URI FOR 2 MONTHS

[WayneAndGarth]

Sorry for the long post, it's been a long process, my pig Wayne has been sick with a Uri since the end of December. Thankfully the whole time he has been eating, drinking and pooping normally! I brought him to an emergency vet back in December and they prescribed him Trimethoprim (a sticky pink liquid) and a follow up with my regular vetafter 10 days. He seemed better after a few days but was still wheezing and sneezing occasionally. At the follow up my regular vet prescribed him baytril for 7 to 10 days and if he seemed better a couple of days after that he could be reintroduced to his cage mate Garth. He did great on the baytril and only breathed heavily occasionally while sleeping at night. After a few days of being off baytril i noticed him wheezing and sneezing again so I started him on baytril and went for 10 days keeping him with Garth because they seemed very stressed being apart. That ended this past Wednesday and he seemed great but two days later I noticed Wayne sneezing a lot and so I tried vetRX to help his respiratory system and scheduled a vet appointment for today. This whole time Garth has shown no symptoms and I check his breathing often. My vet prescribed him 3 weeks of baytril incase we weren't going long enough to kick it and told me to get a humidifier and use sodium chloride with it. We started thinking that Wayne is allergic to something but I don't know what it could be. Does it sound like he has a stubborn uri or allergies? I've had them for a year and he had a uri in the summer but that went away with one round of baytril. I was supposed to end his baytril on February 25th but since he is still breathing loudly and sneezing occasionally I've decided to give it a few more days. He does have some mose crusties but nothing on his paws, everything besides his breathing seems fine but I'm worried to stop the baytril and have him get worse. Could it not be a uri and be allergies or something else? I'm wondering what he could possibly be allergic to, I use guinea dad fleece liners in one midewest cage washed in free and clear detergent and csrefresh litter in the other, I use Timothy hay and I do have cats. Has anyone had a Guinea pig with allergies and if so how can you tell what causes them? I'm at a loss and I just want him to get better I worry about him all day. Thank you in advance!

 

[DM030819]

@WayneAndGarth Is the discharge from his nose clear and coloured? A URI would be more likely to produce coloured discharge.

Baytril is the 'go to' medicine for vets as it's one of the few officially licensed for pigs. But, it's not the most effective. If he's not responding then it may be worth asking for the vet to try a different antibiotic.

 

[WayneAndGarth]

It's clear, in the beginning it was kind of greenish I'd say but how when he has it, because it isn't all the time, it's clear.

 

[DM030819]

I wonder if it is more like an allergy then @WayneAndGarth or possibly a breathing issue which is causing a fluid build up?

Does he seem to be worse at certain times, or does anything trigger it?

The pig in my avatar picture had a few URI's when I first got him. This caused damage to his airways so later in life any little thing like dusty hay (and going outside!) would set him off with noisy breathing and sometimes a leaky nose. We tried using steam on his ill days and it really helped. So we invested in a nebuliser which we used when he was ill.

I also have a foster pig who has an issue with fluid retention in his lungs. He can be totally fine and then suddenly he's really noisy, has wet nostrils and has very pronounced breathing. He is on a daily dose of Frusol, which is a diuretic, to try to stop this from happening. This is a quite serious condition and he was almost died because of it as he couldn't breathe, but now he's on Frusol he's just like any other pig

 

[DMS260820]

