Breathing

[PembsGP]

Hi everyone. There appears to be quite a lot of posts to do with guinea pig wheezing which I have read through, although I admit not thoroughly. I've added a link to a video I have uploaded onto Youtube of our Isabelle's breathing. I haven't been able to work out how to share a video direct on my phone.

This morning I got up to Isabelle (4 years old) making a rasping/rattling/wheezing noise. I took her to the vets (UK) who said she doesn't have a temperature, her chest sounded clear and she is nicely oxygenated. Her respiration rate is marginally fast but that may well be related to it being so hot or stress from being at the vets. She is eating and drinking and otherwise is her normal self and is an inside piggy living with her sister in our son's bedroom and in our living room. The vet suggested it may be an upper respiratory tract infection and is treating her as such for now. She is on Baytril 0.2ml twice a day for 7 days and Metacam 0.2ml once a day for 4 days and take her into the bathroom for the steam whenever anyone showers. He didn't sedate and xray to see if a grass seed or something is stuck in her airways but if this treatment doesn't work we will do that next. So, that is the history (sorry for it's length). I, however, as there is a wealth of knowledge and experience on here can I ask some questions? My vets aren't specialist guinea pig ones but they have quite a few piggies on their books nowadays so have been researching a lot over recent years.

Any tips on how to syringe her meds will be great. I know what to do but I have what's called an intentional tremor which means I have minor shakes when trying to do anything precise. If anyone has any tips on how successfully give her her meds that will be great. I have to give them as no one else in the household will. She battles against being syringed even with bribery if coriander which is her favourite food.

Could she have an allergic reaction? Two weeks ago I changed wood chip to a chunkier version and bought Deanes long cut hay that both girls have enjoyed burying into. I would have thought an allergic reaction would have come out before now.

Is it more likely to be something semi blocking her airways considering she buries into hay rather than an upper respiratory tract infection?

Can a piggy have an upper respiratory tract infection without a temperature?

Many thanks and sorry it's so long. I tried to give as much information as possible.

 

[Siikibam]

I don’t know if a uri is accompanied with a temperature so can’t help on that point. I think give the treatment some days to see if it will work.

Baytril can affect some piggies and not others so keep an eye on her weight (daily at the same time). Syringe feeding it in is the best way as she may not necessarily take it from a spoon. Is someone else able to hold her while you syringe feed? That’s the only way I can think to make it easier for you.

Hopefully someone else will be along with better tips for you.

 

[PembsGP]

I don’t know if a uri is accompanied with a temperature so can’t help on that point. I think give the treatment some days to see if it will work.

Baytril can affect some piggies and not others so keep an eye on her weight (daily at the same time). Syringe feeding it in is the best way as she may not necessarily take it from a spoon. Is someone else able to hold her while you syringe feed? That’s the only way I can think to make it easier for you.

Hopefully someone else will be along with better tips for you.

Thank you

 

[PembsGP]

Worried about Isabelle. Her breathing seems noisier. She took her meds this morning without a struggle which is not like her at all. It was her 2nd dose in the course of treatment. I don't know if that's because I placed her in a shoe box to do it which effectively stopped her from getting away so she knew she didn't have anywhere to go. She is drinking and eating. I weighed her and her weight is 1077 grams which is the lowest a I've recorded since adulthood. She has fluctuated from 1118 grams to 1087 grams so is 10 grams less than her previous fit and healthy lowest. I will weigh again tomorrow. Truffle also weighs the lowest I've ever recorded so I'm hoping it is just one of those things

 

[Siikibam]

How much did she weigh yesterday? @Wiebke hope it’s okay to tag you here.

 

[PembsGP]

How much did she weigh yesterday? @Wiebke hope it’s okay to tag you here.

I didn't weigh her yesterday. I didn't think about doing it until I saw your reply this morning. I usually weigh the girls once a month. Her last weigh in before today was 1087 grams on 20 May

 

[sport_billy]

Don’t worry about the weight loss 10g is nothing it is a trend you would need to be concerned about so continued loss

 

[sport_billy]

Her weight is honestly not concerning. So it is the second day of antibiotic?

 

[PembsGP]

Don’t worry about the weight loss 10g is nothing it is a trend you would need to be concerned about so continued loss

Thank you. I'm probably over anxious. I will weigh her every day for now though whilst she is poorly

 

[Siikibam]

I didn't weigh her yesterday. I didn't think about doing it until I saw your reply this morning. I usually weigh the girls once a month. Her last weigh in before today was 1087 grams on 20 May

It’s not commonly known that weighing should be weekly. You should weigh the others weekly rather than monthly.
For now weigh her daily at the same time. As Bill&Ted says, a continual loss is what you should be concerned about.

 

[PembsGP]

Her weight is honestly not concerning. So it is the second day of antibiotic?

Yes. It's her 2nd day of antibiotics and only her 2nd dose. She had her first dose yesterday evening

 

[Siikibam]

You need to give the meds time to work. I think two days in is too soon.

