Spike - no diagnosis - difficult decisions

I don't know if this will help but... I had a cat who as she aged, would breathe really noisily. At home, that is. She never did it while we were at the vet. The vet said her lungs & airways were clear, and he suspected that the wheezing was coming from her vocal cords. He said it is not uncommon for older cats to see a deterioration in the muscles of these cords, so that when the cat is relaxed and content, so their muscles relax just a bit too much and they make a wheezy snoring sound. Which explained why the vet never heard it as Daisy was FAR from relaxed there.
I just wondered, given your pig's age, whether this might be something to consider?
 
I finally managed to make it to my daughter's for a few days. Spike is still making the noise but it's not bothering him. OH has kept the piggies to their usual routine while I was away and all are doing fine, don't think they missed me. I spent this week worrying I would get a phone call to say Spike had gone to Rainbow Bridge and OH was worrying he would have to make the call. Spike has spent the week just being Spike, so I think the humans now have to learn to relax and ignore the noise!
 
I'm glad you managed to get away for a bit @piggieminder even if you and OH were a bit preoccupied. It sounds like you have something of a new normal to adjust to now you're back.
 
Glad you managed to get a break away for a few days, take each day as it comes, I try to only worry about things I have control of and change nowadays, or give myself 10 minutes a day to worry then get on with the day. I’m sure Spike will have missed your wonderful care x
 
piggieminder said:
I finally managed to make it to my daughter's for a few days. Spike is still making the noise but it's not bothering him. OH has kept the piggies to their usual routine while I was away and all are doing fine, don't think they missed me. I spent this week worrying I would get a phone call to say Spike had gone to Rainbow Bridge and OH was worrying he would have to make the call. Spike has spent the week just being Spike, so I think the humans now have to learn to relax and ignore the noise!
Click to expand...

We have the same with my permanent foster piggy Angel. Newcomers to the house are convinced she has pneumonia. But she’s just making her own special “Angel noises”. I suspect she and Spike could hold a conversation using their own grunts and wheezes.
 
Sounds like you are doing exactly the right thing by your lovely boy, piggies can be extremely difficult to diagnose outside of the usual, more common issues that they present with. I’m sure Spike will appreciate a rest from the vet visits and you will know yourself when he needs to be re-examined. All the best to you :luv:
 
On Friday's weigh in Spike had lost about 40 gms, not usually too alarming but given his wheeze I went to daily weighing. Over the weekend he was up and down, yesterday he'd lost another 20 gms and we noticed he wasn't eating as much or as enthusiastically as normal. He went to the vet's today (my preferred one who was on holiday in July) the poor old boy has a very advanced case of pneumonia, she was talking about PTS there and then. He has Baytril, Metacam, Cisapride, syringe feed, pro biotics and is to be nebulised with F10 4 times a day. I've got a week to turn this around and see some improvement or she and I have agreed it would be unfair to keep him going and he will be PTS. I'm so angry with myself we didn't push this further in the summer, why didn't I listen to that little niggly voice that kept telling me things weren't right despite appearances.
He's being brilliant with syringe feeding, he doesn't want recovery food from a syringe or on a dish, but if I don't offer the syringe back quick enough he reaches forward to grab it himself.
The other's are all on infection watch, the vet is afraid this may be catching, no point isolating Spike if they are going to get it they will be incubating it by now.
 
Aw, holding you in my heart x So sorry to hear Spike is poorly. Don’t blame yourself for that doubt you had, you are an amazingly caring slave to Spike and your other little piggies. I blame myself for not noticing those two lumps of Bill’s sooner too and wished I could have got an appointment a week sooner but Simon was fully booked.
Fingers crossed for little Spike, sounds like you have all the meds and your experience to get him better x
 