Sorry for the long post, it's been a long process, my pig Wayne has been sick with a Uri since the end of December. Thankfully the whole time he has been eating, drinking and pooping normally! I brought him to an emergency vet back in December and they prescribed him Trimethoprim (a sticky pink liquid) and a follow up with my regular vetafter 10 days. He seemed better after a few days but was still wheezing and sneezing occasionally. At the follow up my regular vet prescribed him baytril for 7 to 10 days and if he seemed better a couple of days after that he could be reintroduced to his cage mate Garth. He did great on the baytril and only breathed heavily occasionally while sleeping at night. After a few days of being off baytril i noticed him wheezing and sneezing again so I started him on baytril and went for 10 days keeping him with Garth because they seemed very stressed being apart. That ended this past Wednesday and he seemed great but two days later I noticed Wayne sneezing a lot and so I tried vetRX to help his respiratory system and scheduled a vet appointment for today. This whole time Garth has shown no symptoms and I check his breathing often. My vet prescribed him 3 weeks of baytril incase we weren't going long enough to kick it and told me to get a humidifier and use sodium chloride with it. We started thinking that Wayne is allergic to something but I don't know what it could be. Does it sound like he has a stubborn uri or allergies? I've had them for a year and he had a uri in the summer but that went away with one round of baytril. I was supposed to end his baytril on February 25th but since he is still breathing loudly and sneezing occasionally I've decided to give it a few more days. He does have some mose crusties but nothing on his paws, everything besides his breathing seems fine but I'm worried to stop the baytril and have him get worse. Could it not be a uri and be allergies or something else? I'm wondering what he could possibly be allergic to, I use guinea dad fleece liners in one midewest cage washed in free and clear detergent and csrefresh litter in the other, I use Timothy hay and I do have cats. Has anyone had a Guinea pig with allergies and if so how can you tell what causes them? I'm at a loss and I just want him to get better I worry about him all day. Thank you in advance!

Hey, this matches exactly what my old boar was like, it matched a uri but was actually permanent damage to do with his sinuses, antibiotic would clear it up( baytril) but then it would come straight back again, he lived for 5 years that i had him like this. I rescued him and he was already like it, i thought it was a uri at first

 

[WayneAndGarth]

I wonder if it is more like an allergy then @WayneAndGarth or possibly a breathing issue which is causing a fluid build up?

Does he seem to be worse at certain times, or does anything trigger it?

The pig in my avatar picture had a few URI's when I first got him. This caused damage to his airways so later in life any little thing like dusty hay (and going outside!) would set him off with noisy breathing and sometimes a leaky nose. We tried using steam on his ill days and it really helped. So we invested in a nebuliser which we used when he was ill.

I also have a foster pig who has an issue with fluid retention in his lungs. He can be totally fine and then suddenly he's really noisy, has wet nostrils and has very pronounced breathing. He is on a daily dose of Frusol, which is a diuretic, to try to stop this from happening. This is a quite serious condition and he was almost died because of it as he couldn't breathe, but now he's on Frusol he's just like any other pig

I was thinking it was an allergy because it does get better and then his runny nose will come back but I can't pin point what it is. I've locked my cat out of my room and I'm trying to keep everything as clean as possible. Their cage is on a rug that I don't vacuum that often because I'm afraid of scaring them but I think my next step would be to get rid of them in case they're holing onto dust. Should I keep going with the baytril? Or stop and see how he is?

 

[WayneAndGarth]

Hey, this matches exactly what my old boar was like, it matched a uri but was actually permanent damage to do with his sinuses, antibiotic would clear it up( baytril) but then it would come straight back again, he lived for 5 years that i had him like this. I rescued him and he was already like it, i thought it was a uri at first

I've had them for a year and they both had a uri in the summer but now only Wayne has it. Did you continue with antibotics for his whole life? I know they only breathe through their nose but would he be able to live comfortably with a stuffy nose? It sounds like how a person does when they have a cold, like a little nose whistle. Everything else is normal and overall he's a happy pig.

 

[DMS260820]

I've had them for a year and they both had a uri in the summer but now only Wayne has it. Did you continue with antibotics for his whole life? I know they only breathe through their nose but would he be able to live comfortably with a stuffy nose? It sounds like how a person does when they have a cold, like a little nose whistle. Everything else is normal and overall he's a happy pig.

I stopped treating it, he lived pretty happily, but some discomfort as far as i could tell

 

[WayneAndGarth]

I stopped treating it, he lived pretty happily, but some discomfort as far as i could tell

Thank you so much for the Input! I appreciate it!

 

[DM030819]

I was thinking it was an allergy because it does get better and then his runny nose will come back but I can't pin point what it is. I've locked my cat out of my room and I'm trying to keep everything as clean as possible. Their cage is on a rug that I don't vacuum that often because I'm afraid of scaring them but I think my next step would be to get rid of them in case they're holing onto dust. Should I keep going with the baytril? Or stop and see how he is?

