Guinea Pig breathing funny possibly URI

[sonnie!boy!]

Hello , Been really worried ,

in the last 24+ hrs my guinea pig sonnie has been breathing in and out quite rapidly. he's sides of he's abdomen are like popping in and out every time with a constant jolting motion like he cant perform a normal breath. I took him to the vets and they couldn't find anything physically wrong except a possible URI , they have put him on Baytril and metacam.

-the strangest thing is he loves lettuce ( sweet gem & romaine ) in the last 18hrs or so he wont touch it. , ive managed to feed him spinach by hand - only about 8 leafs.
-he will nibble away at he's hay but not as much as usual ,

he is not hes normal self at all and its really upsetting , he used to purr all the time as soon as i stroked hes head, but now nothing.
i would say 'you want some food & he would sprint up to he's bowl! - now nothing
- he can walk and quick jog if i force him out of his house.
does anyone recognize these symptoms , the best thing that might help is the video but it wont let me upload (help)... please respond if you have. he may die today and i dont want to not try everything xx

 

[Swissgreys]

Welcome to the Forum


I am sorry your guinea pig is ill but you did the absolute right thing by getting him quickly to the vet.
The medicine he is on will help if he has an URI - what did the vet actually diagnose?

But in some guinea pigs Baytril can reduce the appetite and if he is struggling with eating you should consider stepping in with syringe feeding.
Has he lost weight?
At this point you need to weigh him daily at the same time to monitor this.

The syringe feeding guide is here:
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

Hopefully once the antibiotics start to work he will feel better and begin eating on his own again.
Good luck and don't forget to update us on his progress.

 

[sonnie!boy!]

Welcome to the Forum


I am sorry your guinea pig is ill but you did the absolute right thing by getting him quickly to the vet.
The medicine he is on will help if he has an URI - what did the vet actually diagnose?

But in some guinea pigs Baytril can reduce the appetite and if he is struggling with eating you should consider stepping in with syringe feeding.
Has he lost weight?
At this point you need to weigh him daily at the same time to monitor this.

The syringe feeding guide is here:
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

Hopefully once the antibiotics start to work he will feel better and begin eating on his own again.
Good luck and don't forget to update us on his progress.

Well funny enough she didn't really diagnose anything except a possible Uri or Pneumonia , but i dont understand the Jolted breathing , i am considering taking him to another vet to get a 2nd opinion , money is no object at this point , he is only 1year and 8months at a guess.
- he defo aint pooping & definitely lost hes appetite , he just doesn't seem to want to move much and isnt happy .

does any1 know how to post a video on here > every file type i upload says its not allowed.

thank you

 

[Elthysia]

Well funny enough she didn't really diagnose anything except a possible Uri or Pneumonia , but i dont understand the Jolted breathing , i am considering taking him to another vet to get a 2nd opinion , money is no object at this point , he is only 1year and 8months at a guess.
- he defo aint pooping & definitely lost hes appetite , he just doesn't seem to want to move much and isnt happy .

does any1 know how to post a video on here > every file type i upload says its not allowed.

thank you

You’d have to upload to another site like YouTube then link it. This site has limited data capacity that’s why.

If he’s stopped pooping you’re on an immediate medical emergency and you should start syringe feeding straight away with Critical Care or mushed up pellets to keep the gut going. What goes out is usually a day or so behind on what comes in, so no poop means he probably hasn’t really eaten for a day at least now. Pro biotic like Fibreplex is also very good. @Wiebke may be better placed to respond when able to but get to a cavy savy vet asap. Hope you can get a good diagnosis <hugs>

 

[sonnie!boy!]

ok so a small update - he has just done 5 little poo's all at once in the same place , weirdly small id say 40% smaller than usual.
and can anyone elaborate on the poo's seem to be stuck together with like string like mucus....

here is the vid of he's breathing -

thank you

 

[Elthysia]

Stringy mucus poo (I am guessing the mucus is really sticky, like glue) is a sign of gut trouble .

