Hey, I’m hoping for some guidance or insight. We have two males approximately 3 years old. Today my boyfriend noticed one boy was extremely quiet (usually wheeks when we touch him) and pretty lethargic. So when I got home from work I checked on him and he had this wet gunk around his eyes (pictured) and definitely isn’t feeling well. He doesn’t seem to be having any breathing problems (no sneezing or clicking) and I would not think this is a respiratory infection. What is everyone’s thoughts on this? Anyone have a similar issue before? And yes, a vet appointment has been scheduled, I just want to discuss it in the meantime.
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Gunk in Eyes, Lethargic
- Thread starter JSyle
- Start date
piggieminder
Forum Buddy
They don't need to have audible clicking or sneezing for this to be a URI. My piggie was diagnosed with a lower respiratory infection this week, the first sign was a weepy eye. The next morning he had a runny nose and was struggling to breathe. Please get your piggie seen urgently just in case.
What could be a cause of the upper respiratory? I can’t think of anything that I changed that would cause that.
piggieminder
Forum Buddy
My vet explained that they can carry bacteria for a long time (from breeders when born even), their natural imune system will keep it suppressed until it can dip for some reason and the bacteria can take hold. Bacterial infections can also be airborne. I couldn't hear Rusty's noisy breathing but the vet could hear sounds in his lungs.
When we first got him, he had surgery to remove a abscess in his mouth and the vet also put him on antibiotics for an upper respiratory. I did the full course of the antibiotics. I’m very confused since my other pig is completely fine and has no signs of illness. I just don’t know what could have caused this.
piggieminder
Forum Buddy
It's not something you can know. It may not be a respiratory infection it could be an eye infection or a foreign body in his eye, either way it needs a vet to diagnose asap.
Rusty's not well
I'm just glad I could get Rusty seen quickly, it's given him a fighting chance to recover. I've already lost one to pnuemonia that came out of no where (3 years ago).
Rusty's not well
I'm just glad I could get Rusty seen quickly, it's given him a fighting chance to recover. I've already lost one to pnuemonia that came out of no where (3 years ago).
Hi and welcome
Diagnosing an illness without a hands-on examination is usually just a guessing game - and only just that. Please keep in mind that our own guesses are entirely based on your own perception of your piggy's symptoms. We do not have independent access to pick up possible other pointers. Our guesses can always only be as good as yours.
I appreciate that you want to know what is going on; unfortunately, it is not as easy and straight-forward as you think; it is very often more like detective work for any vet than you would expect and not in the least like picking some out of context symptoms from the internet and making a home diagnosis. Even an educated guess doesn't work like that.
Sneezing is only one of the possible symptoms and often not present; gunky yellow/green thick mucus glued eyes are generally a symptom in an un-/undertreated URI and not one of the onset symptoms. Clicking in the chest (NOT the mouth) is a symptom of pneumonia as the result of a build up of fluid in there.
Your vet may or may not diagnose a URI or not after a careful examination of the airways and chest. Please try to always keep an open mind at the onset of an illness; if you home in something too much, it can sometimes lead you in wrong direction and be very costly mistake.
Sudden lethargy/loss of appetite is a very general symptom and can apply to lots of health issues. It is however one of the 'red alert symptoms', so it is good that you are booked with your vet already; your piggy will need a careful general check-over and not just the airways. Weepy eyes are a general symptom that can indicate the very onset of a URI but can also have other causes. However, the sooner you can have your piggy seen, the better.
Please step in with feeding support immediately. Keep in mind that hay is making about 75-80% of the daily food intake and that you cannot control it by eye means that your piggy is actually eating a lot less than you think. It is crucial that you replace this fibre intake to keep your piggy going. You control the actual food intake by weighing daily at the same time on your kitchen scales (first thing in the morning gives you the bast comparison as the weight is lowest) and you get a better idea how much/how often you need to feed throughout the day and if necessary in the night. Keeping up the strength gives your piggy a better chance of fighting any illness. Poo output generally runs a fay behind the event horizon whereas the kitchen scales give you an up to date much clearer monitoring tool.
Please take the time to read the following links with lots of practical care and how-to tips and information on how to look after a very ill piggy and - if possible - keeping them going throughout the crisis until they can be seen and until any medication can hopefully kick in fully. The one-stop emergency link also contains tips on how you can improvise with feeding care in a pinch. We cannot pack all the practical information into every thread, so we are using our guides for answering all the little questions and step-by-step info.
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Weight - Monitoring and Management
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely
Wishing you all the best that your vet can get to the bottom of it. Lack of distinct pointers is often making a diagnosis rather difficult, as I know from my own experiences - especially at the very onset of any illness. Piggies are very good at suppressing symptoms, unfortunately.
PS: Since we are UK based but with members from literally around the world, we prefer to measure the weight in grams as that is the same everywhere in world, whereas metric US pounds (500g) and imperial UK pounds (450g) are two different weight units that can lead in the piggy weight class to some rather crucial misunderstandings and wrong advice.
Emx93
Forum Donator 2023/24
I agree with above advice! I've lost two to respitory in the last year despite seeing a vet promptly! I've also taken them to the vet suspecting respitory for there to be nothing wrong so it can go either way but always best to see a vet promptly with anything remotely suspected to be respitory!