My Guinea Pig Has Pneumonia :(

[itshaleybe]

I'v had 2 Guinea pigs since christmas, one named pepsi and one named Friday. They are very playful and they are birth sisters. We were told at petsmart that if they separate they could possibly die. Well iv been noticing CONSTANT fast breathing from pepsi, i was worried sick for 2 days and then took her to the vet after research. The "exotic" pet vet told me i have a pig with Pneumonia. I'm worried sick and cant lose her this soon and this fast. I'v done so much research and most piggies dont survive it She is breathing very Fast Nonstop- all night. I'm so scared right now and was sure i couldn't get friday sick also. so i made pepsi a warm spot in a perfect chest she can lay in. i have blankets and all the things she needs. I have her on antibiotics and she loves it and the strawbarry yogurt i feed her after. I'm worried sick that maybe friday will forget her but also worried that pepsi could make her sick also. anybody know a Pneumonia piggie that has survived, i need it to keep courage. or anybody that can help? thanks

 

[itshaleybe]

forgot to mention, she IS eating. very well. i have Put vitaman C in their water for no future health issues.

 

[Freela]

Respiratory illnesses can be quite serious in guinea pigs, but there are many pigs that do survive respiratory infections. What antibiotic has she been given? I'm assuming the yogurt was recommended for probiotic effect (I know some vets here in North America do recommend it for that reason.) Personally I would be worried about the yogurt causing more problems than it fixes (guinea pigs do not naturally consume dairy and it could contribute to diarrhea, etc.) They do sell herbivore probiotics online, or barring that you could make 'poop soup' (sounds terrible, but dissolve the poop or your healthy guinea pig in water and syringe that. Guinea pigs naturally eat some droppings for extra nutrition and will eat the droppings of healthy cagemates to replenish their gut flora.) Some pigs do get stomach upset from certain antibiotics and could benefit from probiotics, others don't seem bothered by antibiotics at all.

Hope this helps a bit and best wishes to your little pig!

 

[itshaleybe]

oh no! i felt like the yogurt wasn’t that bad for my piggie! iv been feeding her yogurt to make her feel better even not after the antibiotic. i also forgot to mention she has ring worm on her ears and is going through a lot. i’m not sure what antibiotic i’m giving her but i will inform you tomorrow. but thankyou for the info <33

 

[gizzy]

Compressor Nebuliser Titan Nebulizer Healthcare Portable with Carry Handle | eBay

Pigs with breathing problems often benefit from nebulizers, the same as we do!
A small plastic box that the pig can comfortably sit in , then insert the outlet of the nebuliser into the box and give him 3 to 4 sessions a day
They can be noisy so Best to place the nebuliser on a peice of fome rubber to absorb some of the vibration

 

[Wiebke]

I'v had 2 Guinea pigs since christmas, one named pepsi and one named Friday. They are very playful and they are birth sisters. We were told at petsmart that if they separate they could possibly die. Well iv been noticing CONSTANT fast breathing from pepsi, i was worried sick for 2 days and then took her to the vet after research. The "exotic" pet vet told me i have a pig with Pneumonia. I'm worried sick and cant lose her this soon and this fast. I'v done so much research and most piggies dont survive it She is breathing very Fast Nonstop- all night. I'm so scared right now and was sure i couldn't get friday sick also. so i made pepsi a warm spot in a perfect chest she can lay in. i have blankets and all the things she needs. I have her on antibiotics and she loves it and the strawbarry yogurt i feed her after. I'm worried sick that maybe friday will forget her but also worried that pepsi could make her sick also. anybody know a Pneumonia piggie that has survived, i need it to keep courage. or anybody that can help? thanks

Hi! I trust that you have been given antibiotics? Can you please tell us which?
The good news is that pneumonia as a result of a respiratory infection can be well survived if it is seen and treated in time. The sooner you have your guinea pig seen, the better the recovery rates. Ideally you have your piggy seen within 24 hours. Most piggies that die have been either left for too long or they suffer from another type of pneumonia that does not respond to antibiotics much.
If your guinea pig has been showing symptoms of pneumonia within 2-3 weeks of your buying her, exposure and infection must have happened at the shop. You can reclaim your vet cost by presenting the vet bill together with the sales receipt. It comes under the heading of selling damaged ware. You can also complain to your local authorities. Don't let yourself be fobbed off and if necessary ask to see the store manager. Pneumonia in young pet shop guinea pigs is the result of a not treated or undertreated respiratory infection, it is not the primary infection.

