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Infection or allergies?

K

KaiKai

New Born Pup
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Hi! My guinea pig Fred was sneezing more than normal, and rubbing at his nose like it was itchy, so I brought him to the vet who diagnosed him with an upper respiratory infection. He was on orbifloxacin (I’m in the United States so antibiotics may have different names than in the UK) once a day for two weeks but it didn’t seem to make a difference. He was no worse, but still very sneezy. So now we’re on day three of sulfamethoxazole twice a day and he’s supposed to be on it for 7 days, though I’m not sure I notice any difference yet. I’m just wondering if it’s possible for a guinea pig to have allergies? Or is it really this hard to get rid of a URI in a piggie? And if so does anyone have any tips on how to clear it up? I feel badly pumping him full of antibiotics like this, and I did just order him a probiotic that should be here tomorrow. Any advice is much appreciated- thank you!
 
I think from what I’ve read on here it’s rare for them to have allergies. Sometimes antibiotics can also take a little while to start working. Is there anything dusty in his cage? And have you eliminated any other irritants?

Irritants to Avoid Around Guinea Pigs
 
I had a look at that list of irritants and I’m pretty sure that’s not our problem. I use fleece bedding in their cage (he lives with his two month old sons right now, who are perfectly healthy) and the only thing dusty would be hay dust. But generally the hay I use doesn’t seem particularly dusty. Fred is a pet store pig we got in July, and he’s always been more sneezy than our other guinea pig, but never enough to raise concerns until recently. But now in hindsight I’m thinking it’s very possible he came with a mild respiratory infection and has had it all along. I imagine if that’s the case it could take a while to go away :(.
 
Give the meds some time to work and hopefully this lot will blast the bug. Probiotic an hour before or after the meds is a good idea as som antibiotics can rid them of the good bacteria as well.

Are you seeing which pair gets along beat then splitting the third boar? Will be he neutered and united with girls or found a boar friend?
 
Yes I’m waiting to see which two of the three boars get along best (it’s already pretty apparent), then I’ll likely neuter the third and have him live with my four sows. I’m hoping that will be the solution, since it would be hard to find room for two boar pairs, and the sows are in a large cage configuration that could easily accommodate a boar. Some of my sows have very strong personalities, though, which makes me a little nervous that they won’t accept a boar. But I think I still have some time before I have to worry about that- thanks for your advice!
 
When you split the third boar then put him in a (secure!) cage next to the sows. Remember bonding can only take place 6 weeks after the neuter. Will your boar pair be living in a separate room or above the sows?
 
I have my boars in a separate room so they can’t smell the sows, and will keep the pair there. I’ve looked a bit at neutering info on this site, but there are some conflicting opinions- is it best to wait till six months to neuter? I worry a bit because one of my baby boars doesn’t seem to like the other baby much (both get along great with Fred their dad though). I haven’t seen any major bullying or acts of aggression, but they’re only ten weeks old so I imagine it will get worse.
 
They can be neutered once their testicles are descended. Hay can generally be anywhere from 4 months on, though there have been a few known to develop just a little earlier. As long as you trust your vet and they have a good ‘record’ for neutering then risk should be minimised. Of course it’s not possible to eliminate it 100%.

If you’ve seen who gets along I would consider splitting soon before they hit their teens at 16 weeks.
 
Do you really think I should separate Bob (I’m pretty sure it will have to be Bob) soon and move him next to the girls? That just makes me sad- Bob is only ten weeks old so it would be months of living alone. Hobbes, the other boar baby, doesn’t like Bob or hang out with him, but Fred will let Bob cuddle up next to him sometimes so he’ll be losing that :(. But Hobbes and Fred cuddle a lot too, and they seem to have the strongest bond of the three. Basically Fred is the sweetest guinea pig ever, especially considering he’s still in the teen months himself- he is the best. He would happily live with either boar baby I think.
 
What do you mean when you say they don’t get on? How exactly do they act towards each other?
 
Hobbes is always chattering at Bob and chasing him around- chasing him away from hay or Fred (I have multiples of everything in cage except, sadly, Fred), and trying to mount him. I’m pretty sure this is normal from what I’ve read about boar behavior, but it is fairly relentless and Bob doesn’t do the same back, or not nearly as much. And I think I saw Hobbes bite Bob on the butt once when he chasing him, but when I checked Bob over I couldn’t see any marks. Fred is so mellow he doesn’t do any of this- every now and then he’ll rumble strut and shake his butt but it’s not very aggressive. I’m actually wondering if maybe Hobbes is the one I should separate and neuter to live with the ladies since he’s clearly more “alpha” than bob and I don’t want him going for Fred as he gets into his teens. Ack- I’m not sure what I’ll do with those three! It’s hard that both bob and Hobbes get along so well with Fred- makes me sad to break that bond.
 
Does he gravitate more towards just one? Is Fred allowed to eat etc? And being alpha male doesn’t make a difference when it comes to sows. They have their own hierarchy and any boar is outside of that. They also (all) have to accept him rather than the other way round.
 
I think if you are going to add a neutered male to an existing well established group of ladies then a submissive chap may be a better option... lady piggies can be rather set in their ways and herd hierarchy, a grateful mild mannered chap who slots in at the bottom rung of the grouping may well be the crowd pleaser! An established boss lady may well not take any male dominance shennanigans lightly... my very happy little husboar with 5 lady friends is very submissive, the only thing he ever asserts himself about is possibly the last piece of carrot or his manly right to take very long naps (in his man loft or in the middle of the floor, he wouldnt dream of asking one of his beautiful feisty lady friends if he could share a hidey house unless he was invited!) :) he was a very lonely undersized little thing, and after neutering and his 6 week wait he has been fabulously happy for over 2 years now being thoroughly bossed about by many beautiful ladies!
 
Aw that makes me happy to think that such a bright future could await Bob! He always was a huge mama's boy, and had the hardest time when I separated the baby boars at three weeks from their mom and sisters; I imagine he would be thrilled to be back with them. And yes Bob is able to eat fine- the bullying isn't that awful yet but I can see the writing on the wall. And really I do think that Fred and Hobbes have the strongest bond of the three, if only because Hobbes with his big personality makes sure of it. Since Fred is such a mild mannered fellow he may do well living with that stronger personality. Thank you! Everyone in my real life thinks I'm crazy to spend so much time worrying about my guinea pigs' happiness, so it's nice to find people willing to listen and help :).
 
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