Pneumonia cannot be treated with Baytril. Baytril is a waste of time with guineas in my opinion- sorry it drives me nuts because vets prescribe it because it is the only antibiotic licensed for guineas. But it never clears the issue. You need to give him a diuretic 0.4ml of Frusol every 8 hours for the fluid and Septrin/Sulfatrim 3 times a day if a URI is suspected. Just tell the vet to give it you! Then heart meds might be needed - our guinea really responded to heart meds and stopped wheezing. i.e Cardisure or similar.
Don't worry about slight changes in weight- again in my opinion- but if you are a a pts stage please consider what I say as I had a guinea with pneumonia a few weeks ago and she has made a total recovery. But Baytril will not shift it, only a high dose of Septrin/Sulfatrim (I can discuss further if you like) for a URI and heart meds for the pneumonia possibly. Metacam good!
Oh and keep hime very warm- no draughts whatsoever- very important!
 
Bill & Ted said:
Aw, holding you in my heart x So sorry to hear Spike is poorly. Don’t blame yourself for that doubt you had, you are an amazingly caring slave to Spike and your other little piggies. I blame myself for not noticing those two lumps of Bill’s sooner too and wished I could have got an appointment a week sooner but Simon was fully booked.
Fingers crossed for little Spike, sounds like you have all the meds and your experience to get him better x
Click to expand...

Thanks @Bill & Ted I hope your boys get better very quickly. They are so lucky to have you and your hubby and Simon to look out for them.
I really trust this vet, she was brilliant with Bracken's stone op and went above and beyond for him and us. If we can pull him through this we will, just wish I'd been able to see her in the first place. Good vets should be kept in the cupboard and not let go home let alone on holiday!
 
Hope Spike does make a full recovery and the others remain well.
It must be a worrying time for you but you are doing a great job.
Holding you in my thoughts
 
piggieminder said:
Thanks @Bill & Ted I hope your boys get better very quickly. They are so lucky to have you and your hubby and Simon to look out for them.
I really trust this vet, she was brilliant with Bracken's stone op and went above and beyond for him and us. If we can pull him through this we will, just wish I'd been able to see her in the first place. Good vets should be kept in the cupboard and not let go home let alone on holiday!
Click to expand...
I totally agree! Let’s lock them up and keep them, we need to get Betsy kidnapping bag at the ready 🤔 sending hugs to you and Spike x
 
Pneumonia
Have a read through this link as it involves baytril & doxycycline together
Looks like it was an improvement in the Guineas condition. :D
(think I've read somewhere on here that the doxy might be detrimental to their appetite, the vet might need to monitor/consider this?)

@Pinki I'm not sure baytril will be strong enough on its own either ?

It might be worth asking the vet about sulfatrim as it's generally considered effective for a range of URI illnesses.
Zithromax is considered the big guns of Guinea pig antibiotics so ask if this may be suitable or something to consider?

It would also be useful to have a swab done & identify the offending bacteria to establish the most effective antibiotics to treat Spike with?

Also discuss with the vet about diuretics to reduce any fluid on his chest if there's any present?
I used furosomide years ago when my Ellie had a heart condition to reduce the fluid retention (although hers was due to the heart not pumping properly, not pneumonia).
Dandelions & celery are natural diuretics.

I found these quotes which you might find useful in one of @-Drezella- s posts when her Paddy was ill :(
Flutterby said:
Personally I'd ask the vet for Sulfatrim, I've always had good results with it for URI's etc. Sending healing vibes for Paddy xx
Click to expand...
Veggies Galore said:
If it’s aspirational pneumonia,Zithromax has had very good results.i hope your Piggie gets better soon.
Click to expand...
Wiebke said:
Hi! It depends on the type of bacteria. A swab and a culture may be able to help your vet work out which antibiotic is most effective.
Click to expand...
sport_billy said:
Maybe a diuretic would also help if there is any fluid on his chest? Sending you a huge hug and love to Paddy x
Click to expand...
Guinea Lynx :: URI
Guinea lynx doesn't have much info really ref pneumonia specifically but some general URI info.

