Another thread about snot.

[joe_stas]

Hi
I've been posting for the last three months on and off about my guinea pig, T Bag. He constantly seems to have a runny nose.

I've had him on two big courses of baytril and now I've moved to another type of antibiotic.

Whenever he gets better, he soons gets bad again. THis has been ongoing for three months now.

His character doesn't change at all.. he eats normally and runs about. He doesn't seem affected. Our other guinea pig, Mahone, has never got ill, even though they live together.

Now this got me thinking that it could be an allergy.. The only constant that they've had in their cage since he started getting ill is Vetbed? I find it hard to think that he could be allergic to this but I don't know what else to suspect. Had anyone had a similar problem?

What also made me suspect this is because when he's in his run, his snottyness seems to clear up..

THanks and sorry for the long post.

 

[MemberX]

Hiya,

It could be the cleaning products that you use to clean the vet bed? Washing Powder or if you use softener it could be that although I think it is advised not to use softener.

I have mine on fleece blankets at the moment but I am changing them over to megazorb and hay not because they are allergic but because I am...lol I am fine with them on hay and megazorb but the fleece doesn't absorb the smell in the shed and I find it gives me a slight dander allergy.

Can you not put TBag (Love the name) on hay for a week and see how he copes with that and see if his allergy clears up. You can rule out the washing powder if he is still the same then.

Good luck with it, fingers crossed you get to the bottom of it.

Louise
x

 

[stargrrlclaire]

Definately try him on shavings and hay. I know it'll seem more expensive, but getting rid of his snotty nose and vet visits will be brilliant cxxx

 

[rw3399]

I wouldn't put a piggie on wood shavings as this contributed to my piggie's problem with a runny nose. After taking her of it the sneezing and her runny nose did calm down but did not completely clear. I never did get to the bottom of what caused it but I only noticed it when she was in her old age. Sudafed for children, 0.3mls for 2-3 days helped clear her nose up for a short time. I know some people don't agree with using Vicks but when she was whistling through her nose and her chest was a bit noisy I used to put a small dab on her nose (which didn't cause her soreness or didn't irritate her) and this would stop the noises within an hour or so. Hope this helps x

 

[stargrrlclaire]

I wouldn't put a piggie on wood shavings as this contributed to my piggie's problem with a runny nose. After taking her of it the sneezing and her runny nose did calm down but did not completely clear. I never did get to the bottom of what caused it but I only noticed it when she was in her old age. Sudafed for children, 0.3mls for 2-3 days helped clear her nose up for a short time. I know some people don't agree with using Vicks but when she was whistling through her nose and her chest was a bit noisy I used to put a small dab on her nose (which didn't cause her soreness or didn't irritate her) and this would stop the noises within an hour or so. Hope this helps x

My vet recommended with my hamster to put vic in a bowel with boiling water outside the cage, then put a big towel over the whole cage and bowel and let the hamster breath in the vapour for about 5 minutes. I guess it'd be the same for a guinea pig!

 

[moonie8404]

as a poster with a GP with snottyness and sneezing, i would ~NOT put him sawdust! it is far to dusty and will just aggravate the problem

I do belieive it to be an allergy as have had mine on every type of bedding and changed everything possible to improve the problem

is he outside or indoor GP? my piggys nose ALSO clears up outside whilst in his run! how very odd!

I think it could be an allergy to house dust maybe?

i can sympathise with you completely! have a look at my posts on it, as i am exactly the same and i am stumped! I have spoken to several specialists via recommendations on here and they belieive it to be an allergy.

I have tried him on sudafed too and that did not improve it and have been advised if this is the case, it is most likely an allergy. A lady i know told me that she had a GP who was exactly the same and lived up to 7 years old!

 

[mutton chops]

Bubbleberrys the same. But she dosnt clear up when in the run. Shes also on vetbed.

 

[piggiesforever]

as a poster with a GP with snottyness and sneezing, i would ~NOT put him sawdust! it is far to dusty and will just aggravate the problem

I do belieive it to be an allergy as have had mine on every type of bedding and changed everything possible to improve the problem

is he outside or indoor GP? my piggys nose ALSO clears up outside whilst in his run! how very odd!

I think it could be an allergy to house dust maybe?

i can sympathise with you completely! have a look at my posts on it, as i am exactly the same and i am stumped! I have spoken to several specialists via recommendations on here and they belieive it to be an allergy.

I have tried him on sudafed too and that did not improve it and have been advised if this is the case, it is most likely an allergy. A lady i know told me that she had a GP who was exactly the same and lived up to 7 years old!

Just a thought and please don't take offence, are you wearing a perfume that he might be sensitive to, I just say this because i am allergic to many and walking past the wrong person at the shops can lead the top of my nose to burn

 

[joe_stas]

THanks for your posts everyone.. He was very clogged up again this morning. It gets quite upsetting.. I don't know whether to stop giving him antibiotics or not cos if they are doing no good, it's not going to be beneficial to him..

 

[moonie8404]

Just a thought and please don't take offence, are you wearing a perfume that he might be sensitive to, I just say this because i am allergic to many and walking past the wrong person at the shops can lead the top of my nose to burn

no offence taken! me and my mum thought it could be the perfume, so some days i have not worn it but still the little mite kept sneezing! I think i will try again though as didnt really give it long enough, and would be good to test again! thanks piggiesforever!

 

[moonie8404]

THanks for your posts everyone.. He was very clogged up again this morning. It gets quite upsetting.. I don't know whether to stop giving him antibiotics or not cos if they are doing no good, it's not going to be beneficial to him..

i would run the course that the vet has prescribed. I know it is upsetting, its not nice seeing your little piggy like that. Have the vet tested his snot? someone mentioned this on another post when i was asking about Scruffy.

Also, I noticed that mine gets a creamish stain on his white fur from when he cleans his face and nose - does yours have this?

 

[rw3399]

The whitish stain could be eye milk. Where he has cleaned himself he might have pulled it down his face?

 

[joe_stas]

For anyone that's interested.. We took T Bag off vetbed and used hay and megazorb as bedding instead.. His snotty nose seemed to have cleared up completely (touch wood).. I'm not sure if that's the reason or that his medicine 'finally' decided to start working.

Hopefully it won't come back.. again!

 

[moonie8404]

For anyone that's interested.. We took T Bag off vetbed and used hay and megazorb as bedding instead.. His snotty nose seemed to have cleared up completely (touch wood).. I'm not sure if that's the reason or that his medicine 'finally' decided to start working.

Hopefully it won't come back.. again!

thats great news! Scruffys nose is a little better at the moment, and i dont know why. I'm glad T Bag is better!

 

[MemberX]

Great news, it could have been the detergent.