I don’t know how to create links so hope this works but please read this:

Bloat, GI Stasis ( No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

I can’t give an elaborate answer at the moment as I’m supposed to be working and people are interrupting me at the moment but you really do have a serious emergency on your hands and I would urge you to go to the vet ASAP. It may be a uri, and then the piggie struggles to breathe and then it won’t eat (as it can only do one or the other at the same time) and then gut problems start, or he may have an internal gut problem like a blockage and at the moment it sounds like he’s on a very painful downhill slope. The good news is that he can recover but he does need vet intervention ASAP (I’m sorry I sound so short, trying to be clear but also short because of work!). Hope it goes well.

 

[sonnie!boy!]

what did you think of the breathing video guys ?

 

[Elthysia]

what did you think of the breathing video guys ?

From my experience, I think your piggie is in distress and/or pain based on the laboured puffing breathing.

 

[Wiebke]

ok so a small update - he has just done 5 little poo's all at once in the same place , weirdly small id say 40% smaller than usual.
and can anyone elaborate on the poo's seem to be stuck together with like string like mucus....

here is the vid of he's breathing -

thank you

Hi!

Please see a vet TODAY as soon as possible and step in with syringe feeding fibre and water ASAP. |

Small poos mean not enough eaten; mucus is a symptom of dehydration. The need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly the need to eat; any piggy that is struggling to breathe will lose their appetite as a result. Poo output usually lags 1-2 days behind the input. Heaving breathing is an emergency.
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide (including tips for emergency care)
Administering Medications And Syringe Feed

Your boy will need antibiotics, possibly a diuretic to drain any fluids from lungs or chest cavity and subcutaneous fluid for rehydrationas soon as possible. Add dioralyte (UK) / pedialyte (US) from the pharmacy to the water you offer by syringe if your piggy is dehydrated. Please do not push more than 0.1-0.3 ml into the mouth and wait until it has gone down before you give more.

 

[sonnie!boy!]

he started on anti-biotics yesterday , but i have just made an appointment for 3:40 today , i will post with an update after.

Thanks

 

[sonnie!boy!]

iv just been to the vets and they are going to take care of him for the next few hours , on oxygen and some other medicine / heart medicine in case that is the issue, they said if signs improve dramatically they at least know which road to go down before they send me off to pay humongous bills at a specialist. they physicly examined him and said that he was not dehydrated and there was no clear signs of abdomen problems. i just pray he pulls through.

i feel terrible leaving him there but its better then doing nothing.

let me know your thoughts ?

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum
Hope everything works out ok.
Holding you in my thoughts

 

[Wiebke]

iv just been to the vets and they are going to take care of him for the next few hours , on oxygen and some other medicine / heart medicine in case that is the issue, they said if signs improve dramatically they at least know which road to go down before they send me off to pay humongous bills at a specialist. they physicly examined him and said that he was not dehydrated and there was no clear signs of abdomen problems. i just pray he pulls through.

i feel terrible leaving him there but its better then doing nothing.

let me know your thoughts ?

HUGS!

He is currently in the best place he can be, but it is much harder on you when you are putting control into other hands. You are not failing your boy; you are doing your very best for him!

It sounds like they have put him on diuretics (fluid draining meds) as well as heart meds on top of the antibiotic to ease the breathing and the strain on the heart. Diaphragmic/heaving breathing is usually caused by a fluid build-up either in the lungs or the chest cavity. The first is generally caused by pneumonia and the second by a failing heart; the symptoms are very similar, but count in any case as a life or death emergency.

I feel for you; the wait is always the hardest when your mind is exploring the abyss. If you feel that your feelings are overwhelming you, please try send your beloved one loving and healing thoughts instead by trying to transmute the dark energy into a green, life giving one.

 

[Elthysia]

iv just been to the vets and they are going to take care of him for the next few hours , on oxygen and some other medicine / heart medicine in case that is the issue, they said if signs improve dramatically they at least know which road to go down before they send me off to pay humongous bills at a specialist. they physicly examined him and said that he was not dehydrated and there was no clear signs of abdomen problems. i just pray he pulls through.

i feel terrible leaving him there but its better then doing nothing.

let me know your thoughts ?

