Piggy staphylococcus

[Miellez]

So I have like a big question that my vet is unable to answer.
Back in the beggining of the year, my piggy Manala (who is born in october 2020) started sneezing a lot, like 15 times a day. I quickly got her to one vet who is close to my home (she is not like a specialized one but she knows well enough about them). She said she saw nothing wrong with Manala so I started changing things in the cage, like the hay for a less dusty one (when I put hay she loves to run right under it and always get dust on her even if I try to chase her, she just loves hay too much), more cleaning changes etc.
It kept going until late march when she started having like a weird sound when breathing, something that sounds a little bit like a snore, thought she was supper fine, happy and eating. I got her right away to another vet, a more specialised one (if you're wondering why I didn't take her here right away, he lives far from my home and gas is becoming more and more expensive here). He made her past a radio and a sort of test where they put liquid in her nose, take it and run analysis with it. Radio showed that she had some liquid in her lungs but nothing that would be too dangerous for her, and the nose analysis showed that she had a staphylococcus (which I didn't think piggies could have). She had a treatment of antibiotics (doxycare and fradexam collyre). After some days she got really better, no snorring or sneezing.
A week ago, she started sneezing again, and soon after, snorring. It got really bad like she was doing it all the time, she was still happy and eating but it was a really impressive sounds. The vet told me to give her the same medicines and it tooks long time but she finally doesn't snore anymore, but he can't really explain what's happening to her. He said it can be anything, cold, allergies or else... I'm worried it will last for the rest of her life, or that others will have the problem too (Ginger sneezes a lot sometimes and Issberg snorred during two days).
So I wondered if anyone may have had this problem before ? I'm running out of solutions here, I will of course give her as many medicines as I have to but I'd love to find a solution for her. I know a big clinic that is a little far from my home, I can't afford to take her here right now but I'll find a solution anyway in the summer, it's just that for now I really can't go.

 

[Wiebke]

So I have like a big question that my vet is unable to answer.
Back in the beggining of the year, my piggy Manala (who is born in october 2020) started sneezing a lot, like 15 times a day. I quickly got her to one vet who is close to my home (she is not like a specialized one but she knows well enough about them). She said she saw nothing wrong with Manala so I started changing things in the cage, like the hay for a less dusty one (when I put hay she loves to run right under it and always get dust on her even if I try to chase her, she just loves hay too much), more cleaning changes etc.
It kept going until late march when she started having like a weird sound when breathing, something that sounds a little bit like a snore, thought she was supper fine, happy and eating. I got her right away to another vet, a more specialised one (if you're wondering why I didn't take her here right away, he lives far from my home and gas is becoming more and more expensive here). He made her past a radio and a sort of test where they put liquid in her nose, take it and run analysis with it. Radio showed that she had some liquid in her lungs but nothing that would be too dangerous for her, and the nose analysis showed that she had a staphylococcus (which I didn't think piggies could have). She had a treatment of antibiotics (doxycare and fradexam collyre). After some days she got really better, no snorring or sneezing.
A week ago, she started sneezing again, and soon after, snorring. It got really bad like she was doing it all the time, she was still happy and eating but it was a really impressive sounds. The vet told me to give her the same medicines and it tooks long time but she finally doesn't snore anymore, but he can't really explain what's happening to her. He said it can be anything, cold, allergies or else... I'm worried it will last for the rest of her life, or that others will have the problem too (Ginger sneezes a lot sometimes and Issberg snorred during two days).
So I wondered if anyone may have had this problem before ? I'm running out of solutions here, I will of course give her as many medicines as I have to but I'd love to find a solution for her. I know a big clinic that is a little far from my home, I can't afford to take her here right now but I'll find a solution anyway in the summer, it's just that for now I really can't go.

Hi and welcome

Guinea pigs can catch pneumococcus, staphylococcus and some other nasty bugs unfortunately. They are generally only found via a lab test in persistent cases of piggies with respiratory problems but go often unnoticed.
A lab test of a swab may help to work out which antibiotics the staphylococcus is responding to.

I am linking in @PigglePuggle and @Piggies&buns for you because they have more medical experience than I; especially in terms of medications and treatment.
You may need to wait until Wednesday for PigglePuggle's answer.

 

[PigglePuggle]

Hi! Staphylococcus bacteria naturally live on the skin of all mammals, including ourselves and guinea pigs- but we only tend to hear about it when they cause disease, which is usually in people and animals who are already sick with something else and their immune system can't keep the normal bacteria we have in our bodies in check.
Staphylococcus can become resistant to antibiotics quite easily, MRSA is staphylococcus for example- just very drug resistant strains.
I imagine if your piggy has a Staph infection in their airways they probably had another illness in there first and the Staph is a secondary infection.
Testing to see what bacteria are present, and then testing any bacteria found in the lab to see what antibiotics will kill them off, is exactly the right thing for your vet to do.
Do be aware that piggies naturally have very narrow airways, and survivors of serious long term respiratory infections may be left with scar tissue that narrows their airways even further, so makes them very prone to alarming snorty honky raspy breathing at the slightest allergen or change in the weather, even when they are infection free.
We have a piggy like this, Blodwen had recurring respiratory infections for about 8 months until a specialist diagnosed chlamydia pneumonia and treated her with doxycycline.
Blodwen is infection free but has lung scarring that makes her wheeze, honk, rasp and generally sound like a motorbike every time the weather changes from cold to warm, wet to dry, or if the hay is dusty- and we just manage her symptoms with bisolvon (bromhexine) decongestant and loxicom anti-inflammatory when needed.
So although its very important to see the vet and find out what infections are going on and get the best antibiotics, do be aware that pneumonia survivors can have a residual wheeze long after any infection is gone and that may be worsened by environmental triggers and can be managed with symptom relief.
It's very hard after a frightening lung infection not to want antibiotics and for it to go away- but it may not need antibiotics, just symptom management, like a person who has asthma has an inhaler, piggy has bisolvon powder sprinkled on their food.
Actually I often find myself that days when I need to use my inhaler a lot, Blodwen needs her bisolvon decongestant- and we are both fine the next day!
Just some general pointers there, but Staphylococcus is on everyone and everypig's skin and will only become an illness for those who are ill already- and also it could be there harmlessly without being what is causing respiratory symptoms.
Best of luck, long term wheezy pigs are a constant worry, but we have one who survived many months of trying out out different antibiotics until we found the proper cause and treatment, and has now also been living quite happily with just symptom management for damaged lungs for well over a year now!

 

[Miellez]

Hi thanks for your answer ! So yeah I guess I'l have to give her something everytime she needs it, no problem with that. Buy I wondered, for now the vet is saying that if she has her motobike sounds, I should give her both antibiotics, but that's not really what she needs in this case ? Like giving her a month of antibiotics every time she starts to make her snorring sounds pretty harsh ? I guess I'll have to see with the vet. Thank you again !