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Chronic Bronchitis?

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Piggiemum7

Piggiemum7

Junior Guinea Pig
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Ben has always been a fast breather but yesterday it seemed a little stronger so we took him to the vets and she suggested he could have an infection so prescribed him 0.25ml baytril twice a day which he had yesterday and today but this afternoon he started making crackly noises when breathing (which is still happening now). Went back to the vets and she listened again to his chest and suggested chronic bronchitis. Other than the breathing he is absolutely like normal, eating, drinking, peeing and pooping, running around etc. she gave him a steroid injection and booked him in for another appointment on friday morning. The only thing i can think of is the fact he's been coming up to sleep in my room at night so he doesn't sleep alone after the death of our other piggy (they weren't cage mates just room mates). my room has got some dust and damp (maybe he's been breathing in mould spores?) I was just wondering if anyone might know why he has this and what could have brought it on and if anyone's had any experience with bronchitis in piggies! thanks
 
If he has a chronic infection or lung disease, you may want to see whether keeping him warm and out of drafts will help; mouldy and damp rooms are not recommended.

Place a bowl of steaming water next to his cage to help ease the breathing. Guinea pigs can't breathe through the mouth, so their breathing quickly becomes raspy or crackly if it the airways are obstructed.
If his breathing problems are chronic, you may want to think about making or buying a nebuliser for the long run.

Please weigh him daily at the same time, ideally before or after you give him his dinner and top him up with syringe feed if he loses more than 50g/2 oz of weight from one day to another. The need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly before the need to eat.
Here are our syringe feeding tips, including what you can do with what you have got at home: Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
@helen105281 @Abi_nurse
 
Wiebke said:
If he has a chronic infection or lung disease, you may want to see whether keeping him warm and out of drafts will help; mouldy and damp rooms are not recommended.

Place a bowl of steaming water next to his cage to help ease the breathing. Guinea pigs can't breathe through the mouth, so their breathing quickly becomes raspy or crackly if it the airways are obstructed.
If his breathing problems are chronic, you may want to think about making a nebuliser for the long run.

Please weigh him daily at the same time, ideally before or after you give him his dinner and top him up with syringe feed if he loses more than 50g/2 oz of weight from one day to another. The need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly before the need to
eat. Here are our syringe feeding tips, including what you can do with what you have got at home: Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
@helen105281 @Abi_nurse
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Thank you Wiebke, he just ate a whole lot of veg so syringe feeding thankfully doesn't have to be done at this time! weight is also stable at the moment.
How would I make a nebuliser?
 
I think you can buy a nebuliser, there are some members on here that have used one but I am struggling to remember who. Abi nurse should be able to help when she is on though.
 
I have heard of mould causing issues with breathing so if you can move them to a different room it may help. Has the vet ruled out fluid on his chest?
 
helen105281 said:
I have heard of mould causing issues with breathing so if you can move them to a different room it may help. Has the vet ruled out fluid on his chest?
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I've moved him downstairs however I may be sleeping with him tonight to monitor how he's doing. Seems very very enerjetic at the moment so he's doing some zoomies is a good sign! The vet said if there was fluid it would be a lot deeper sound and it's definitely his lungs not his heart which I guess is pretty good
 
Many Guinea pigs suffer from long term lung pathology unfortunately, but they can go on happily for years. Nebulizing may well help a little with the symptoms and help shift any mucous secretions. You can buy nebulisers online, (pretty sure both eBay and Amazon have them) just ensure if you do that you buy a veterinary one, as these give out smaller particles and are better for small animals to breath in. I would advise nebulizing with 1:250 F10 solution two to three times a day.

x
 
Abi_nurse said:
Many Guinea pigs suffer from long term lung pathology unfortunately, but they can go on happily for years. Nebulizing may well help a little with the symptoms and help shift any mucous secretions. You can buy nebulisers online, (pretty sure both eBay and Amazon have them) just ensure if you do that you buy a veterinary one, as these give out smaller particles and are better for small animals to breath in. I would advise nebulizing with 1:250 F10 solution two to three times a day.

x
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I've just read the new sticky about steroids. Should the vet have avoided the steroid injection? He is still cracklings but seems fine but I'm worrying now!
 
Piggiemum7 said:
I've just read the new sticky about steroids. Should the vet have avoided the steroid injection? He is still cracklings but seems fine but I'm worrying now!
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@Abi_nurse

I would question it if your vet wants to give another steroid injection. I don't think that your piggy has been badly affected, though, as there has been no deterioration.

Guinea pigs react differently to cats and dogs, and it can contribute to a fatality if the guinea pig is not in a good state. We recently had a couple of cases on here where we strongly suspect this has happened.
 
Wiebke said:
@Abi_nurse

I would question it if your vet wants to give another steroid injection.

Guinea pigs react differently to cats and dogs, and it can contribute to a fatality if the guinea pig is not in a good state. We recently had a couple of cases on here where we strongly suspect this has happened.
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She booked him in for another on Friday so maybe I will question it. He does seem fine but I'm really scared he may deteriorate
 
@Piggiemum7 - Previously my Fred had a one off steroid injection, my P had weekly steroid injections for a short while and my Pebbles was given prednisone (steroids in tablet form). Pebbles was an exception as she had Lymphoma we used steroids to extend her life. Everyone handled the steroids well and we had no negative effects.