Good luck for Spikes :wub:treatment & sending masses of healing vibes love the girls & I xx
 
Last edited:
When my old boar had pneumonia, and by old I mean he was 5, he survived it by having an antibiotic syringed by needle, everyday at the vets, for one week. I can't remember what it was, but it was done like this because it was a type of penicillin, which I know is meant to be harmful to guinea pigs when given oraly. This wasn't at the cat and rabbit care clinic
 
Thanks everyone for you good wishes and suggestions. The vet and I did disscuss various options and types of antibiotics, there are various reasons why he can't have some of the others. Also some medicines at the moment are not available. She won't normally give antibiotics without a swab. Spike does not have nasal discharge and would need to be sedated to get a deep seated sample, she didn't want to do this because of the risk of sedation. They have been seeing a huge and unusual number of guinea pigs and rabbits this autumn with respitory illnesses and are finding some success with Baytril.
On a side note they usually prescribe Ranitadine but this has been recalled for some reason, I was suffering from shock at this point and didn't ask! They are prescribing Cisapride instead, if anyone else is prescribed this beware it's very expensive, good job I took a credit card.
 
I am keeping my fingers very firmly crossed but would also recommend to ask your vet for frusol in order to drain the fluid from the lungs and ease the breathing. I was just going to suggest a swab test.

It sounds like your vet has thought her decisions through, though!

Zantac/ranitidine is currently on recall worldwide.
 
Thank you.
I'm going to be phoning in the morning to clarify some points so I will also ask about Frusol! it's on the list.
This little piggie who was at death's door at the vets and very nearly didn't come home today has just ejected his cage mate from his bed in a very forceful manner. If I don't get him through this it won't be for want of trying on anybody's part, just wish the other vets had suggested we'd stayed with the AB's before and given them a longer shot.
 
Wiebke said:
Zantac/ranitidine is currently on recall worldwide.
Click to expand...

Seen that the human version was recalled on the news a week or two ago :(
Can't remember exactly something to do with an ingredient possibly being carcinogenic? But only some companies were recalling them at the time?

Fingers crossed that with your TLC spike makes a full recovery :nod:
Xx
 
GPTV said:
Seen that the human version was recalled on the news a week or two ago :(
Can't remember exactly something to do with an ingredient possibly being carcinogenic? But only some companies were recalling them at the time?

Fingers crossed that with your TLC spike makes a full recovery :nod:
Xx
Click to expand...
You are right, that is why it was recalled, I used to take loads of that zantac aswell. I think it was this anyway. I used to have bad acid reflux
 
Spike is still with us. Progress is slow but that's to be expected, he's sleeping a lot but gets active for a while in the afternoon when he mounts Peanut and bashes the cage furniture around with his head. We decided he's not ready to give up yet so neither are we. The Baytril has depressed his appetitie, again as expected but he is taking syringe feeding well and eats grass while he's sitting on my lap. I am to continue the treatment he is receiving. He is to go back to the vet mid December for evaluation unless he gets worse.

I asked about Frusol. This is the gist of the vets reply, I can't remember it word for word. Spike has pus in his lungs, Frusol dehydrates the bodies cells and is the complete opposite treatment to what we are trying to achieve. Spike needs to be kept well hydrated with healthy cells fighting the infection.
 
piggieminder said:
Spike is still with us. Progress is slow but that's to be expected, he's sleeping a lot but gets active for a while in the afternoon when he mounts Peanut and bashes the cage furniture around with his head. We decided he's not ready to give up yet so neither are we. The Baytril has depressed his appetitie, again as expected but he is taking syringe feeding well and eats grass while he's sitting on my lap. I am to continue the treatment he is receiving. He is to go back to the vet mid December for evaluation unless he gets worse.

I asked about Frusol. This is the gist of the vets reply, I can't remember it word for word. Spike has pus in his lungs, Frusol dehydrates the bodies cells and is the complete opposite treatment to what we are trying to achieve. Spike needs to be kept well hydrated with healthy cells fighting the infection.
Click to expand...
Well Spike it's great to hear you still fighting.
You must help piggie slave @piggieminder as much as possible little guy. xx
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top