Female Guinea pig very lethargic because of cold?

[Piggydreams]

My female Guinea pig is 2 years old and she's suffering through a cold for the past 2 days. We took her to the vet and got her checked, her throat is a quite congested but nothing too severe, the vet has prescribed her antibiotics and a few other meds.

She's gotten colds like this before but normally she's eaten and walked around her cage mostly like usual (maybe just slightly lethargic). But this time, since yesterday she's been unable to walk properly and struggles to stand up after lying down (she seemed fine till day before yesterday although the poops in her cage were fewer than usual). Today she's mostly been sleeping all day, she's eating but not a lot. Very few and distorted poops but that could also be because of antibiotics as it always affects her gut in the first 2 days, I am syringe feeding her pellets every 2-3 hours and she seems to enjoy it and sometimes eats a few other veggies of her liking. The vet said it's nothing too concerning and recommended feeding her a few drops of pure honey every few hours to soothe her congestion and get some of her energy back.

Is there anything else I should do? Is this kind of weakness and lethargy common during colds or should I be concerned? Any kind of advice would be appreciated, thank you very much.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Guinea pigs do not get viral colds. They get bacterial respiratory infections that require antibiotics so it is good you’ve been prescribed them.

Fewer and smaller poops means she has probably not had enough hay/food. Poop output is 1-2 days behind so lack of poop today means she hasn’t eaten enough for a few days.
Lethargy could be because of not enough food or because of the illness itself. That and not being able to stand up is concerning.

Please ensure you weigh her daily so you can be sure she is getting enough syringe feed. The syringe feeding is replacing the hay intake which she is not eating for herself. It is therefore essential that she gets enough. She needs a minimum of 40-60ml per day.

Please absolutely do not feed her honey. That is very unhealthy and not good for guinea pigs at all. It will not be of any benefit.

The guide below explains further

All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

 

[Piggydreams]

Thank you! i wasn't sure about honey so I'm glad I asked here. We don't really have guinea pig savvy vets here..
She does not have a big appetite in general so her weight has always been on the lower end, I'm guessing that's why the drop in her weight impacted her strength so significantly.

Other than maintaining her food intake, is there anything else I can do to make sure she regains her strength fast? Also, given how she's eating a bit on her own, how much ml of syringe feeding should be done in one sitting? Can I add in veggies to pellets for syringe feeding as well?

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you! i wasn't sure about honey so I'm glad I asked here. We don't really have guinea pig savvy vets here..
She does not have a big appetite in general so her weight has always been on the lower end, I'm guessing that's why the drop in her weight impacted her strength so significantly.

Other than maintaining her food intake, is there anything else I can do to make sure she regains her strength fast? Also, given how she's eating a bit on her own, how much ml of syringe feeding should be done in one sitting? Can I add in veggies to pellets for syringe feeding as well?

Hi

The need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly the need to eat, so loss of appetite is very common in (bacterial) respiratory illnesses. Add to that that some antibiotics can also act on the digestive bacteria in the gut, it is a double whammy.
What you replace with the feeding support is the over three quarters of hay which are the mainstay of a guinea pig diet and which the digestion and dental growth rate is laid out for. If you can get hold of, please look for powdered recovery formula; otherwise use soaked, mushed pellets (you will need to adapt the syringe, though) in a pinch.

Step in asap and aim for at least 40-60 ml of support feed in 24 hours in order to keep your piggy going. You feed the more often the less your piggy is able to process in one session. Also offer some water but never squirt it into the mouth.

The round the clock feeding support and the antibiotic should hopefully kick in within 1-3 days. There is no quick fix; your feeding support is the fastest way of perking up your piggy again and giving her the strength to keep fighting if she still has it. Please keep her warm but not hot. You can see whether a bowl of steaming water next to the case helps to ease the breathing a little.

Please take the time to read and watch these very practical guide links here. They contain all the practical how-to tips of what you can do for a very poorly piggy off their food and should answer all the little questions that will come up:
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
Looking After Guinea Pigs With Limited or No Mobility

Our one-stop information collection for crisis care: Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Fingers firmly crossed.