I understand there is a lot of negativity towards steroids but I just wanted to re-assure you they can have steroids with no negative effects also, more so because your little one has already had a steroid injection.

I do think it is worth having a conversation about, why is steroids being given? Can something else be given etc?

Hope your little one recovers soon.
 
Piggiemum7 said:
I've just read the new sticky about steroids. Should the vet have avoided the steroid injection? He is still cracklings but seems fine but I'm worrying now!
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Steroids are generally contraindicated in any exotic species especially those suffering form infection as it lowers the immune system. Considering your little one is doing ok at the moment I wouldn't panic too much but I would be questioning the vet. It may mean that your piggie will take a little longer to improve as his immune system may well had been effected. Steroids can be used, but it's usually in the last instance and when there are no other options available.

x
 
Some confusing goings on... wednesday night the noise stopped all through the night and thursday morning only to return thursday afternoon.
It came back when I took him into the kitchen for cuddles with my friend (who was wearing strong aftershave) and he had some veggies which he didn't finish. Since then the noises have carried on, his poos are soft and small and he's eating but not finishing his veg and only seems interested in leafy greens and celery and a certain type of pellet. He's been on antibiotics since monday (tonight is the last dose). went back to the vets today and she said she's tried steroids and antibiotics and nothing has worked so the only other thing she can do it x ray him. I am 100% against anesthetizing him for an x ray after Jerry didn't recover from his a couple of weeks ago. But maybe a concious x ray is the way forward? and to top it all off I found a couple of flea-like creatures on Ben's blanket. he's white-furred and i couldn't see any on him? however he's been itching and grooming himself more recently (i think, might just be paranoia creeping in)
 
I think an xray is a good idea, that way they can double check for fluid on his chest and around his heart. My vets have done conscious xrays before on my pigs.
 
Went to the emergency vets last night as he kept sort of collapsing on his side like he was lying down trying to get comfortable but in strange places. He had an xray (conscious of course). No obstructions no fluid nothing abnormal so the vet (who has her own piggies and one which had this last year that she cured) thinks it's a persistent infection. Been given more antibiotics and told to give him fibre and vit C. Today he's become very lethargic and his eyes are wide open and quite dull. My mums gone to the vet to get some pain relief for him. He had a pain relief injection last night which made him quite dopey and it just seems it's still not worn off yet (could I be mistaking this for lethargy? He really frightened me about an hour ago he opened his mouth and made a sort of gasping sound 3 times and then again a couple of minutes later. Can't find anything online about it? I feel really hopeless. Any help would really be appreciated
 
Do you know what the injection was? Was it Vetergesic?
 
I am tagging @Abi_nurse just in case but if he is gasping you may need to get him seen again today. I hate saying this but it may be time to let him go if he is rapidly going downhill.
 
helen105281 said:
I am tagging @Abi_nurse just in case but if he is gasping you may need to get him seen again today. I hate saying this but it may be time to let him go if he is rapidly going downhill.
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I'll try to find out what the injection was. It was a non steroid painkiller an she said he would be drowsy for a bit.
I've only seen a pig gasp once before when jerry went into cardiac arrest and passed away but it wasn't like that it was more just opening his mouth and making a sort of hissing noise. He's now just lying in my arms very lethargic and not doing much. The crackly sounds have almost gone but he's definitely not himself. To make matters worse he's quite impacted today as antibiotics are making his poo soft
 
We have got some metacam to give him, do you know if it's safe to give this soon after the Injection
 
That stuff can leave them very very weak, I've seen one of mine have a bad reaction to it, it is known to slow down gut movements as well :( My Petal went limp & watery fluid just ran out of her. It lasted about 24-36 hours. Make sure you are giving gut stimulants & ask for Tramodol in future instead of the buprenorpine for pain relief x
 
I
Poppy'sMum said:
That stuff can leave them very very weak, I've seen one of mine have a bad reaction to it, it is known to slow down gut movements as well :( My Petal went limp & watery fluid just ran out of her. It lasted about 24-36 hours. Make sure you are giving gut stimulants & ask for Tramodol in future instead of the buprenorpine for pain relief x
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hes nibbling hay and cucumber and we've supplemented him bit C anfd he's still not got the crackly noise back. Which is good? He still purrs when I stroke him and I've got some recovery food I'm going to try him with
 
I think so but can you call the vet and ask just to be sure?
 
helen105281 said:
I think so but can you call the vet and ask just to be sure?
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We called both the normal vet and emergency vet and they said it's difficult to tell but they know it makes them drowsy. Mums going to also text and ask her cousin who is a vet
 
Sorry to hear all this is going on, the gasping is worrying to me. Please consider getting your little ones heart scanned to double check for any heart disease as this is far more common than realised. I think he probably does have a respiratory infection b the gasping makes me concerned about heart disease.

x
 
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