 

[sport_billy]

Thank you. I'm probably over anxious. I will weigh her every day for now though whilst she is poorly

That’s okay, I do understand. I hate it when I peg is OrieThat’s okay, I do understand. I hate it when Our girls are poorly. It is very stressful and all encompassing.

Her breathing does sound like a URI, hopefully a few days of baytril and she should start to improve.

if you wait a guinea pig every day at the same time you would notice small losses and gains. A sudden of something Like 40g could be a big wee! so it is important not to get bogged down by changes of 10 g or 20 g each day, what would be concerning is a continued loss.

However as @Siikibam has correctly said baytril, while being a great antibiotic can make them go off food a little and cause squiffy tummies in a small amount of pigs. Not always.

Are you giving a pro biotic as well?

 

[sport_billy]

Yes. It's her 2nd day of antibiotics and only her 2nd dose. She had her first dose yesterday evening

Absolutely

agree with this 4 days I would expect improvement in her breathing

 

[PembsGP]

That’s okay, I do understand. I hate it when I peg is OrieThat’s okay, I do understand. I hate it when Our girls are poorly. It is very stressful and all encompassing.

Her breathing does sound like a URI, hopefully a few days of baytril and she should start to improve.

if you wait a guinea pig every day at the same time you would notice small losses and gains. A sudden of something Like 40g could be a big wee! so it is important not to get bogged down by changes of 10 g or 20 g each day, what would be concerning is a continued loss.

However as @Siikibam has correctly said baytril, while being a great antibiotic can make them go off food a little and cause squiffy tummies in a small amount of pigs. Not always.

Are you giving a pro biotic as well?

No I'm not giving a probiotic as well. Are there any you suggest and can I buy it online? The vet didn't offer one and it never crossed my mind until you said. Some things I know from when I had piggies 25-30 years ago but piggie knowledge and health care have really progressed since then and my son getting these. I swear I am more worried about them than he is. He's now 14 and has developed other interests! Thank you (and everyone) for taking the time to reply

 

[Siikibam]

No I'm not giving a probiotic as well. Are there any you suggest and can I buy it online? The vet didn't offer one and it never crossed my mind until you said. Some things I know from when I had piggies 25-30 years ago but piggie knowledge and health care have really progressed since then and my son getting these. I swear I am more worried about them than he is. He's now 14 and has developed other interests! Thank you (and everyone) for taking the time to reply

Fibreplex and Pro C look to be the ones members regularly use.

 

[PembsGP]

Oh my goodness! Isabelle has shown herself to be a proper sweetheart. Because it is so warm no one in the house are having steaming showers, so I have been deliberately making the bathroom steamy and take Isabelle in there to help her chest. She absolutely adores being cradled in my arms whilst I gently rock like I'm holding a baby, stroke her and sing lullabies and 'You Are My Sunshine'. She settles down, starts grooms my fingers (we take it in turns grooming) and is so chilled. If I don't sing she likes it but me singing seems to the cherry on the cake for her. I am a rubbish singer and cannot sing in tune but she doesn't care. Soooo adorable. Think I'm even more in love than I already was . She now calls for me all the time and jumps up at the bars whenever she sees me. Her sister Truffle looked like she felt she was missing out so I'm now having to do spoof sessions with her too. I am so gullible haha

 

[Kate0]

Just wondering how Isabelle is doing? My little Toffee has the same breathing noise for a week now, and after a couple of vet consultations over the phone, has been prescibed Baytril after a visit to rule out an infection. She also appeared fine, hungry, no runny eyes etc. Just off to pick her up from the vets now.

 

[PembsGP]

Just wondering how Isabelle is doing? My little Toffee has the same breathing noise for a week now, and after a couple of vet consultations over the phone, has been prescibed Baytril after a visit to rule out an infection. She also appeared fine, hungry, no runny eyes etc. Just off to pick her up from the vets now.

Thank you for asking. How is Toffee?

Isabelle is still the same. She is day 4 of Baytril. We started that Tuesday evening so tonight will be her full 4th day. She had her last dose of Metacam last night. Her breathing is still noisy and like Toffee she doesn't have any discharge. I managed to get some Pro C probiotics for her yesterday which I have mixed into their food so both girls are having it. Isabelle doesn't have an upset tummy on the Baytril but I'm hoping it will help her if she is distressed. I haven't separated the girls. Two reasons; I don't have a 2nd cage but also because they are sisters so have always been together. They have a strong bond and I think separating them will be too distressing for both of them. Truffle, Isabelle's sister, has been comforting her, cuddling her and grooming her a lot. Isabelle has lost weight though even though she is eating and drinking and squeaks in excitement at food. Throughout her daily weigh ins she has been 1087g, 1077g, 1087g and today dropped to 1068g. So that's a 21g drop from pre URI.

Hope Toffee is doing OK.

 

[Josie_lg]

I hope she is doing somewhat better. I definitely think probiotics are a good idea. I had my girls on Baytril for a few days and two of them got so unwell on it we had to take them to an emergency vets. It was very scary! We use fibreplex xx

 

[PembsGP]

Thank you. She's a bit lethargic tonight. I tried to get Fibre X but where I live I could only get Pro C. I decided not to buy online as didn't want to wait for delivery