You’re doing what you can and I know it’s very hard so my thoughts are with you. It could indeed be heart problems, even at his age if there is a genetic problem. I am worried about his gut from what you said about his eating and his poops but he’s with the vet now and I am not a vet. Specialist costs do not need to be huge - sometimes I’ve found it cheaper than random tests with a less cavy savy vet as their guesses on which tests to do are better. Perhaps if you could put your location some people are able to make recommendations on where to go.

Thoughts are with you and your piggle. Hugs

 

[Sappyshelly]

-Sending virtual hug-

It’s so stressful waiting to here about your piggy at the vet. We had to leave my dear Farley boy there for a weekend after he struggled to recover from surgery. He’s at the best place, and I’m so glad you tried everything for the little one.

 

[sonnie!boy!]

HUGS!

He is currently in the best place he can be, but it is much harder on you when you are putting control into other hands. You are not failing your boy; you are doing your very best for him!

It sounds like they have put him on diuretics (fluid draining meds) as well as heart meds on top of the antibiotic to ease the breathing and the strain on the heart. Diaphragmic/heaving breathing is usually caused by a fluid build-up either in the lungs or the chest cavity. The first is generally caused by pneumonia and the second by a failing heart; the symptoms are very similar, but count in any case as a life or death emergency.

I feel for you; the wait is always the hardest when your mind is exploring the abyss. If you feel that your feelings are overwhelming you, please try send your beloved one loving and healing thoughts instead by trying to transmute the dark energy into a green, life giving one.

Because at 7pm it would have been time for he's antibiotic's do you think i should call the Vet's and tell them , or do you think they would administer some while he is there, I'm currently staring at an empty cage and its horrible !

 

[Elthysia]

Because at 7pm it would have been time for he's antibiotic's do you think i should call the Vet's and tell them , or do you think they would administer some while he is there, I'm currently staring at an empty cage and its horrible !

Give them a call if it makes you feel better - it can’t hurt and then it’s off your mind. Worst that can happen is a slightly annoyed person on the phone!

You’re doing great, you can do this, horrible as it is.

 

[Betsy]

Waiting is the worst bit @sonnie!boy! I would give the vet a call to remind them about the antibiotics. I expect you'll get a sympathetic voice on the phone.

 

[sonnie!boy!]

I went back to the vets at 7pm and they said there has not been an improvement on he's fast breathing , and they have gave him an injection i think that is the diuretics , but they said if he doesn't improve i will have to make a decision ,

the part me and my partner are really struggling with is how soon is a decision ? he was fine on Saturday ( maybe didn't notice sat evening) and it was all of sunday we was really worried for him.

so here are all the facts , - since yesterday 3 x syringed baytril , & 2 metacam while with me, and all i see him eat was some hay and a few bits of cucumber ,
-moving onto this morning , i managed to get him to eat a few leafs of spinach and some cucumber again , but then from 12noon onwards no more... :-(

so since 4pm he has been on oxygen and diuretics , and they said they cant force feed him because he will aspirate.

is it too soon to give up on him ?
should i bring him home to die in he's home or leave it in there hands. ?
i just feel its all a bit too fast for any illness? I'm scared we will make a bad choice

this is our first guinea pig and we are so sad right now because he was such a personality & we loved him so much.

 

[Elthysia]

Whatever your decision if it is one made out of love it will be the right one. One vet once asked me if I was putting my pig through more treatment for her or for me (my guilt). I’ve always remembered that. If no one is syringe feeding her then she will pass away soon, but not in a very nice way. In that case I would choose to be kind and choose to PTS. The other option is to seek emergency care from a specialist but it could be too late. In any event your little piggie sounds distressed and very ill, and I would not take her home to suffer her final hours or day. She will not become better without any treatment that is for sure, and she may not even get better with treatment. It’s a really tough decision, and the hardest one to make as a pet owner. I really do feel for you. You have not failed in any way. My first piggy died really young and I learned that they simply do go downhill very fast, much faster than we expect. You’ll make the right decision whatever you choose. And we are here for you.

