Larissa98
New Born Pup
Hello,
I'm reaching out to see if anyone has any experience or advice when it comes to guinea pigs with Bordetella.
I have a 14-month-old female guinea pig, Snickerdoodle, who has been on antibiotics three times in the past year for respiratory issues.
At my last vet appointment, the vet discussed that it is quite likely that she is experiencing the effects of Bordetella. It's believed that she contracted it at a very young age, as she had a URI when I brought her home at 8 weeks old.
I'm hoping to get some guidance about how I can best support Snickerdoodle. Unfortunately, I did catch her sneezing again today, so I'll be keeping a close eye on her to see if another vet visit is necessary. I'm truthfully concerned about over-doing the antibiotics, and don't want to her to begin developing a resistance at such a young age.
While she does seem prone to developing what I can 'sneezing fits' (she will sneeze and then wheezes like a sad kazoo for several seconds), she has not had any discharge from her nose or eyes since her first URI, nor does she tend to show a change in eating or behaviour (I tend to catch her symptoms quite early on).
Are there things I can be doing to reduce her likelihood of developing respiratory issues, or should I expect her to develop respiratory issues quite regularly regardless of my care?
She lives in a large 14x4ft enclosure with her two 'sisters', on fleece bedding (which I wash in scentless, sensitive skin detergent). They get unlimited hay, Oxbow pellets, and fresh produce daily (about 3/4 cup each). I clean their enclosure every other day and wash their dishes and bottles regularly. I can't think of anything else I could do to reduce her respiratory issues. I'm going to begin supplementing her with vitamin C (the human grade liquid), because I figure it can't hurt.
I am absolutely open to hearing any advice that might help keep Snickerdoodle well! I've been finding it very difficult to locate information about Bordetella in guinea pigs. Unfortunately, we're still unable to go into clinics with our pets where I live, and all communication with the vet is over the phone. I find it hard to dig for more information when the appointments aren't in person, so any information (whether it's experiential, or if you have helpful resources) would be greatly appreciated! If there are things you recommend I speak to my vet about, I'm all ears.
Many thanks,
Larissa
I'm reaching out to see if anyone has any experience or advice when it comes to guinea pigs with Bordetella.
I have a 14-month-old female guinea pig, Snickerdoodle, who has been on antibiotics three times in the past year for respiratory issues.
At my last vet appointment, the vet discussed that it is quite likely that she is experiencing the effects of Bordetella. It's believed that she contracted it at a very young age, as she had a URI when I brought her home at 8 weeks old.
I'm hoping to get some guidance about how I can best support Snickerdoodle. Unfortunately, I did catch her sneezing again today, so I'll be keeping a close eye on her to see if another vet visit is necessary. I'm truthfully concerned about over-doing the antibiotics, and don't want to her to begin developing a resistance at such a young age.
While she does seem prone to developing what I can 'sneezing fits' (she will sneeze and then wheezes like a sad kazoo for several seconds), she has not had any discharge from her nose or eyes since her first URI, nor does she tend to show a change in eating or behaviour (I tend to catch her symptoms quite early on).
Are there things I can be doing to reduce her likelihood of developing respiratory issues, or should I expect her to develop respiratory issues quite regularly regardless of my care?
She lives in a large 14x4ft enclosure with her two 'sisters', on fleece bedding (which I wash in scentless, sensitive skin detergent). They get unlimited hay, Oxbow pellets, and fresh produce daily (about 3/4 cup each). I clean their enclosure every other day and wash their dishes and bottles regularly. I can't think of anything else I could do to reduce her respiratory issues. I'm going to begin supplementing her with vitamin C (the human grade liquid), because I figure it can't hurt.
I am absolutely open to hearing any advice that might help keep Snickerdoodle well! I've been finding it very difficult to locate information about Bordetella in guinea pigs. Unfortunately, we're still unable to go into clinics with our pets where I live, and all communication with the vet is over the phone. I find it hard to dig for more information when the appointments aren't in person, so any information (whether it's experiential, or if you have helpful resources) would be greatly appreciated! If there are things you recommend I speak to my vet about, I'm all ears.
Many thanks,
Larissa