What you can do to support your piggy at home:
- place a bowl of steaming water next to the care and keep the water changed to help ease the breathing.
- as your piggy is still eating, her illness is not so advanced that she is at deaths' door. the need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly the need to eat. Guinea pigs can't breathe through their mouths; which makes eating very difficult if they struggle to breathe.
Please check your piggy's weight daily at the same time as unlimite hay makes 80% of the daily food intake, and you cannot control that otherwise, ideally before breakfast or dinner. If your little girl loses weight steadily (more than 30g; in adults more than 50g), you need to start offering additional syringe feed in order to keep the guts going and to ensure that she has the energy she needs to battle her illness.
Our step by step illustrated guide shows you how. In an emergency, you used mushed up pellets with a syringe whose tip you prep as shown. Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
- help to buffer her guts against the impact of the antibiotic on the vital gut bacteria by giving a pinch of probiotic 1 hour before you give the antibiotic (US recommendation; the UK recommendation is 1-2 hours after the antibiotic; they work equally well). You can get probiotics from your pet shop; they are not a medication.

All the best! Please leave your little girls together; separating them will stress them out even more and by this stage, your other one is obviously strong enough to fend off the bacteria.

 

[itshaleybe]

Hi! I trust that you have been given antibiotics? Can you please tell us which?
The good news is that pneumonia as a result of a respiratory infection can be well survived if it is seen and treated in time. The sooner you have your guinea pig seen, the better the recovery rates. Ideally you have your piggy seen within 24 hours. Most piggies that die have been either left for too long or they suffer from another type of pneumonia that does not respond to antibiotics much.
If your guinea pig has been showing symptoms of pneumonia within 2-3 weeks of your buying her, exposure and infection must have happened at the shop. You can reclaim your vet cost by presenting the vet bill together with the sales receipt. It comes under the heading of selling damaged ware. You can also complain to your local authorities. Don't let yourself be fobbed off and if necessary ask to see the store manager. Pneumonia in young pet shop guinea pigs is the result of a not treated or undertreated respiratory infection, it is not the primary infection.

What you can do to support your piggy at home:
- place a bowl of steaming water next to the care and keep the water changed to help ease the breathing.
- as your piggy is still eating, her illness is not so advanced that she is at deaths' door. the need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly the need to eat. Guinea pigs can't breathe through their mouths; which makes eating very difficult if they struggle to breathe.
Please check your piggy's weight daily at the same time as unlimite hay makes 80% of the daily food intake, and you cannot control that otherwise, ideally before breakfast or dinner. If your little girl loses weight steadily (more than 30g; in adults more than 50g), you need to start offering additional syringe feed in order to keep the guts going and to ensure that she has the energy she needs to battle her illness.
Our step by step illustrated guide shows you how. In an emergency, you used mushed up pellets with a syringe whose tip you prep as shown. Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
- help to buffer her guts against the impact of the antibiotic on the vital gut bacteria by giving a pinch of probiotic 1 hour before you give the antibiotic (US recommendation; the UK recommendation is 1-2 hours after the antibiotic; they work equally well). You can get probiotics from your pet shop; they are not a medication.

All the best! Please leave your little girls together; separating them will stress them out even more and by this stage, your other one is obviously strong enough to fend off the bacteria.

thankyou so much for the info, this morning i woke up and noticed pepsi escaped her spot. I freaked out but i do realize she does have alot of energy at 6am. So my other little girl wont get sick if i put them together for today? all i have heard is that its very contagious and if she sneezes or coughes, that my other girl will get sick..

 

[Wiebke]

thankyou so much for the info, this morning i woke up and noticed pepsi escaped her spot. I freaked out but i do realize she does have alot of energy at 6am. So my other little girl wont get sick if i put them together for today? all i have heard is that its very contagious and if she sneezes or coughes, that my other girl will get sick..