How long does he have left on the Baytril?

Next time he's having a snuffly episode try putting him near a bowl of steaming water, or take him in the bathroom when you're having a nice hot bath or shower. If he has any relief from it it might be worth trialling a nebulizer.

I'd try moving the rug, or taking it out of the room to vacuum to try to keep it dust free. You can slowly change things to see if it helps. Like changing the bedding, changing their hay. Sometimes it's impossible to work out though. My boy used to always have a snuffly nose any time I left the window open (so a lot of the summer time). He couldn't possibly be allergic to fresh air so I really don't know what caused his issues.

 

[DMS260820]

Thank you so much for the Input! I appreciate it!

There could be a cure for your pig, but my boy had permanent damage, the vet said from a uri left too long when he was young, but i dont know who owned him before me.

 

[aimzer]

Interested to see what the outcome is with your boy.
My girl has developed noticeable laboured breathing which is audible. No runny nose. We have the vet tomorrow. She has been on baytril for 2 weeks post wart removal/dental but no improvement. Starting to wonder if it's a heart issue

 

[aimzer]

I wonder if it is more like an allergy then @WayneAndGarth or possibly a breathing issue which is causing a fluid build up?

Does he seem to be worse at certain times, or does anything trigger it?

The pig in my avatar picture had a few URI's when I first got him. This caused damage to his airways so later in life any little thing like dusty hay (and going outside!) would set him off with noisy breathing and sometimes a leaky nose. We tried using steam on his ill days and it really helped. So we invested in a nebuliser which we used when he was ill.

I also have a foster pig who has an issue with fluid retention in his lungs. He can be totally fine and then suddenly he's really noisy, has wet nostrils and has very pronounced breathing. He is on a daily dose of Frusol, which is a diuretic, to try to stop this from happening. This is a quite serious condition and he was almost died because of it as he couldn't breathe, but now he's on Frusol he's just like any other pig

Hey! Was there a noticeable difference in symptoms between the piggy with URI and the piggy with fluid on lungs?
My girl has laboured, audible breathing. No snotty nose or raspiness. But she does the thing when she's sitting and her sides move in and out and her head Bob's up and down. We have the vet tomorrow.

 

[DM030819]

@aimzer My piggy with compromised airways never really got worse or to a point where I was overly worried. He did sound very noisy sometimes and he used to nod his head when breathing. Steam really helped him.

My current pig who has the fluid on his lungs does worry me when he gets bad. He also deteriorates very quickly, to the point where his side's really bellow when he's trying to breathe. When he's swallowed too much air from struggling to breathe he gets bloated and stops eating. He tends to sound noisier when he's eating or lying down.

 

[aimzer]

@aimzer My piggy with compromised airways never really got worse or to a point where I was overly worried. He did sound very noisy sometimes and he used to nod his head when breathing. Steam really helped him.

My current pig who has the fluid on his lungs does worry me when he gets bad. He also deteriorates very quickly, to the point where his side's really bellow when he's trying to breathe. When he's swallowed too much air from struggling to breathe he gets bloated and stops eating. He tends to sound noisier when he's eating or lying down.

That's reassuring, thanks.
I just want her to be comfortable. When she's sitting she gets fluffed up and the head starts bopping. Can't be nice for her.
Will see what vet suggests tomorrow. Will try the steam from my morning shower too

 

[WayneAndGarth]

How long does he have left on the Baytril?

Next time he's having a snuffly episode try putting him near a bowl of steaming water, or take him in the bathroom when you're having a nice hot bath or shower. If he has any relief from it it might be worth trialling a nebulizer.

I'd try moving the rug, or taking it out of the room to vacuum to try to keep it dust free. You can slowly change things to see if it helps. Like changing the bedding, changing their hay. Sometimes it's impossible to work out though. My boy used to always have a snuffly nose any time I left the window open (so a lot of the summer time). He couldn't possibly be allergic to fresh air so I really don't know what caused his issues.

