Recovering From Uri

[B&C]

Hello fellow guinea pig owners! Unfortunately, I need to take my baby boy Blinkee to the vet later on today because he is experiencing symptoms of a URI. (His symptoms: less appetite, no pooing and no peeing, puffed up coat, and he is sitting in a hunched position in his cage most of the day).
I was wondering if there are any good stories of guinea pigs recovering from a URI? Thank you and please keep my baby boy in your prayers, I sure will. I will keep you all updated later in the evening (it's 9:10 am right now).

 

[B&C]

Hello fellow guinea pig owners! Unfortunately, I need to take my baby boy Blinkee to the vet later on today because he is experiencing symptoms of a URI. (His symptoms: less appetite, no pooing and no peeing, puffed up coat, and he is sitting in a hunched position in his cage most of the day).
I was wondering if there are any good stories of guinea pigs recovering from a URI? Thank you and please keep my baby boy in your prayers, I sure will. I will keep you all updated later after the vet in the evening (it's 9:20 am right now).

 

[sport_billy]

Sorry to hear your little one is poorly. We have had piggies recover well from URI in past.

Uri is upper respitory infection so sneezing, hooting when breathing crackling etc...

UTI would be squeaking when weeing etc....

What are his symptons?

How long has he not been eating for?

 

[Wiebke]

Hello fellow guinea pig owners! Unfortunately, I need to take my baby boy Blinkee to the vet later on today because he is experiencing symptoms of a URI. (His symptoms: less appetite, no pooing and no peeing, puffed up coat, and he is sitting in a hunched position in his cage most of the day).
I was wondering if there are any good stories of guinea pigs recovering from a URI? Thank you and please keep my baby boy in your prayers, I sure will. I will keep you all updated later after the vet in the evening (it's 9:20 am right now).

Please step in with syringe feed top up and watering as soon as your guinea pig is losing its appetite. Switch from weighing weekly to weighing daily at the same time to monitor the food intake; 80% of it is hay, which you cannot control. Your home care is as important as any medical care in getting a piggy through a rough patch.
Take the time to read our very detailed, step-by-step guide. We have included tips on what you can do with what you have at home or easily available from a pet shop, supermarket or pharmacy (mushed up pellets and 1 ml syringes without needles as well as probiotics and some extra vitamin C to help boost the immune system for 2-3 weeks).
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
First Aid Kit For Guinea Pigs

URI is perfectly survivable if it is seen and treated promptly by a vet and if you keep your piggy going with syringe feed support while the going is rough. The need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly the need to eat. Antibiotics are additionally appetite killers as they impact on the gut bacteria as well as the respiratory bacteria, which is why the first few days can be quite a struggle until the meds kick in and the breathing is freer. It is the seeing a vet promptly, the not support feeding and watering that are often at the root of failure.
There are some other problems that can cause non-bacterial respiratory infections or pneumonia, which are much rarer but can often not be treated well (bordetellosis, transmitted by rabbits or dogs with kennel cough or pneumoccocal infections "atypical pneumonia" which usually hit out of the blue and which your piggy doesn't have, so please don't panic!)

If your guinea pig's upper airways are full of mucus, please ask your vet for a mucus-thinning product (UK: bisolvon powder). If the lungs are fluid filled, ask for a diuretic to help drain them. Easing the breathing as quickly as possible is vital for guinea pigs, as they are then more interested in food and can fight their illness much better.

Please note that we have got this section specially monitored by experienced members to make sure that all threads dealing with health issues are answered as quickly and as competently as possible considering that we are all doing this unpaid in our free time.
Asking for help or for us to read a thread is not necessary. We try our best to answer any thread on this forum.

 

[B&C]

Sorry to hear your little one is poorly. We have had piggies recover well from URI in past.

Uri is upper respitory infection so sneezing, hooting when breathing crackling etc...

UTI would be squeaking when weeing etc....

What are his symptons?

How long has he not been eating for?

Hello, sorry I'm responding late but he's not been eating normally for 2 days now. He's been eating small portions of his food once in a while.

