Possible ill guinea pig?

[cavycrew]

Hello, I made this account just now to gain advice on what I should do. My young guinea pig Pico, has been more tired than usual lately. It started last night and I'm genuinely worried about his health. He's had health complications before as he has has pneumonia in the past, he took antibiotics and his health improved rapidly. But I'm afraid he may be falling ill again. Last night before I went to bed, I watched my piggies as I tried to doze off (their cage is right next to my bed). I noticed Pico was in a corner and just sitting there. I got worried because usually he's cuddling with his cagemate Fred. I got up and took Pico out of his cage, and gently placed him on my lap. He seemed to be very comfortable, laying on me and purring as I pet him. Noticing he seemed to be okay and just a little tired, I set him back in his cage and went to sleep.

This morning, at about 7:00 AM, I woke up and noticed Pico was in his same exact spot from last night. This time he seemed to be fighting the urge to lay down and sleep, as he was tilting and leaning over; he'd quickly sit back up before leaning over and laying down. I got up and picked him up again, and put him on my chest and pet him. He was a little curious of his surroundings, looking and moving around quite a bit. I decided to put him down on the carpet so he could have a little floor time. He was wandering around my room like usual, and eventually he started running around my room out of excitement. I noticed he was doing fine and eventually I put him back home.

It is currently 1:00 PM. Around 10 minutes ago, I noticed he was back in his corner, laying down completely (he looked like a furry croissant lol). I'm very worried because usually he's more active than this. I'm not sure if this is normal or if I should take a trip to the vet again. He was wheeking this morning and as previously stated he seemed to be active during floor time. Is this something to be concerned about? Should I take him to the vet immediately or should I monitor him for a few days? If I do monitor him for a while, is there anything I can do to make him more active?

Another concern: his cagemate Fred, seems to have the sniffles. His breathing sounds heavy and he sounds a bit wheezy, but he seems to be active and eating/drinking well. Is this a cause for concern? Can guinea pigs have allergies or does this seem like a sign of illness?

Sorry for bad grammar and/or spelling. English isn't my main concern right now, but I hope you guys can understand what I'm trying to say.

 

[Deleted member boohoo]

I'd get them to a guinea pig experienced vet if you can as soon as you can . Sounds like something might have caught on from the other pig . They hide illness well , until they can't anymore . They will act normal to not be seen like an easy target for predators .

 

[Piggies&buns]

Please do have them both seen by a vet as soon as possible.

Any change in behaviour warrants a vet check and coupled with the fact Fred also seems unwell, then it is important they are both seen as it may be the same medical issue.

Any difficulty breathing is concerning and given the seriousness of respiratory infections, its always important to get them checked out asap.

They can get sensitivities to bedding/hay dust but true allergies are rare. However, when a breathing issue occurs, a respiratory infection is always the first thing to look into, not sensitivities.

Please switch from the routine weekly weight checks to instead weighing them both daily (at the same time each day) so you can more closely monitor their hay intake. This will also enable you to step in and syringe feed more quickly (which is an emergency measure to keep them going until you can get to a vet).

The guides below offer further advice on checking their weight and syringe feeding etc

Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Weight - Monitoring and Management
New guinea pigs: Sexing, vet checks&customer rights, URI, ringworm and parasites
How Soon Should My Guinea Pig See A Vet? - A Quick Guide