The backstory: I bought my two guinea pigs from Pets at Home (due to lack of better knowledge at the time). Unsurprisingly, they are victims of bad breeding.
They are now 5 years old but in very good shape for their age, not yet showing signs of aging at all.
Due to the bad breeding, Loki's snout is much shorter than it should be, even in comparison to her sister's. It's noticibely more rounded and less pointed than a regular guinea pig's face shape would be. - this has been confirmed by multiple vets.
Due to this, she has multiple issues, all of which have always been present and examined by vets.
She has Pea Eye/Fatty Eye- which doesn't intefere with her vision and she isn't bothered by.
Dental issues (her front teeth have a tendancy to overgrow/break despite a healthy diet and many toys to chew on) - her teeth get trimmed down at the vets every few months, as needed.
She also has a tendancy to cough a little if she eats her veggies a little too fast.
As well as nasal issues.
This time last year I noticed her nose was a little runny, the vets (including a rodent and small mammal specialist) took tests as well as an x-ray and concluded that it is just yet another issue caused by the breeding. She went through and completed two full courses of antibiotics just in case, (which made no difference) and it hasn't really progressed much since then.
This week her nose is particularly runny. It's worse at certain times of the day than others, it isn't compmetely constant - the same as it has been before. I assume it worsens around mealtimes when she eats veggies which contain lots of water.
The discharge is not smelly, discolored, nor sticky. She is not breathing oddly, nor sneezing or coughing. Her appetite and behaviour are great as they always have been. and she is not seeming distressed by it at all.
Perhaps it's the time of year that's intensifying it a little, as it is getting gradually cooler..
I will be taking the piggies in for a check up at the vets in the next few days. I am posting this to ask for any knowledge or advice from anyone who may have dealt with issues like this before?
The pair are sisters and have a very close and sweet bond. They are kept inside, away from the window and not directly by a radiatior. They are on megazorb and fleece bedding. I do not bathe them. Their diet consists of unlimited fresh water & timothy hay (their hay is always a dust free kind), lots of veggies, some herbs and fresh grass, and a small amount of Burgess pellets. They come out for floor time & cuddles every other day or so.
(Loki's sister, Juno, doesn't suffer from the same issues. I assume they are from different litters that were mixed into one while at Pets at Home, as their fur is actually completely different from one another. Juno's only issue are little spurs that grow on the pads of her feet. This has also been addressed by vets and most likely a cause of bad breeding or imprpoper care when she was a pup. I clip the spurs as needed - usually whenever I clip her claws. This issue has not affected her at all. Both piggies have always been, and continue to be happy & in great shape despite these issues.)
I really do all that I can to make my piggies happy and comfortable, so I would really appreciate any suggestions or experiences!
Are there certain foods/beddings that may aggrevate or alleviate the problem? Are there any natural remedies?
Any insight would be very, very appreciated, and thank you for reading through all this!
They are now 5 years old but in very good shape for their age, not yet showing signs of aging at all.
Due to the bad breeding, Loki's snout is much shorter than it should be, even in comparison to her sister's. It's noticibely more rounded and less pointed than a regular guinea pig's face shape would be. - this has been confirmed by multiple vets.
Due to this, she has multiple issues, all of which have always been present and examined by vets.
She has Pea Eye/Fatty Eye- which doesn't intefere with her vision and she isn't bothered by.
Dental issues (her front teeth have a tendancy to overgrow/break despite a healthy diet and many toys to chew on) - her teeth get trimmed down at the vets every few months, as needed.
She also has a tendancy to cough a little if she eats her veggies a little too fast.
As well as nasal issues.
This time last year I noticed her nose was a little runny, the vets (including a rodent and small mammal specialist) took tests as well as an x-ray and concluded that it is just yet another issue caused by the breeding. She went through and completed two full courses of antibiotics just in case, (which made no difference) and it hasn't really progressed much since then.
This week her nose is particularly runny. It's worse at certain times of the day than others, it isn't compmetely constant - the same as it has been before. I assume it worsens around mealtimes when she eats veggies which contain lots of water.
The discharge is not smelly, discolored, nor sticky. She is not breathing oddly, nor sneezing or coughing. Her appetite and behaviour are great as they always have been. and she is not seeming distressed by it at all.
Perhaps it's the time of year that's intensifying it a little, as it is getting gradually cooler..
I will be taking the piggies in for a check up at the vets in the next few days. I am posting this to ask for any knowledge or advice from anyone who may have dealt with issues like this before?
The pair are sisters and have a very close and sweet bond. They are kept inside, away from the window and not directly by a radiatior. They are on megazorb and fleece bedding. I do not bathe them. Their diet consists of unlimited fresh water & timothy hay (their hay is always a dust free kind), lots of veggies, some herbs and fresh grass, and a small amount of Burgess pellets. They come out for floor time & cuddles every other day or so.
(Loki's sister, Juno, doesn't suffer from the same issues. I assume they are from different litters that were mixed into one while at Pets at Home, as their fur is actually completely different from one another. Juno's only issue are little spurs that grow on the pads of her feet. This has also been addressed by vets and most likely a cause of bad breeding or imprpoper care when she was a pup. I clip the spurs as needed - usually whenever I clip her claws. This issue has not affected her at all. Both piggies have always been, and continue to be happy & in great shape despite these issues.)
I really do all that I can to make my piggies happy and comfortable, so I would really appreciate any suggestions or experiences!
Are there certain foods/beddings that may aggrevate or alleviate the problem? Are there any natural remedies?
Any insight would be very, very appreciated, and thank you for reading through all this!
