common colds

[Rhona]

can pigs catch our common colds? i was really poorly with one last week and now bailey seems to be showing the same symptoms as i had :-\

 

[baby-wilson]

Apparently they can :-\ thats just what ive heard but! Hope the poor fella isnt sick

 

[Abnoba]

they definitely can.

when you have a cold / flu type of thing, wash your hands very carefully before handling your guinea pigs or their food, and avoid giving them big cuddles until you are over it. They can get it off you, and for a piggy, a cold is more serious than for you.

What symptoms is your guinea pig showing? It might need treatment to avoid the cold getting worse (becoming pneumonia)

 

[Rhona]

hes been sneezing and a little noisy in his chest and generally grumpy ....much like i was, except my poor lungs are still ill (i have severe asthma)

 

[Abnoba]

Any discharge around the eyes? (usually looks like they have been crying, the fur underneath the eyes a bit wet?)

I would go to the vets as soon as you can, if you can hear that his breathing is noisy he might have liquid or mucus in his lungs which is bad.. Vedra from the CCT suggests giving the piggy a diuretic, to shift the fluid, and then a weeks course (minimum is a week, no less!) of antibiotics, usually vets give Baytril.

Also, when a piggy gets a cold, their appetite can suffer. Do you weigh your guinea pig weekly? By the time we noticed my Marvin wasnt eating properly due to his cold, he had already lost alot of weight :-\

 

[Rhona]

he is eating fine no discharged from anywhere.

i just rang the vet she said if its the cold wait a week because giving him more antibiotics(hes only just finished a course) might not do anything because a cold is a virus and he needs to ride it out, aslong as hes eating and drinking fine just keep him warm and put some vicks on his nose to help his breathing

 

[Abnoba]

the only problem is that with piggies, you sometimes only notice its pneumonia, not just a little cold, when its too late

how is the breathing of your piggy, is he "pumping" air? Does it look like his sides are going up and down fast, or is the breathing speed normal?

it just worries me that you can actually hear the difference in breathing..

 

[Rhona]

nope hes just breathing normally, i dont always here him just everyso often he makes a little noise and i can here him then another little noise and it stops

 

[rachx]

Oh i hope hes okay, i know chinchillas can catch a common cold as well and other illnesses from us

 

[Glynis]

Yes a vet is needed, our boy has tendancies for allergies we think probably cause of inferior hay :tickedoff: :tickedoff: that gets sold at times.
All the very best, keeping our paws crossed for you i know what it's like to worry about a little furbaby

 

[rachx]

fingers crossed, oh yeh and paws

 

[Rhona]

he seems a lot better this morning, hes been at the cage door wheekin to get out...i think he knows its sunny and wants out for grass ;D

 

[lilgalnatalie]

whenever i have a cold i cant even go and see my piggies, my dad looks after them.

 

[rachx]

thats good, give him a hug from me, unless you still have the cold