Bordetella bronchiseptica treatment

[justinlikespeegs]

Hi longtime owner first time poster. I was signposted here from reddit of all places. Recently I've adopted a new member to my herd from a local resceu and with in a month 2 of my 3 original pigs, who where all in rude health when he joined, have passed on with the last one racing them to the here after.

After enquiring on reddit I was told that the symptoms I've described may indicate Bordetella bronchiseptica.

As my new addtion was kept with rabbits before their rescue and subsequent adoption by myself I think it's the most likely culprit.

The survivor and the carrier (who had bumble foot) are both receiving Metacam Meloxicam, and Enrocare Enrofloxacin prescribed by the vet. Will these medications help with the Bordetella bronchiseptica or should I go back to the vet for an alternative?

Kind regards justin

 

[Wiebke]

Hi longtime owner first time poster. I was signposted here from reddit of all places. Recently I've adopted a new member to my herd from a local resceu and with in a month 2 of my 3 original pigs, who where all in rude health when he joined, have passed on with the last one racing them to the here after.

After enquiring on reddit I was told that the symptoms I've described may indicate Bordetella bronchiseptica.

As my new addtion was kept with rabbits before their rescue and subsequent adoption by myself I think it's the most likely culprit.

The survivor and the carrier (who had bumble foot) are both receiving Metacam Meloxicam, and Enrocare Enrofloxacin prescribed by the vet. Will these medications help with the Bordetella bronchiseptica or should I go back to the vet for an alternative?

Kind regards justin

Hi and welcome

BIG HUGS

I am ever so sorry that you have had bordetella or one of the other respiratory nasties carried in.
I assume that you didn't conduct a 2-3 weeks quarantine in another room before adding the new piggy to your group?


The official UK vet treatment is with trimethoprim-sulfamethodozole (better known as bactrim or septrin) or oral chloramphenicol but baytril (enrofloxacin) and/doxycycline are listed on more alternative medicine sites.

Sadly, bordetella is generally fatal for guinea pigs whether its from sharing quarters with usually symptom-free rabbits or dogs with either kennel cough or within 3 days of their kennel cough jab.

This forum guide looks at all forms of interspecies contagion, including bordetella and other nasties (both between different animal species and to and from humans).
Contagion - Inter-species transmission and pet care during owner illness/pregnancy (incl. Covid)

I wish I had better news. So far, to my knowledge, we haven't had a successfully treated case of bordetella on this forum in nearly 20 years.

 

[justinlikespeegs]

Gods I didn't even think to quarantine him. The boar bonding with one of my lone boars went so well I didn't think! Should i avoid them in future?

Still lesson learned as hard as it may be. thankyou for the response

 

[Wiebke]

Gods I didn't even think to quarantine him. The boar bonding with one of my lone boars went so well I didn't think! Should i avoid them in future?

Still lesson learned as hard as it may be. thankyou for the response

No, you shouldn't avoid them but be aware that privately rehomed guinea pigs can come with hidden passengers, especially those with a not very pristine background and that a quarantine is always recommended.
This guide here takes a detailed in-depth look at all the different places you can get guinea pigs from and what to be aware of with each of them.
Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs

I am so very sorry but I'd rather not raise false hopes.
But I know only too well just how badly those hard lessons hurt from learning quite a bit of what I now know the hard way over the pre- and early internet decades when there was still far too little information around, never mind the stone age conditions of my childhood and teenage piggies and little we knew then!

Anyway, I am paying forward for my piggies who have paid the ultimate price by writing forum guides and giving advice which has helped and is helping lots of piggies and their owners over the years. You may find your own way of doing something for your lost piggies and yourself whether it is helping other piggies to safety or supporting a rescue by sponsoring piggies in rescues that are unable/unsuitable for rehoming etc.

Making unforeseeable and therefore unpreventable mistakes doesn't inevitably make you a bad owner - but it can make you an even better one. Some things in life you inevitably bump into head-on. What counts is how you move on and take on board what has happened. Bordetella is not that common that you would have been necessarily aware of it and the risk it poses to guinea pigs. Be kind with yourself but try to find a constructive way forward that can bring you a modicum of peace.