Breathing Issue?

[Storm1974]

Bracken is just over 7 months old and I have noticed over the past few weeks that his breathing seems to have got a bit more pronounced/faster than his brothers and he has a very slight head rocking going on. You can easily see his breathing from his abdomen area and underneath where his chest is, but apart from that he is is his normal self. He has no unusual noises, no crustiness, no runny nose, he's not lethargic or puffed up in any way, eating absolutely fine (In fact he's just put on 68 grams since we last weighed him a week ago!), and so, my hubby says we don't need to take him to the vets because he's 'fine', but I know his breathing is definitely different to his brothers and I am a bit worried. I know the reason that we are very low on money and the savings that we were keeping for emergencies, we're having to use up a lot of due to not being able to make ends meet very easily, is putting off the vets visit, but I fear that if we don't get him checked out, we could be ignoring something that could eventually get worse!

Just hope it's not a heart issue, that's my main worry.

 

[Storm1974]

I have contacted the vets now to enquire about how much it could cost (Roughly) and they replied it would be £32 consultation fee and then any treatment on top.

We don't really want them to give us antibiotics as we don't like using them, we have a nebuliser here with some colloidal silver and we're also going to get a saline solution, which we have heard of really good results with respiratory issues in GPs, if that is what Bracken has.

So if they say it's an infection or something, we will refuse the antibiotics and nebulise him with our own things.

âNebulizing With Colloidal Silver
https://thesilveredge.com/colloidal-silver-for-animals-with-upper-respiratory-infections/

 

[Piggies&buns]

We obviously cannot advocate you to go against vet advice and instead try home treatments if a bacterial infection is found

I hope he is ok

 

[Piggies2023]

Bracken is just over 7 months old and I have noticed over the past few weeks that his breathing seems to have got a bit more pronounced/faster than his brothers and he has a very slight head rocking going on. You can easily see his breathing from his abdomen area and underneath where his chest is, but apart from that he is is his normal self. He has no unusual noises, no crustiness, no runny nose, he's not lethargic or puffed up in any way, eating absolutely fine (In fact he's just put on 68 grams since we last weighed him a week ago!), and so, my hubby says we don't need to take him to the vets because he's 'fine', but I know his breathing is definitely different to his brothers and I am a bit worried. I know the reason that we are very low on money and the savings that we were keeping for emergencies, we're having to use up a lot of due to not being able to make ends meet very easily, is putting off the vets visit, but I fear that if we don't get him checked out, we could be ignoring something that could eventually get worse!

Just hope it's not a heart issue, that's my main worry.

Will be interested to hear what the vets say. As I have a piggie doing exactly the same thing. My piggie is on meds but not noticed a massive difference so far, she's still rocking. Though she had stopped laying down ( I assume breathing was more of an issue laying down) and she is now laying down again.

Hopefully you can see a piggy savvy vet. I would go with what they suggest.

 

[Storm1974]

Will be interested to hear what the vets say. As I have a piggie doing exactly the same thing. My piggie is on meds but not noticed a massive difference so far, she's still rocking. Though she had stopped laying down ( I assume breathing was more of an issue laying down) and she is now laying down again.

Hopefully you can see a piggy savvy vet. I would go with what they suggest.

Sorry to hear about your piggy. What did the vet say was wrong with her and what meds did they give?

I'm not against all meds, if needed, but just never had good experiences with antibiotics (Used to have pet rats who always got respiratory issues and it hardly ever helped them) and I would prefer to use something more natural, that has been used (Safely & effectively) for a long time IF it is an infection of some kind, that he has got.

Best of luck with yours.

 

[Piggies2023]

Sorry to hear about your piggy. What did the vet say was wrong with her and what meds did they give?

I'm not against all meds, if needed, but just never had good experiences with antibiotics (Used to have pet rats who always got respiratory issues and it hardly ever helped them) and I would prefer to use something more natural, that has been used (Safely & effectively) for a long time IF it is an infection of some kind, that he has got.

Best of luck with yours.

She's on a diuretic. I'm also giving antibiotics (vet said I could but she doesn't think it's an infection but I decided it wasn't worth the risk that it was). We have an appointment to go in this week so will see. Looks heart related but she had cancer removed a month ago so I'm suspicious it could have spread as it seems a coincidence.

Rats are a nightmare with URIs. I don't have rats for this reason. Guinea pigs often respond better.

 

[Storm1974]

She's on a diuretic. I'm also giving antibiotics (vet said I could but she doesn't think it's an infection but I decided it wasn't worth the risk that it was). We have an appointment to go in this week so will see. Looks heart related but she had cancer removed a month ago so I'm suspicious it could have spread as it seems a coincidence.

Rats are a nightmare with URIs. I don't have rats for this reason. Guinea pigs often respond better.

Sorry to hear that.

Yes rats are a nightmare with URIs and it was always so upsetting seeing them climbing the cage, gasping for air!

 

[Storm1974]

So, just got back from the vets with Bracken. She listened to his chest and said his heart and lungs sounded fine and did a thorough check over of him, and finally said that he 'may' have scarring on his lungs due to an infection when he was young (Before we got him from the breeder ). So she's prescribed some Loxicam anti-inflammatory to give him, and said to let her know how he gets on.

 

[Piggies2023]

So, just got back from the vets with Bracken. She listened to his chest and said his heart and lungs sounded fine and did a thorough check over of him, and finally said that he 'may' have scarring on his lungs due to an infection when he was young (Before we got him from the breeder ). So she's prescribed some Loxicam anti-inflammatory to give him, and said to let her know how he gets on.

How strange it's only happening now if it was from an old infection. Hope he feels much better soon.