Dental Dental issues causing respiratory symptoms?

[4boipigs]

I want thoughts on this and yes this pig will be going back to the vet.

One of my boy pairs is Chico and Amigo. They live in a 2x5 c&c cage. In December I noticed Chico had a lot of white eye discharge (eyes are clear) and gunk on his nose. He was sneezing some but it was just once, and not several times in a row. His brother Amigo is not showing these symptoms.

I took both to their vet which is an exotics only facility. We were given some pain meds (metacam) and eye drops (don't recall name). I didn't want to pay for bloodwork that day so the vet didn't give antibiotics since we didn't know if there was an infection.

The meds haven't helped Chico- but he hasn't gotten worse! Amigo still shows no symptoms. Both act totally normal. Even now Chico has eye discharge and some gunk on his nose but isn't sneezing quite as much but as far as I'm concerned there is no improvement. He literally hasn't had changes in symptoms for 2 months.

The vet was thinking of doing xrays and/or a CT scan. How he described it was basically they were getting a CT scanner for little critters in several weeks. The vet speculated that if it was a dental issue like the teeth roots being too close/in his nasal cavity, this would cause the issue. However they would want to sedate Chico, and this makes me nervous. During another pig's xrays at a different vet, he was just 'restrained'.

I figured after 2 months, if this was an infection, Chico would be very unwell and Amigo would have caught something too. The only change in Chico is sometimes he has very small poops that are slightly pointed on either side. He has far more normal poops than unusual poops. Both are eating just fine so I know it isn't a lack of food causing small poops. I know it is his poops because both boys are very particular about where they sleep and the poops are always in Chico's hideout.

So long story short- one pig has eye discharge and is sneezy, for about 2 months. The other boy is fine. Meds didn't do anything to help but we haven't done an antibiotic. Vet suggested maybe dental issues. Is it possible for a respiratory infection to go on this long without getting worse/spreading or does it sound like something else?

 

[Pound Shilling & Pig]

Hi. Upper respiratory infections (URI) can go on for a very long time with little change and may never clear up without antibiotics but there is also the risk they can eventually spread into the lungs and become more serious It doesn't follow that companion pigs will also get it if their immune systems are strong.

If you go ahead with the ct scan he will need sedation/anaesthetic because they must be totally still throughout but as far as I know it doesn't take very long so the risk would be low. If you have bloods taken he will also need sedation/anaesthetic.

 

[Swissgreys]

At this point I would give serious through to a CT scan.
What you are describing could be a low level dental/nose/respiratory issue, and a CT scan would be a good way to narrow down the possible issues and come up with a plan of treatment (which may be to leave everything as it currently is).
Sedation for tests is usually very light and just involves a small amount of gas to keep the piggy still enough to get clear pictures.
The tests can be expensive and no one wants t o pay for a bunch of blurry pictures to be repeated!

As your vets are specialists with small animals I would be guided by them, but a CT scan is definitely a good place to start.
Plus the pictures are super interesting, so make sure you ask for a copy!

 

[4boipigs]

I was able to get enroflaxacin for Chico. If this doesn't get rid of whatever is going on, we're going to go back for radiographs and the CT scan.

I'm hoping the meds doesn't mess with Chico's tummy. I have probiotics leftover from when Bruin was alive in November. When should I give probiotics - before or after the med?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I was able to get enroflaxacin for Chico. If this doesn't get rid of whatever is going on, we're going to go back for radiographs and the CT scan.

I'm hoping the meds doesn't mess with Chico's tummy. I have probiotics leftover from when Bruin was alive in November. When should I give probiotics - before or after the med?

before or after doesn’t actually matter but it’s the gap between which is the important. I do probiotics two hours after antibiotics

 

[4boipigs]

do probiotics two hours after antibiotics

That's what I have read and will keep doing. I hope the meds work for Chico but I'm curious as to why Amigo hasn't gotten ill after all this time.

Chico has a history of scurvy and had some eye issues when I got him from the shelter July 2020. He weighed about 760 grams when I got him and was literally skin and bones. He now weighs about 1100 grams. We did an eye stain and nothing was found. In July the dr's notes on the eyes were

There is mild bilateral ocular discharge. Corneas have mild cloudy appearance at medial canthus with symmetric, responsive pupils OU.

and in December

There is mild serous clear ocular discharge, left eye with mild debris in fur at medial canthus. Corneas appears clear with symmetric, responsive pupils OU

The vet was suspicious of some sort of dental problem or his tear ducts were clogged (possibly from a dental issue). Again we'll go back for xrays should this medical not clear up anything. I'm supposed to keep him on it for 2 weeks.

 

[4boipigs]

I'm debating making an appt a couple weeks out to do radiographs on Chico in case this med doesn't work. It's only been three days. Last night he was doing what I'd compare to a gagging/vomiting motion like cats/dogs do (I know pigs can't vomit). It lasted maybe 10 seconds and then there was a cough at the end. A few minutes prior I had given him the medication. He gets it once a day for 2 weeks. The pic is him from a few days ago, you can see the white eye discharge in his fur under his eye.

He also feels skinnier than he used to...I weighed him and he was at 1200 grams. This is around his usual weight- last weight was like 1190 I think. But I can feel his ribs and spine easily, like when I got him from the shelter last year and he had scurvy. He was barely 900 grams back then.