update on Giblet -respiratory infection

[mackie]

i’m currently taking precautionary steps to help prevent illness in gibs, due to the loss of his brother. i temporarily put him in a pet transportation cage for the night. i put rags (for comfort) & a pile of timothy hay for him inside of the cage. i’d rather not put him in his regular cage for the night due to it may contain germs from al’s illness & it may be contagious to him. i’m planning on thoroughly disinfecting the cage in the morning before letting fatty boy in it. i’m going to bathe him in the morning, too (to be sure al did not transfer any germs on him) i’m going to my local market in the morning to get a bedding that produces less dust, therefore helping to prevent respiratory issues in him. i’m going to make a couple of calls to local veterinarian clinics to set up an appointment to be entirely certain that he is in good shape. i noticed gibs is starting to lose his vocal ability. it sounds as if he has a case of a mildly sore throat. i’m seeking veterinarian consultation in the morning to get him on a treatment plan. i’m probably being excessively paranoid i’m trying my best to improve his quality of life (e.g. a bigger cage, seeking dietary advice, questions regarding health & illness related topics)

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry for your loss

In reality, given he was living with your other piggy, then removing him from the cage now is not a necessary step. If he had a contagious illness, then transmission will have already happened while they were together. Bathing him won’t help as any bacteria are inside him, not on him. If he is fit and healthy, then his immune system will be doing its job. It’s definitely wise to have a vet check carried out though.
Switch to weighing him daily so you can keep a closer eye on hay intake.

He would be better to be left in the cage as it is his normal environment so will be comforting to him and so he can smell his companion still and begin his grieving.

Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig

 

[Swissgreys]

It is normal to be worried, so please be kind to yourself while you grieve.

But things like moving him into a transport carrier and giving him a bath unnecessarily will just cause him additional stress at a time when he is also missing his brother.

If you are concerned about dusty bedding you could always try fleece in part (or all) of the cage. In the short term you simply need to put a fleece layer over the top of an absorbent one for a fully dust free solution.

It is good you are having him seen by a vet for a check up, which will hopefully ease your concerns about him.
Thinking of both of you right now.

 

[mackie]

yes ma’am, & thank you for the advice. i scheduled an appointment for evaluation in the morning. i’ll post an update on him as soon as possible.

 

[mackie]

update on giblet’s vet appointment:

i took him to his appointment & after the veterinarian did an examination on him, she informed me that he is suffering from a respiratory infection. she has diagnosed him for specifically a mild case of acute bronchitis. she told me that it’s a good thing i got him some help as this infection typically progresses into pneumonia.
she listened to his lungs & did a thorough physical on him(sounded a bit distressed) & came to the conclusion that he only exhibits the beginning stages of acute bronchitis. fortunately, this is completely treatable with the assistance of veterinarian prescribed medication.
she gave him a steroid shot, & prescribed him oral antibiotics to treat the illness. he’s supposed to orally ingest a dosage of .08ml of prednisolone syrup (steroids) 2 times a day, preferably morning & night for 5 days to treat inflammation of his airways to clear up his cough & help him breath better. it can also be used to treat possible allergies that may interfere with the healing process of his lungs (veterinarian confirmed this) after 5 days, he’s been instructed to take .08ml every other day until the infection is completely gone & no more symptoms exhibit. she also instructed to give him another fluid antibiotic, enrofloxacin (commonly recognized as baytril) in dosages of 0.04 per day to treat the bacterial infection itself. he has to take this medication for 10 days for it to resolve the issue.
thankfully, she assured me that he is going to make a full recovery as his infection’s been caught in the early stages. she recommended that i give him plenty of fluids, & supplemental vitamin c (he’s lacking it) to ensure he is getting the proper nutrients he needs to fight his infection & help prevent future illness naturally along side of the medication. she also strongly recommended that i change the type of bedding i use to non-dye paper bedding, as it is (most of the time) 99% dust free to prevent the infection from worsening. i did get the bedding she recommended & i got him a much bigger drinking bottle that has a capacity of 64oz. (1.8L).
the veterinarian told me that due to his diagnosis, he is not recommended to be around other animals as it can be contagious, transmittable by his coughing or sneezing & may possibly infect my other animals. he is currently in his cage, isolated from my other animals only as a precautionary measure. he’s going to be okay!

enjoy these pictures of giblet going to his appointment <3

 

[Black piggies]

Hope Giblet recovers well!