Your other girl has already been exposed to the bacteria for several days and has been exposed to them at the shop, so I would assume that she - like most healthy guinea pigs with fully developed immune systems - is able to fend the bacteria off. With youngsters likel yours, the desperate need for company is such a major stress factor that it can lower the immune system quite a lot, so it is always a weighing up of risk factors.
Personally, I prefer to leave piggies together as much as possible and if necessary treat both. URI (respiratory infection) when treated promptly, is perfectly survivable.

PS2: If Pepsi still has a lot of energy, then she is not severely ill. So please take a deep breath! She is most likely to make a good recovery.

 

[itshaleybe]

thankyou so much, i just put them back together and they are so happy to see eachother. I Have more questions i will be on here abt 4:00 or 4:30pm. thanks alot <3

 

[Wiebke]

thankyou so much, i just put them back together and they are so happy to see eachother. I Have more questions i will be on here abt 4:00 or 4:30pm. thanks alot <3

Can you please add your country and state/province details. Please click on your username on the top bar, then click on personal details and scroll down to location. This makes it appear with every post you make and allows us to tailor any advice to what is available and relevant where you are straight away. We have members from all over the world. Most mods are UK based, though. Thank you!

 

[itshaleybe]

hey guys, we have a little problem now. Pepsi has Ringworm on her ears but we have her on medication right now. Well friday seems to have a little scab on her mouth and the hair is lost. I’m scared but we are on a low income and if we can use the medication pepsi takes for ringworm on friday it would be good. && if i get a humidifier would it help pepsi breath better, she is still breathing the same. I feel like friday is hiding her illness (i heard they do that) for a future problem we can’t fix. should i separate them again ? it would just be very stressful for me and then

 

[itshaleybe]

this is her mouth ... ? answers. vet immediately? or can i buy medicine.

 

[Wiebke]

this is her mouth ... ? answers. vet immediately? or can i buy medicine.

View attachment 78927

This looks like fungal to me, too. Like respiratory infection, fungal (Ringworm is the most aggressive and transmittable one than can be passed between species, including humans and other pets) is an opportunist that hits when the immune system is not fully developed or suppressed.

Please follow the tips in our ringworm care guide to get on top of it and prevent it from coming back or infecting others, including other pets and humans. The one thing that I would strongly recommend to not economise on is getting hold of a good antifungal disinfectant. Bleach is OK as a first line of defence until you can hold of a stronger antifungal disinfectant, but it is not all that effective. Virkon is widely available and much better.
Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures
Guinea Lynx :: Fungus

 

[itshaleybe]

thankyou, so do i separate the girls? and can i use the same medication pepsi uses ( tresaderm ) ?

 

[Wiebke]

Has tresaderm been prescribed by your vet? In that case, yes. And yes, as they are both infected, you can keep them together.

Please make sure that you give both an antifungal whole body bath at the end of the acute ringworm infection. This is to wash out all spores sitting in the coat that could cause a new infection. Please also disinfect their cage, their furniture any bedding and any clothing of yours in contact with the piggies as well as any body parts of yours that have come into contact with any piggy since the outbreak according to the tips in our ringworm guide. You want to make sure that you don't catch ringworm off your piggies. It is not fun.

The guide also shows you in pictures how an infection is running its course. It is getting worse before it is getting better. It also discusses what to do with pairs or groups.
Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures

 

[itshaleybe]

pepsi’s breathing is improving just my a little bit. would a humidifier work just as well as boiling water ? && i use the ring worm meds on pepsi’s ear, it was still work for the mouth on friday ?

 

[itshaleybe]

hey guys ! update : pepsi is DOING BETTER! I’m sooo happy and friday is also doing well thankyou guys so much

 

[Pawz]

Glad they are doing better. As @Wiebke said, take care with the ringworm not to get yourself infected. Someone unfortunately brought that into a workplace some months ago and had exposed and affected a few others by the time they found out what it was...didn’t make them very popular!
It’s very contagious if you are not vigilant in cleaning anything that could have come into contact with it.

 

[Wiebke]

hey guys ! update : pepsi is DOING BETTER! I’m sooo happy and friday is also doing well thankyou guys so much

That is great news! Please make sure that you finish the course of antibiotics!