URI? Help?

[Silasbaby]

My sister called me worried about her guinea pig late tonight. He has runny/crusty nose, runny eyes that look like a white discharge and he is mouth breathing with clicking sounds. He also peed an orangish red color
I can’t call the vet till morning and I’m worried about him!
He is eating but not drinking much. He doesn’t look skinny and he isn’t lethargic plus coat is shiny and smooth!
What can I do to help him breathe better or be comfy till I can call in the morning?

 

[S'mores and Pockets]

Hi! Most of the experienced accounts are probably asleep, since they are UK based.
I don’t know if I can help, but I would weigh him just to make sure. I would also suggest contacting an emergency vet, if he starts to go downhill. You could also syringe feed him water, or give him a couple watery veggies.
Hope he gets better!

 

[Silasbaby]

I was giving him water with a syringe and gave him juicy fruit. He’s doing fine still no difference. 9 more hours till they open

 

[Piggies&buns]

Please have him seen by a vet.

Its important that you switch from the normal weekly weight checks to weighing a poorly piggy daily to ensure they are getting enough hay. You cannot judge hay intake by eye so you can’t know they are eating enough without weight checks. Watching them eat veg or pellets does not count as it isn’t the main proportion of the daily food intake. If they are losing weight due to reduced hay intake, then you need to syringe feed a fibre recovery feed such as critical care. You can offer a small amount of water alongside syringe feed, but you must be very careful. Don’t overdo giving fruit (which is too high in sugar anyway) or watery veg.

Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

 

[Free Ranger]

It sounds like he really needs to see a vet for antibiotics - they are definitely URI symptoms. Keep him eating with syringe food (mushed up pellets in water if you have nothing else in)... he must keep eating and pooping even if he doesn't feel like it, or the gut slows down and goes into stasis. If you have access to a little fresh grass (that has not been peed on by dogs etc as this can be toxic!) it often tempts them to eat if they are feeling poorly.

The pee might just be very concentrated - if he is struggling to breath he will find it tricky to drink and swallow. It would be very bad luck to have an infection at each end! If there are no other UTI symptoms (wet round the parts because of dripping, squealing or chirping in pain while peeing or pooping) then focus on his top end symptoms. By all means mention it to the vet though - he might take a pee sample to check for blood or bacteria.

Is he a young one or an older boy? If he is older and this has not happened before hopefully it will be a one-off which antibiotics will sort out. We are also prescribed a painkiller (metacam/loxicom) over here when a piggy is unwell to make them more comfortable. Good luck getting him to a vet asap!

 

[Silasbaby]

It sounds like he really needs to see a vet for antibiotics - they are definitely URI symptoms. Keep him eating with syringe food (mushed up pellets in water if you have nothing else in)... he must keep eating and pooping even if he doesn't feel like it, or the gut slows down and goes into stasis. If you have access to a little fresh grass (that has not been peed on by dogs etc as this can be toxic!) it often tempts them to eat if they are feeling poorly.

The pee might just be very concentrated - if he is struggling to breath he will find it tricky to drink and swallow. It would be very bad luck to have an infection at each end! If there are no other UTI symptoms (wet round the parts because of dripping, squealing or chirping in pain while peeing or pooping) then focus on his top end symptoms. By all means mention it to the vet though - he might take a pee sample to check for blood or bacteria.

Is he a young one or an older boy? If he is older and this has not happened before hopefully it will be a one-off which antibiotics will sort out. We are also prescribed a painkiller (metacam/loxicom) over here when a piggy is unwell to make them more comfortable. Good luck getting him to a vet asap!

He’s 4 years old and it’s his first Illness of any kind.. I was doing a lot of research all night. My sister mentioned he doesn’t like taking his vitamin C so that could be added into the illness too

 

[Piggies&buns]

He’s 4 years old and it’s his first Illness of any kind.. I was doing a lot of research all night. My sister mentioned he doesn’t like taking his vitamin C so that could be added into the illness too

If he was otherwise eating well before becoming ill with the URI, then it is highly unlikely he is vitamin c deficient. Healthy piggies do not need to be given supplementary vitamin c as they get it from their diet - hay and grass contain vit c, they will also get it from their veg and limited amount of pellets per day. To that end, Vit c deficiency is actually rare - it’s not something we come across often at all - and if piggies do get it, it is most likely due to the fact that they have been given vitamin c supplements and then their bodies become used to high levels, so when that level drops below which their bodies have become used to, that scurvy symptoms can then appear.
Vitamin c can be given as a short course to boost the immune system in a poorly piggy, but does not need to be given routinely.