 

[sonnie!boy!]

so i spoke to the vets at 10pm last night and they said he was still on oxygen and he seem's to be alot better , and they gave him more meds , and also feeding him 4 hrs a time , because 2 hrs would be too much on the fact he is struggling to breath (clinical care was mentioned )

i spoke to them again at 7am this morning and again she used the word's he is doing much better and he managed to eat a tiny amount of lettuce and then a few nuggets ,(also he did poo a few times) she then said that later he might be able to come home but they are going to sedate him ? as they are still unsure on the breathing?

I'm really confused now because apparently he is doing much better but then saying he's breathing isnt quite back to normal... also mentioned sending him home with meds , is this all good news ? or are they just prolonging the inevitable ?

arghhh , I'm hoping he comes home , and to think i basically said bye to him yesterday

 

[Betsy]

If they are sending him home with meds, to me that is a positive. It means they are happy enough that he is out of immediate danger. They may be sedating him so that they can give him an xray or an ultrasound. If you're confused, phone them again and ask. I know it's difficult to think of everything when you're tired and worried. I'm sure that they won't mind you phoning again to ask some more questions as it shows what a caring owner you are. Good luck. Let us know what they say.

 

[Elthysia]

I’m glad he’s sounding better. You may find it helpful to have a friend with you for visits or when calling as I find that everything a vet says when I’m by myself goes over my head because all I want to know is whether my pig will be better so I don’t “hear” most of what they say, or they could perhaps write down for you what meds they are giving and what they are doing so you can look it up later. Fingers crossed for you

 

[VickiA]

Sounds like he’s in the best hands. It’s such a worry when they are poorly and we don’t know the cause.

 

[xToNix]

I have everything crossed for you both

 

[sonnie!boy!]

was in the vets for 2hrs! they handed me a bill for £300 and told me they wanted to keep him longer , ive decided he needed to come home , he's breathing was much better but not completely gone! , my thoughts where that that place was making him petrified , he will need time adjusting back home.

key points , i would love you input -

he pooped about 7 or 8 times in the last hour , he has had a cupfull of romaine lettuce ,

here is the medication - cisapride - ornicure - zantac - metacam - baytril ,

lets hope this is all good signs

 

[Betsy]

What dosage of each medication is he on? just for the more informed members (of which I can assure I'm not one).

 

[Elthysia]

was in the vets for 2hrs! they handed me a bill for £300 and told me they wanted to keep him longer , ive decided he needed to come home , he's breathing was much better but not completely gone! , my thoughts where that that place was making him petrified , he will need time adjusting back home.

key points , i would love you input -

he pooped about 7 or 8 times in the last hour , he has had a cupfull of romaine lettuce ,

here is the medication - cisapride - ornicure - zantac - metacam - baytril ,

lets hope this is all good signs

Most of the cost will be for the meds - they are full price compared to what we’re used to on the NHS. And the 24h care he’s had it’s not unreasonable - although obviously a unplanned painful amount.

It sounds really positive. Keep up the feeding and some water by syringe won’t hurt. Be a little careful on the veggies as his gut has taken a fair hit. Veggies fine but I wouldn’t give huge amounts just yet.

It’s a good idea to get some fibreplex (Amazon) or other pro biotic to get him back on track. I prefer fibreplex because my pigs love the taste so it’s not a battle.

Poor piggie! He has had a pretty bad time, and so have you. Well done to both of you!

 

[sonnie!boy!]

he still isnt right , but i think he needs to settle back in , he is nibbling away at he's lettuce , but still contantly laying down. when i hold him he launches himself under my neck which feels cute but i think he is just so scared of everything right now.

also i looked up ornicure and apparently thats aimed at birds ...weird

 

[sonnie!boy!]

I'm just hoping all the meds will get him right again, the only problem i can see is that he very much is in a state of just laying and staring, I'm hoping a good nights rest at home will bring him back to normal ,

i will update everyone if there are any changes , i hope bringing him home was the right choice.

- Also i felt like the Vet basicly told me he needs to constantly be on oxygen , but when does it end! :-(