleaning them out properly and wrote on her notes that she just needed better ventilation. She also said if she was a dog she would give her steroids but as she’s only a guinea pig we will leave it for now. I paid £55 to be told to try some eye drops from home bargains😂 Anyway a week later and their eyes are looking a lot better but they are both still sneezing a ridiculous amount and the original older piggy (4) now is looking rather poorly, very swollen and sore eyes, congested and obviously not quite right. she is eating a drinking which is a plus but again today the same vet was so dismissive, said that antibiotics are not safe for piggies (i’ve had them all my life and many have been on antibiotics) she also said that it’s something they will have to live with and I just need to keep giving them vit C drops😳 Anyway rant over but i’m just hoping that someone can relate to vets being hopeless with piggies and also maybe anyone can offer advice on how to help my older piggy be a bit more comfortable :)
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome

Please see a different vet promptly.
Here is the link to our list recommended vets: Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

Your piggies have a what sounds very much like a by now advanced URI (bacterial respiratory tract infection), which if left untreated can be fatal or cause permanent harm or problems later in life. Unfortunately, antibiotics are essential.
New Guinea Pig Problems: Sexing & Pregnancy; URI, Ringworm & Parasites; Vet Checks & Customer Rights

You can try and see whether a bowl of steaming water will help to ease the breathing and see how that goes.
The need to eat comes only third after the need to drink so a serious respiratory infection is always an appetite killer. Please make sure that you switch from the life-long weekly weight monitoring to weighing daily first thing in the morning for best day to day comparison.
Step in with feeding support to help to keep up your piggies' fighting strength; your home support in that respect is as important as any medication since no piggy can be healed if they die from loss of appetite. Please be aware that antibiotics can also impact on the digestive gut bacteria cause further loss of appetite; some piggies are more sensitive than others.

Please take the time to read our crisis care collection; you should find it very helpful: Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures (Includes a chapter on how to improvise in an emergency).

Please also make sure that your piggies are kept in a stable, preferably warmer environment in view of the still ongoing cold spell every little that supports their immune system until they get the needed antibiotics will help. Cold Weather Care for Indoor and Outdoor Guinea Pigs

Once you have a proper diagnosis from a different, you can make formal written complaint to the first vet's clinic about the unprofessional conduct. If the treating vet has no experience with guinea pigs they should state that and refer you to another vet if they are unsure about treatment.
Respiratory infections can be easily fatal for guinea pigs. Since they are also not much in the mouth breathers, any major blockages in the upper respiratory tract is also much more serious. You can also ask for your consultation fees back.

All the best.
 
Definitely time to find a vet who has up-to-date knowledge on guinea pigs. They should be on antibiotics... as your vet should know, some antibiotics are dangerous for pigs but others are perfectly safe, and leaving a URI untreated can be serious. I hope you're able to find someone who takes your concerns seriously!
 
Thank you so much for your help, I will try and get her booked in today. Thank you for confirming my thoughts
 
Just in case anyone wanted an update, found a vet who even though they were fully booked made time to see my poorly piggy during her lunch break, got some antibiotics (yay) and hopefully i’ll start to see an improvement.. syringe feeding tonight but hopefully she will be on the mend soon, thanks for all the help :)
 
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