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Runny nose and crusty eyes

Claire.guinea pigs

New Born Pup
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Hi,
I am just coming on here for advice on my 2 guinea pigs.About 2 weeks ago one of my guinea pigs started to get clear liquid from the nose and some white crust around his eye.I took him to the vet where the vet gave him some antibiotics. After just over a week on antibiotics he started to get better but I have now noticed that it has come back and also my other guinea pig has got the same thing.They are both eating and I have tried to listen to their breathing which seems clear. Any advice in what it could be.
 
Please do take them both to the vet again for another check.

First of all you have to completely rule out a respiratory infection, particularly now both piggies are showing the same signs - its possible an antibiotic course wasn’t long enough to completely kill any bacteria and some remained and set the infection back off again.

Also check for potential irritants in their room - air fresheners, perfumes, candles, sprays.
Some beddings or hay dust can cause issues in some piggies, but ruling out medical aspects must come first

I hope they are ok
 
Good luck. I hope the vet can sort them both out.
 
We've had more experience with urinary infection than respiratory infection but with UTI we've had similar situations where antibiotics sorted things and then they came back a week or so later. One time we had antibiotics for nearly three weeks and then had to repeat this massive course again for another 3 but it worked in the end!

If you start a course and the antibiotic is working you should see a difference within the first day or two. Sometimes you can see improvement by the same evening, sometimes you need 24 or 48 hours to be certain. My vet says if there's no improvement at all after 3 days (72 hours) I should get back in touch and they try a different antibiotic. No improvement can mean complete resistance but initial improvement in symptoms within a few days, followed by a return in symptoms when the course is completed, indicates partial resistance - it's definitely a thing. And with URI you want to get it sorted before the weather turns, even if they are indoor piggies.

Ideally we get metacam as pain relief/anti-inflammatory as well. When I first started keeping piggies I didn't know they could have a painkiller but now we get it in any circumstance where a person might take a paracetamol - so they get metacam for URI, UTI and in my old boy's case a twice daily dose for arthritis!

Good luck little pigs xx
 
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