 

[mackie]

Hope Giblet recovers well!

thank you for the support! so do i

 

[Qualcast&Flymo]

Glad you have caught the infection early, hope Giblet makes a good recovery.

However, I don't want to be alarmist but steroids aren't generally recommended for guinea pigs (except in terminal situations). Best keep a close eye on your boy in case of undesirable side effects.

The Baytril is fine , not sure about the dosage though, it seems a bit low. However I'm not an expert and it's a while since any pigs of mine have been prescribed it.

 

[Swissgreys]

Whilst it is great you got him to a vet, I would have to ask how experienced with guinea pigs your vet actually is.

Firstly steroids should not be used with guinea pigs
The Problems With Steroids And Why They Shouldn't Be Used.

Secondly if he has an uri then he doesn't need to be separated from his regular cage mate.
This can actually cause more distress and problems in the long run.
By the time the infection is diagnosed he will have already passed it on, but it isn't necessarily contagious.
So in this case it is better to leave him with his cage mate for comfort and support.

 

[Swissgreys]

I would also question how she diagnosed a lack of Vit C.
Does he have pellets in his diet?
If so this should cover all of his Vit C needs, and the addition of a small amount of fresh veg will bridge any gap.
Generally Vit C supplementation is not recommended, and in the longer term can actually do more harm than good.

 

[Qualcast&Flymo]

Secondly if he has an uri then he doesn't need to be separated from his regular cage mate.
This can actually cause more distress and problems in the long run.
By the time the infection is diagnosed he will have already passed it on, but it isn't necessarily contagious.
So in this case it is better to leave him with his cage mate for comfort and support.

@Swissgreys : Giblet lost his cage mate recently to illness, Mackie is hoping to get him a new companion soon. I think the other pets referred to were other animals

 

[mackie]

Glad you have caught the infection early, hope Giblet makes a good recovery.

However, I don't want to be alarmist but steroids aren't generally recommended for guinea pigs (except in terminal situations). Best keep a close eye on your boy in case of undesirable side effects.

The Baytril is fine , not sure about the dosage though, it seems a bit low. However I'm not an expert and it's a while since any pigs of mine have been prescribed it.

the vet i go to is very trusted in my area & highly recommended. she specializes in rodents & small animals. she is also one of the only licensed veterinarians in my area. there aren’t a lot of clinics here that see rodents. steroids are not generally recommended, so i’m honestly not sure why she prescribed them. it might be for his weight loss or gain. she mentioned something about his weight fluctuating a little bit. i’m assuming that’s why he has to take the steroids, since steroids may help in maintaining weight gain or loss. as for the dosage for the enrofloxacin antibiotics, the dosage is not much due to it not being progressed. that did raise concern for me & i brought it up to her. she explain that he doesn’t require a large dosage due to it not being progressed. a little bit can go a long way. she also informed me that dosages are determined by his weight.

 

[mackie]

Hope Giblet recovers well!

Whilst it is great you got him to a vet, I would have to ask how experienced with guinea pigs your vet actually is.

Firstly steroids should not be used with guinea pigs
The Problems With Steroids And Why They Shouldn't Be Used.

Secondly if he has an uri then he doesn't need to be separated from his regular cage mate.
This can actually cause more distress and problems in the long run.
By the time the infection is diagnosed he will have already passed it on, but it isn't necessarily contagious.
So in this case it is better to leave him with his cage mate for comfort and support.

his cage mate is no longer here. he died a couple of days ago due to the same infection. it’s likely al had the same infection & did not survive it. i meant seperate him from other animals in my house.

 

[mackie]

I would also question how she diagnosed a lack of Vit C.
Does he have pellets in his diet?
If so this should cover all of his Vit C needs, and the addition of a small amount of fresh veg will bridge any gap.
Generally Vit C supplementation is not recommended, and in the longer term can actually do more harm than good.

currently he does not eat pellets. i made a post a couple of days ago asking for preferred pellet suggestions. i WAS feeding him pellets, although he refused to eat them. the veterinarian recommended supplemental vitamin c to replace the nutrients that he isn’t getting from eating pellets. she only recommended doing it for the time he is ill. she did say if he refuses to eat pellets, to give a him a small amount of fruits that provide vitamin c. i’m not sure of the methods she used to diagnose the absence of vitamin c. i’m happy to answer any questions. i apologize for any questions i’m unable to answer. thanks for the concern, though i appreciate it

 

[Siikibam]

I’m not sure steroids help with weight fluctuations. His weight fluctuations can be down to an empty/full bladder or stomach. If he’s losing on a daily basis then he’s not eating enough hay. While he’s ill, I would switch to weighing once daily at the same time - preferably morning - and adjust top ups as needed. Antibiotics can make them go off their food so give him a probiotic either an hour before or after the antibiotic.

