Pantalaimon
Junior Guinea Pig
Hi, I have a guinea pig with an ongoing issue and I am interested to know if anyone has had a similar experience or perhaps an idea of what to do.
I have a 6 year old sow called Ratter who has always been a very healthy guinea pig, she was spayed for ovarian cysts in October 2022 but has otherwise had no issues whatsoever.
At the beginning of February last year I noticed Ratter and her companion Pat both had regular croaky breathing. They were taken to the vet and both prescribed a week of antibiotics, he said she may have a slight irregular heartbeat that may be causing respiratory issues. They both responded to the antibiotics and were no longer croaking by the end.
By April, Ratter was croaking again and went back to the vet, she then had two weeks of antibiotics which again she responded to but not as well.
Since then the croaking has got worse again however I noticed a pattern. If the room is 18 degrees or less, she will be croaky and have a wet nose. As long as the room stays around 20 she is mostly ok, though sometimes she still has a wet nose.
At her most recent healthcheck (November) the vet said her heart was fine and it was most likely just stress.Unfortunately she is steadily becoming more and more sensitive to the temperature and, though she does not croak as often due to the regulated room temperature, her nose is sometimes wet.
I have recorded everything over the last year including weeky weights and every antibiotic brand and dosage, I also have images of the amount of liquid leaving her nose and video of the noise she makes when croaking. The vet has said she may just have an underlying infection that she is not strong enough to overcome but that she can live with.
Has anyone else had any experience of this or something similar? Or have any advice on possible routes.
Thank you to anyone who can share their experiences or give advice.
I have a 6 year old sow called Ratter who has always been a very healthy guinea pig, she was spayed for ovarian cysts in October 2022 but has otherwise had no issues whatsoever.
At the beginning of February last year I noticed Ratter and her companion Pat both had regular croaky breathing. They were taken to the vet and both prescribed a week of antibiotics, he said she may have a slight irregular heartbeat that may be causing respiratory issues. They both responded to the antibiotics and were no longer croaking by the end.
By April, Ratter was croaking again and went back to the vet, she then had two weeks of antibiotics which again she responded to but not as well.
Since then the croaking has got worse again however I noticed a pattern. If the room is 18 degrees or less, she will be croaky and have a wet nose. As long as the room stays around 20 she is mostly ok, though sometimes she still has a wet nose.
At her most recent healthcheck (November) the vet said her heart was fine and it was most likely just stress.Unfortunately she is steadily becoming more and more sensitive to the temperature and, though she does not croak as often due to the regulated room temperature, her nose is sometimes wet.
I have recorded everything over the last year including weeky weights and every antibiotic brand and dosage, I also have images of the amount of liquid leaving her nose and video of the noise she makes when croaking. The vet has said she may just have an underlying infection that she is not strong enough to overcome but that she can live with.
Has anyone else had any experience of this or something similar? Or have any advice on possible routes.
Thank you to anyone who can share their experiences or give advice.
