My guinea pig has been croaking (respiratory infection i think) medication advice?

[Deleted member 155271]

My guinea pig, strawberry, has been croaking during breathing since around 10pm tuesday 9th April. I assumed she was just making noises and when i woke up she was still doing it. I cant currently drive so asked my mum if she could take me to the vets and she said to see how she gets on later in the day. The issue continued and it has now been pushed to tomorrow afternoon for a *possible* vets trip. Ive argued lots about this and shes not open to it at all. My guinea pig is just about 5, her birthday was in january/february. For this reason my mum seems to think shes not got much life left so theres no point spending money on a vets trip (which i am solely paying for, all i need is a ride there). My girl is in my room with me which is how i noticed her breathing as soon as i did. Are there any medications i can give her to treat a respiratory infection, as theres a very low chance that its not one. She was left under someone elses care for a week and despite me giving them clear instructions on how to care for her i returned to a disgustingly filthy cage. I cleaned it fully and disinfected with white vinegar and water mix. I had returned Tuesday afternoon and cleaned her out fully and put her in her run within the first 10 minutes of stepping in the door. Ive read about 0.2ml of infant calpol being administered to guinea pigs and was wondering if this would help to relieve a respiratory infection until i can get her to a vet (i will be getting my older brother to take me tomorrow if my mum is still resisting). Sorry this is alot of words, and i know i come off as an irresponsible owner but i give her the best care possible, i was already reluctant to leave her under someone elses care (who has guinea pigs herself) due to her being a solo (and somewhat elderly) pig since november, when her sister passed away due to pneumonia because i wasnt permitted to keep them indoors during the cold. I do everything i can to make sure shes healthy but i cant help feeling overwhelming guilt and will probably be pulling an all nighter because i cannot sleep at all. Please someone give me advice for what to do when i cant get to a vet.

 

[Deleted member 155271]

I forgot to add, there has been occasional sneezing and coughing aswell.

 

[fluffysal]

Welcome to the forum. I'm afraid I have no experience with this and all the experts are in bed at the moment. I just wanted you to know that you are not being ignored.
I would definitely recommend getting her an emergency appointment with the vet tomorrow. You could maybe try a bowl of very hot water next to the cage as the steam might help.

 

[Deleted member 155271]

Welcome to the forum. I'm afraid I have no experience with this and all the experts are in bed at the moment. I just wanted you to know that you are not being ignored.
I would definitely recommend getting her an emergency appointment with the vet tomorrow. You could maybe try a bowl of very hot water next to the cage as the steam might help.

I have read about the bowl of hot water, do you think that would apply to her? I will try it as soon as possible.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear this.

All you can do is see a vet. Giving calpol won’t cure any bacteria present, neither will a bowl of water.
A bowl of water can humidify the air and help ease breathing but a bacterial infection does require antibiotics.

Otherwise the only home care you can provide is to switch from the routine weekly weight checks and instead weigh her daily. This enables you to monitor hay intake and step in with syringe feeding promptly. The need to breathe the comes first so a piggy who’s struggling to breathe will often stop eating enough. Hay intake cannot be gauged by eye so the weight checks are so important to carry out.

It’s clear you care deeply for her, you don’t come across as irresponsible at all.

Is there somebody else who can take you to the vet?

Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
How Soon Should My Guinea Pig See A Vet? - A Quick Guide

 

[Deleted member 155271]

I’m sorry to hear this.

All you can do is see a vet. Giving calpol won’t cure any bacteria present, neither will a bowl of water.
A bowl of water can humidify the air and help ease breathing but a bacterial infection does require antibiotics.

Otherwise the only home care you can provide is to switch from the routine weekly weight checks and instead weigh her daily. This enables you to monitor hay intake and step in with syringe feeding promptly. The need to breathe the comes first so a piggy who’s struggling to breathe will often stop eating enough. Hay intake cannot be gauged by eye so the weight checks are so important to carry out.

It’s clear you care deeply for her, you don’t come across as irresponsible at all.

Is there somebody else who can take you to the vet?

Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
How Soon Should My Guinea Pig See A Vet? - A Quick Guide

Thankyou for your guidance. Ive mentioned taking her again today and was completely shut down. I'm at a loss of what to do. Ive asked around and nobody can take me. I think my brother would be yelled at if he did, as my mum seems to think I'm overreacting. She sounded very croaky yesterday, and shes still the same this morning from what i can hear. Shes eating hay, but i put fresh greens in with her last night and shes barely touched them, she is fussy but I'm not sure if she's not touched them due to being poorly as she generally would eat it eventually. (It wont let me put a video in). Shes not in this cage 24/7 either, she goes in her run for multiple hours per day, this is mostly just for sleeping and for whilst I'm out of the house/away. I have put her on a blanket and taken out the shavings just incase they made the infection worse, so she has pee pads and a blanket right now instead.

 

[Wheekallweek]

Agreed, she needs to see a vet ASAP. This won't get better in it's own, only worse. Best get her seen now when treatment should be easier.
Perhaps show your mum this thread? Depending on your age, if you are under 18 she is legally responsible for your pig and is also legally obliged to provide veterinary treatment for her under the animal welfare act.
Could you get a lift with a friend, or book a taxi?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m really sorry to hear this.
She needs a vet, there nothing you can do at home (we’d never recommend home treatment anyway) as any breathing issue is a serious situation.