He was on it for three weeks and it ended 3 days ago but I kept it going because he was still stuffy. I'm going to stop it today and keep an eye on him. I have a humidifier near their cage and got a humidity gage and realized the humidity in my room is at a 23 without it so I run it at least once a day with some homemade saline solution as per my vet, to keep the humidity between 30 and 40. It's seemed to help so I'll look into a nebulizer. I just cleaned their cage and I'm trying all carefresh bedding instead of one side carefresh and the other side my guineadad liner. The only change I can think of around the time he got sick is that I started using a fleece liner but I didn't think that should make a difference as I wash it with scent free detergent. I'm off tomorrow so I'll take out all of the rugs in my room. When you use the nebulizer do you put them in a box with air holes or just near them? Also do you put anything but water in it? Thank you so much for the information, I really appreciate it!

 

[DM030819]

He was on it for three weeks and it ended 3 days ago but I kept it going because he was still stuffy. I'm going to stop it today and keep an eye on him. I have a humidifier near their cage and got a humidity gage and realized the humidity in my room is at a 23 without it so I run it at least once a day with some homemade saline solution as per my vet, to keep the humidity between 30 and 40. It's seemed to help so I'll look into a nebulizer. I just cleaned their cage and I'm trying all carefresh bedding instead of one side carefresh and the other side my guineadad liner. The only change I can think of around the time he got sick is that I started using a fleece liner but I didn't think that should make a difference as I wash it with scent free detergent. I'm off tomorrow so I'll take out all of the rugs in my room. When you use the nebulizer do you put them in a box with air holes or just near them? Also do you put anything but water in it? Thank you so much for the information, I really appreciate it!

When my vet and I decided to try the nebulisr I couldn't really find any information for what set up to use. And as I wasn't sure if it would work I didn't want to go out and buy plastic boxes and cut a hole in it and buy pipes and stuff.

So I had a bright idea (Which doesn't happen often) of using a spare pet carrier, wrapping it in cling film so it's pretty much air right and then poking the end of the nebuliser through a little hole I made. The vet thought it was hilarious.

You just need something that the pig can sit inside comfortably and is almost air right so the most stays inside.

I used pre mixed F10, which is an antiseptic solution made for nebulisers but you can try saline solution if you already have it.

My boy used to get bored being inside and would chew the door to get out so the vet said giving him some veg or hay is fine because if the mist goes on the food and he eats it, that's fine as he's breathing it in anuway.

 

[kkewharding94]

I had a young boar with the same problem, the only things I can advise you is give him extra vitamin C’s, get some vapour rub & candles, put the vapour rub in a bowl of hot water and use it as a steamer, I also rubbed it around his cage too, F10 is a antiseptic which you can use as a steam same as vapour rub and I also sneaked a bit of honey on his food and treats because it’s known as a antioxidant, do you put hay down or in a rack?

 

[kkewharding94]

@furryfriends (TEAS)

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

I think trying different and better antibiotics would be a good plan. We have had excellent results with Zithromax (azithromycin) and with Marbocyl too. Karidox (doxycycline) is also a good one for dealing with URI's and we've had positive results with that as well.

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum @WayneAndGarth
I can’t add to the help you’ve been given but want to offer support

 

[WayneAndGarth]

I had a young boar with the same problem, the only things I can advise you is give him extra vitamin C’s, get some vapour rub & candles, put the vapour rub in a bowl of hot water and use it as a steamer, I also rubbed it around his cage too, F10 is a antiseptic which you can use as a steam same as vapour rub and I also sneaked a bit of honey on his food and treats because it’s known as a antioxidant, do you put hay down or in a rack?

Hay is all around their cage I don't have a rack

 

[Lady Kelly]

I know that a bowl of steaming water next to the cage is good for clearing the airways a bit. I would advise against adding vapour rub or using candles though personally as piggies have delicate airways and you don't want to aggravate the matter further. Like Furryfriends says though it may be a case that you need different/stronger antibiotics