Dodgy Breathing

[hot fox]

Good evening. My old lady Willow-Bee has laboured breathing. Auntie Kim found a slight heart murmur but no sign of disease to explain her weight decrease, which is ongoing and gradual. Her last check up was 2 weeks ago.
Since then her breathing has definitely deteriorated. I could hope for an urgent appointment at cat and rabbit on Monday, or would our local vet be adequate tomorrow?
She's looking happy enough, albeit not moving much, but I'm not!
I HATE THIS POORLY PIG THING!
Advice gratefully received. Thank you

 

[PigglePuggle]

Laboured breathing does need a prompt vet check, could be a URI but with a heart condition could also be fluid building up on the lungs. Frusamide prescribed by the vet should ease breathing if an underlying heart issue may be to blame, at any rate it will clear off excess lung fluid that will be harmlessly peed out. But proper diagnostics are needed longer term, whether this is a problematic infection which we are increasingly seeing more of lately, or a heart issue.
If your local vet or an emergency vet will prescribe frusamide and perhaps a precautionary antibiotic over the weekend it may well stop things getting worse, and tide piggy over until you get to your preferred cavy savvy vet next week.
If you dont have a respiratory first aid cupboard from previous breathing issues for this piggy, with prescribed medicines and dosages your vet has authorised for acute episodes, always best to get straight to the vet- breathing issues are always a worry in such small animals with narrow airways. Best of luck x

 

[hot fox]

Good evening, and thank you so much. She's on metacam/loxicom 0.5 mol twice a day anyhoo...Very reassuringly she's eating and moving around and looks comfortable. I have some frusol....but it was prescribed for a previous piggle.
I'll phone the local guys for advice as they have 24 hour nursey support.
Thanks again.

 

[hot fox]

PS managed to get her an appointment tomorrow at 10.50 at the local practice so very pleased she's bumbling around and will be okay until then.

 

[hot fox]

Just finished at vets v lovely girlie. Said heart sounds okay but one side if lungs sounded a bit rattly so we have sulphatrim to try. Review in a week.
Think deffo worth a try. X

 

[Claire W]

I hope the antibiotics work and that she is feeling better soon x