You cannot tell she is eating enough hay simply by watching her. Seeing her eat it doesn’t mean she is actually eating enough to maintain her weight each day. Hay is 75% if the daily food intake so even a small reduction in the amount they eat can have a huge impact
Please weigh her daily.
50g of weight loss is the point at which you need to step in with syringe feeding.
100g of loss in 24 hours is an emergency situation.

Weight - Monitoring and Management

Are you over 18? If you are over 18 then the responsibility is on you to get her to the vet.
If you are under 18 then your parent has a legal responsibility.

Please read all the guides I linked on my previous reply.

We cannot host videos on the forum. You need to upload to YouTube first and then post a link to it here.

 

[Deleted member 155271]

I’m really sorry to hear this.
She needs a vet, there nothing you can do at home (we’d never recommend home treatment anyway) as any breathing issue is a serious situation.

You cannot tell she is eating enough hay simply by watching her. Seeing her eat it doesn’t mean she is actually eating enough to maintain her weight each day. Hay is 75% if the daily food intake so even a small reduction in the amount they eat can have a huge impact
Please weigh her daily.
50g of weight loss is the point at which you need to step in with syringe feeding.
100g of loss in 24 hours is an emergency situation.

Weight - Monitoring and Management

Are you over 18? If you are over 18 then the responsibility is on you to get her to the vet.
If you are under 18 then your parent has a legal responsibility.

Please read all the guides I linked on my previous reply.

We cannot host videos on the forum. You need to upload to YouTube first and then post a link to it here.

I am under 18. Ive done everything i can today to make her comfortable, and havent heard any of her breathing issues since this morning. Its loudest at night so i will be keeping an eye on her tonight to see if it persists. Shes eating all of the hay i put out for her and i top it up when it gets low. I have weighed her today and she hasnt lost any yet. Shes got a full bowl of veg that shes tucking into at the moment and doesnt seem to be having any issues with it, i also added some orange to give her some vitamin c. Its also a sweet treat that she loves. I'm going to be monitoring her throughout the night, as i have been, and if shes still having issues tomorrow I'm going to bring up the vet again to my mum. Shes quite opposed to it because when i tried to explain what was wrong, i felt like i wasnt being heard so i got quite worked up and "dramatic". She wont listen to a word i say now. I'm going to have to keep bringing it up until she gives in. Another way of monitoring their food and drink intake is what comes out of the other end. There havent been any changes there, which is good, i suppose. Ive tried to get other people to take me but it would cause serious issues with my mum. If it were up to me she would've gone first thing Wednesday morning.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Do note that poop output is not a reliable guide of food intake - the weight checks are the only way to be sure.
Poop output is 1-2 days behind food intake so if you are watching poop out by the time you see a reduction in poop output then your piggy has already not eaten enough for the past 1-2 days. Losing those 1-2 days of not stepping in starting syringe feeding can mean quite a difference in weight loss and start is for gut stasis being missed.

I’m afraid as you have admitted to being under 18, we are going to have to close your account. Due to UK law nobody under 18 can hold an account on this forum. This was in the forum terms and conditions when you opened an account and entered your date of birth.

You can still read the help guides and previous threads but you will not be able to post.

Best of luck with your piggy and I hope she is ok.

 

[Deleted member 155309]

Do note that poop output is not a reliable guide of food intake - the weight checks are the only way to be sure.
Poop output is 1-2 days behind food intake so if you are watching poop out by the time you see a reduction in poop output then your piggy has already not eaten enough for the past 1-2 days. Losing those 1-2 days of not stepping in starting syringe feeding can mean quite a difference in weight loss and start is for gut stasis being missed.

I’m afraid as you have admitted to being under 18, we are going to have to close your account. Due to UK law nobody under 18 can hold an account on this forum. This was in the forum terms and conditions when you opened an account and entered your date of birth.

You can still read the help guides and previous threads but you will not be able to post.

Best of luck with your piggy and I hope she

Do note that poop output is not a reliable guide of food intake - the weight checks are the only way to be sure.
Poop output is 1-2 days behind food intake so if you are watching poop out by the time you see a reduction in poop output then your piggy has already not eaten enough for the past 1-2 days. Losing those 1-2 days of not stepping in starting syringe feeding can mean quite a difference in weight loss and start is for gut stasis being missed.

I’m afraid as you have admitted to being under 18, we are going to have to close your account. Due to UK law nobody under 18 can hold an account on this forum. This was in the forum terms and conditions when you opened an account and entered your date of birth.

You can still read the help guides and previous threads but you will not be able to post.

Best of luck with your piggy and I hope she is ok.

Thankyou for your advice. I syringe fed her till i could get her to a vet and have been given a medication for her. The vet said they expect her to get better, and that she is fighting an infection, and that luckily its not too sinister. I got my nan to make an account for me, so i am posting this as a final update to let you know shes okay. She was also quite well behaved at the vet.

 

[fluffysal]

Thank you for the update. It's good to know that she is on the mend.