 

[B&C]

Please step in with syringe feed top up and watering as soon as your guinea pig is losing its appetite. Switch from weighing weekly to weighing daily at the same time to monitor the food intake; 80% of it is hay, which you cannot control. Your home care is as important as any medical care in getting a piggy through a rough patch.
Take the time to read our very detailed, step-by-step guide. We have included tips on what you can do with what you have at home or easily available from a pet shop, supermarket or pharmacy (mushed up pellets and 1 ml syringes without needles as well as probiotics and some extra vitamin C to help boost the immune system for 2-3 weeks).
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
First Aid Kit For Guinea Pigs

URI is perfectly survivable if it is seen and treated promptly by a vet and if you keep your piggy going with syringe feed support while the going is rough. The need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly the need to eat. Antibiotics are additionally appetite killers as they impact on the gut bacteria as well as the respiratory bacteria, which is why the first few days can be quite a struggle until the meds kick in and the breathing is freer. It is the seeing a vet promptly, the not support feeding and watering that are often at the root of failure.
There are some other problems that can cause non-bacterial respiratory infections or pneumonia, which are much rarer but can often not be treated well (bordetellosis, transmitted by rabbits or dogs with kennel cough or pneumoccocal infections "atypical pneumonia" which usually hit out of the blue and which your piggy doesn't have, so please don't panic!)

If your guinea pig's upper airways are full of mucus, please ask your vet for a mucus-thinning product (UK: bisolvon powder). If the lungs are fluid filled, ask for a diuretic to help drain them. Easing the breathing as quickly as possible is vital for guinea pigs, as they are then more interested in food and can fight their illness much better.

Please note that we have got this section specially monitored by experienced members to make sure that all threads dealing with health issues are answered as quickly and as competently as possible considering that we are all doing this unpaid in our free time.
Asking for help or for us to read a thread is not necessary. We try our best to answer any thread on this forum.

Hello, I just read your comment. Thank you so much for replying! The vet said there is no spots for any appointments today. Do you think he'll be able to wait until Monday or should I go to a 24 hour animal hospital?

 

[B&C]

Sorry to hear your little one is poorly. We have had piggies recover well from URI in past.

Uri is upper respitory infection so sneezing, hooting when breathing crackling etc...

UTI would be squeaking when weeing etc....

What are his symptons?

How long has he not been eating for?

His symptoms include: discharge from one of his eyes, not interacting with his friend, sitting in a "hunched" position most of the day, loss of appetite, sneezing very often, not pooing and weeing and puffed up coat most of the day.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello, I just read your comment. Thank you so much for replying! The vet said there is no spots for any appointments today. Do you think he'll be able to wait until Monday or should I go to a 24 hour animal hospital?

URI is one of those things that should not wait, especially when a piggy is already going off food. The sooner you can start treatment, the better the chances of a good recovery.

 

[B&C]

URI is one of those things that should not wait, especially when a piggy is already going off food. The sooner you can start treatment, the better the chances of a good recovery.

Thank you for telling me. I'm going to spend time with my guinea pigs and I'll inform you how he's doing perhaps tomorrow. Thank you again

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for telling me. I'm going to spend time with my guinea pigs and I'll inform you how he's doing perhaps tomorrow. Thank you again

If you have the option to see a vet today, please do! URI can be healed with prompt treatment, but it should not be underestimated. It really can kill!

Please start support NOW!

 

[B&C]

If you have the option to see a vet today, please do! URI can be healed with prompt treatment, but it should not be underestimated.

Please start support NOW!

I made a emergency vet visit appointment today, fingers crossed he'll be okay

 

[Wiebke]

I made a emergency vet visit appointment today, fingers crossed he'll be okay

Good! All the best.
If you see a vet that is not familiar with guinea pigs, please make sure that you are NOT given any penicillin or steroids. Ideally you have these two lists with you:
Safe antibiotics: Guinea Lynx :: Antibiotics
Dangerous medications (including antibiotics): Guinea Lynx :: Dangerous Medications

 

[B&C]

Hello, I've made a forum about my baby boy Blinkee and his symptoms that may be caused by a URI (not sure if it is or not yet), he is going to the vet very soon. Mean while, I'm curious what may cause Upper Respiratory Infection.