I wouldn’t give him fruits. There is vitamin c in hay. Bell peppers and coriander are also good sources of vitamin c and can be fed daily, unlike fruit.

As for pellets, I believe you were given a link to a pellet comparison thread. You need to look for ones that are grass based and preferably without alfalfa/lucerne. Lots contain fillers. Also remember that pellets are limited to a tablespoon a day per piggy. They form a very small part of their diet at 5%.

 

[mackie]

I’m not sure steroids help with weight fluctuations. His weight fluctuations can be down to an empty/full bladder or stomach. If he’s losing on a daily basis then he’s not eating enough hay. While he’s ill, I would switch to weighing once daily at the same time - preferably morning - and adjust top ups as needed. Antibiotics can make them go off their food so give him a probiotic either an hour before or after the antibiotic.

thank for the tips. i’ll definitely look into doing that for him. i’m not entirely sure if the steroids can help weight fluctuations. the veterinarian prescribed only a tiny dosage of it for weight purposes & as an anti-inflammatory agent. i’m not sure on the details of it, though. that’s all i can say on that she did tell me to monitor him very closely during the time he is taking the medication to determine if he develops any side effects or if his condition progresses due to allergic reactions to the medication. she told me that he’ll likely not get any side effects. as a precautionary measure she gave her contact information

 

[mackie]

I’m not sure steroids help with weight fluctuations. His weight fluctuations can be down to an empty/full bladder or stomach. If he’s losing on a daily basis then he’s not eating enough hay. While he’s ill, I would switch to weighing once daily at the same time - preferably morning - and adjust top ups as needed. Antibiotics can make them go off their food so give him a probiotic either an hour before or after the antibiotic.

I wouldn’t give him fruits. There is vitamin c in hay. Bell peppers and coriander are also good sources of vitamin c and can be fed daily, unlike fruit.

As for pellets, I believe you were given a link to a pellet comparison thread. You need to look for ones that are grass based and preferably without alfalfa/lucerne. Lots contain fillers. Also remember that pellets are limited to a tablespoon a day per piggy. They form a very small part of their diet at 5%.

yes ma’am. i did go to the market. unfortunately there’s not any pellets available at the moment (no good ones, at least) so i’ll get some pellets as soon as possible. i’m looking online for something healthy that is timothy hay based.

 

[mackie]

I don't even really feed my pigs pellets . I just feed high vit c veg and they are fine . I feed lots of grass aswll , another vit c source and moisture to help the bladder, whilst helping teeth at the same time .

i completely agree, that’s the same thing my veterinarian told me! it’s not absolutely necessary for them to eat pellets, since it is not in their natural diet. she recommended giving him fruits or vegetables that provided vitamin c as the best and natural way to maintain the nutritional needs in his diet. a lot of people in this community are rather pressuring fruits & vegetables (preferably mainly vegetables) are an excellent source of nutrients. pellets aren’t so much.

 

[mackie]

Can you get rosewood natural meadow menu . I rate these the healthiest by far . Not sure if you can find them in the u.s

i’ll definitely look for it! thank you

 

[mackie]

Ditch fruit and go with bell peppers . Red and green are well liked by guinea pigs

i usually give him apples (that’s the only fruit i give him). as for vegetables, i give him lettuce, bell peppers, cucumbers, very rarely carrots, & sometimes broccoli. i only give him fresh vegetables.

 

[Siikibam]

There’s a whole list of other veg you could feed him a couple of times a week as well. I won’t link to it again as I’m sure it was already linked to on one of your early threads. Coriander is another good source of vitamin c so you can give him that. It’s actually mild on the stomach as well.

 

[VickiA]

I’ve edited your thread title to make it easier for the H & I team to follow and advise you.