 

[rome_italy]

there are a lot of reasons, from bacteria to some dust breathed... but for sure it is not our fault. We only have to recognise the first symptoms so that the vet can immediately prescribe the right medicine before developing a pneumonia.
I hope your Blinkee has nothing serious...

 

[B&C]

there are a lot of reasons, from bacteria to some dust breathed... but for sure it is not our fault. We only have to recognise the first symptoms so that the vet can immediately prescribe the right medicine before developing a pneumonia.
I hope your Blinkee has nothing serious...

Thank you so much for your sympathy and thank you for replying

 

[B&C]

Good! All the best.
If you see a vet that is not familiar with guinea pigs, please make sure that you are NOT given any penicillin or steroids. Ideally you have these two lists with you:
Safe antibiotics: Guinea Lynx :: Antibiotics
Dangerous medications (including antibiotics): Guinea Lynx :: Dangerous Medications

I'll keep that in mind, thank you

 

[rome_italy]

I am sure you have caught the disease in time! at the rescue a piggie with pneumonia recovered... it depends on the piggie, on the luck, on the vet and... on the saint of the day.
Fingers cross for you! and all the italian saints!

 

[Wiebke]

Hello, I've made a forum about my baby boy Blinkee and his symptoms that may be caused by a URI (not sure if it is or not yet), he is going to the vet very soon. Mean while, I'm curious what may cause Upper Respiratory Infection.

You are welcome to ask any questions about an illness you may have, but please keep them all to the same thread. We have got a lot of members that jump between threads; advice and information can get confusing very quickly.
We ask our members to please keep everything belonging to the same case together for that reason. Unlike social media you can put a watch on this thread (on the right, just above this thread) and receive alerts of any new posts.

Upper respiratory infection is caused by bacteria. It is usually a mixture of exposure to these bacteria and a not yet fully developed immune system (in the case of babies for sale), stress from a move or a bad situation, pregnancy (extra stress on the body), illness, neglect or old age. Most healthy guinea pigs can fend off the bacteria even if a companion comes down with URI.
Dampness, cold, direct drafts (including those from a A/C unit) and big quick temperature swings can also trigger URI.

Guinea Lynx :: URI

 

[B&C]

You are welcome to ask any questions about an illness you may have, but please keep them all to the same thread. We have got a lot of members that jump between threads; advice and information can get confusing very quickly.
We ask our members to please keep everything belonging to the same case together for that reason. Unlike social media you can put a watch on this thread (on the right, just above this thread) and receive alerts of any new posts.

Upper respiratory infection is caused by bacteria. It is usually a mixture of exposure to these bacteria and a not yet fully developed immune system (in the case of babies for sale), stress from a move or a bad situation, pregnancy (extra stress on the body), illness, neglect or old age. Most healthy guinea pigs can fend off the bacteria even if a companion comes down with URI.
Dampness, cold, direct drafts (including those from a A/C unit) and big quick temperature swings can also trigger URI.

Guinea Lynx :: URI

I'll keep in mind about the threads. And since you listed the causes of URI my baby boy may have gotten it because of aging. He is already about 5.

 

[Wiebke]

PS: If you have got two new young piggies, please keep a good eye on both.

You can reclaim any vet cost from an illness that has broken out within two weeks of purchase from the pet store, as exposure and infection must have happened there.

As to steroids: The Problems With Steroids And Why They Shouldn't Be Used.
General vets often like to give animals a steroid injection to pep them up, but in the case of rodents this has not the desired effect.

 

[Wiebke]

PS: If you have got two new young piggies, please keep a good eye on both.

You can reclaim any vet cost from an illness that has broken out within two weeks of purchase from the pet store, as exposure and infection must have happened there.

As to steroids: The Problems With Steroids And Why They Shouldn't Be Used.
General vets often like to give animals a steroid injection to pep them up, but in the case of rodents this has not the desired effect.

It can be that your boy has got an underlying health issue that is depressing his immune system.

All the best! Please step in with extra feeding now to help keep up his fighting strength as much as possible.