Xray

[Natashaguineapig]

Hi,
Just wanted an opinion,
Background information
I had two Guinea pigs, ever since I got them one of them showed signs of URI so crackly breathing, hooting and crusty eyes.
Took him to the vet twice every month for 4 months being told that their was nothing wrong, don’t get me wrong I am not expert but he was showing clear signs of illness in my opinion, but we weren’t being listened to.
After spending £700 at the vet, he later on passed away, hard decision to make but we were told we caught it too late, which to me doesn’t make sense.
Now we got one single pig, crackly breathing, took him multiple vets but they all say lungs are clear, his cage mate died due this issue only caught it really late.
So we been given option to do X-ray, he is not showing signs of URI like u would think he is not getting worst being like this for 4 months. So thinking maybe a genetics issue, maybe one lung not as developed as it should be, if anyone had similar experience be really helpful.
And also have to make decision to X-ray, which is proven to be risky and with my luck I am very unsure on what to do. Done lots of research which scares me a lot.
Would really appreciate anyone opinion and if I should take risk on X-ray.
Thank u so much, sorry for such long paragraph.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi,
Just wanted an opinion,
Background information
I had two Guinea pigs, ever since I got them one of them showed signs of URI so crackly breathing, hooting and crusty eyes.
Took him to the vet twice every month for 4 months being told that their was nothing wrong, don’t get me wrong I am not expert but he was showing clear signs of illness in my opinion, but we weren’t being listened to.
After spending £700 at the vet, he later on passed away, hard decision to make but we were told we caught it too late, which to me doesn’t make sense.
Now we got one single pig, crackly breathing, took him multiple vets but they all say lungs are clear, his cage mate died due this issue only caught it really late.
So we been given option to do X-ray, he is not showing signs of URI like u would think he is not getting worst being like this for 4 months. So thinking maybe a genetics issue, maybe one lung not as developed as it should be, if anyone had similar experience be really helpful.
And also have to make decision to X-ray, which is proven to be risky and with my luck I am very unsure on what to do. Done lots of research which scares me a lot.
Would really appreciate anyone opinion and if I should take risk on X-ray.
Thank u so much, sorry for such long paragraph.

Hi and welcome

Have you at any point been prescribed an antibiotic since a URI in guinea pigs is a bacterial illness?

Do you want to see another vet for a second opinion? Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

PS: I am moving your thread to our monitored Health/illness section for better support.

 

[Natashaguineapig]

Hi and welcome

Have you at any point been prescribed an antibiotic since a URI in guinea pigs is a bacterial illness?

Do you want to see another vet for a second opinion? Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

PS: I am moving your thread to our monitored Health/illness section for better support.

He’s been subscribed baytril, however does not seem to be getting any better.
I have been to 4 vets and they all been saying same thing.
Due it being 4 months and him not getting any worst makes me thing it is not URI and maybe be genetics.
I been considering xray but not sure due to the risks.

 

[Wiebke]

He’s been subscribed baytril, however does not seem to be getting any better.
I have been to 4 vets and they all been saying same thing.
Due it being 4 months and him not getting any worst makes me thing it is not URI and maybe be genetics.
I been considering xray but not sure due to the risks.

Hi

Thank you for clarifying. has a nasal swab test for resistancy to various antibiotics been considered/done?

 

[Natashaguineapig]

Hi

Thank you for clarifying. has a nasal swab test for resistancy to various antibiotics been considered/done?

Nope that has not been done, it was mentioned however i was told that it would be hard to do to get clear result and also due to lots of bacteria being in the mouth that it would be hard.
Is that something I should ask?

 

[Wiebke]

Nope that has not been done, it was mentioned however i was told that it would be hard to do to get clear result and also due to lots of bacteria being in the mouth that it would be hard.
Is that something I should ask?

It may be worth a discussion again. We have seen a rise of resistancy cases over the last 5-6 years on here. The swab is taken from the nose and not the mouth. It is a lot less invasive than a scan.

 

[Natashaguineapig]

It may be worth a discussion again. We have seen a rise of resistancy cases over the last 5-6 years on here. The swab is taken from the nose and not the mouth. It is a lot less invasive than a scan.

Thank u so much,
Got an appointment on Monday and will ask.
However if that comes back inconclusive is a scan worth it?
From your opinion, is this URI? As he has had this issue for months and with uRI from what I have heard they are deadly and progress fast.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank u so much,
Got an appointment on Monday and will ask.
However if that comes back inconclusive is a scan worth it?
From your opinion, is this URI? As he has had this issue for months and with uRI from what I have heard they are deadly and progress fast.

Hi

Whether it is URI or not is the million dollar question that you, your vet and we cannot answer so far. URI is not necessarily a killer disease but it can cause some long term damage. There are also some other rather nsty bugs in play but they do account more typically for runaway pneumonia. Bacterial URI typically affects the stressed with a lowered immune system, the young with an immune system still under construction when their lives are upturned for a sale and the old/frail with a more brittle and wekened immune system. Healthy companions can usually fend it off.

Have you tested for sensitivity to hay or house dust? It is very unusual to cause gunky eyes though. Rhinitis/sinusitis can very occasionally happen in guinea pigs. And the very out there issues are things like a tooth growing the wrong way into the nasal airway and causing considerable trouble there - for these things a scan could bring clarity.

PS: Please be aware that while a GI is needed for a scan or x-ray since the guinea pig needs to be manipulated in a rather
uncomfortable way, it is not as deep or prolonged as a major operation. Complications generally rise the longer and deeper a piggy is under.

What you also need to be aware of when doing your own online research is the fact that you won't get a balanced picture. You'll get all the horror stories and people doing the 2+2=4271 in an attempt to make sense of a death and you'll get all the miracle cures. But what you do not get is the vast majority of perfectly normal outcomes because they are not considered worth posting about. This does also go for GA.

 

[Natashaguineapig]

Thank u so much,
Going to vet on Monday, will get a swab done and will go from there.
Will keep the thread posted

 

[Wiebke]

Thank u so much,
Going to vet on Monday, will get a swab done and will go from there.
Will keep the thread posted

Wishing you all the best. It is always difficult once you go past textbook cases; and even more difficult when you lose a piggy in the process.

HUGS

 

[Natashaguineapig]

Wishing you all the best. It is always difficult once you go past textbook cases; and even more difficult when you lose a piggy in the process.

HUGS

Hi,
It is Monday, went to vets today and requested the swab and also going forward with X-rays and blood work, costing me a lot but is all worth it.
This will be happening tomorrow, so will post if any findings and how it went.
Thank u

 

[Wiebke]

Hi,
It is Monday, went to vets today and requested the swab and also going forward with X-rays and blood work, costing me a lot but is all worth it.
This will be happening tomorrow, so will post if any findings and how it went.
Thank u

All the best! I hope that you and your vet can get to the bottom of it.

 

[piggl]

Hope you can finally figure out what's going on.

My thoughts are with you and your sweet boy x

 

[Natashaguineapig]

I am back from the vet for about an hour,
And I am at complete lost.
My Guinea pig made it through anaesthetic and is doing incredible.
Vet and I had look at X-ray and everything is perfect as it should be and the swab game back with no resistance to the medications.
I hope that there is nothing wrong with him, but what else could explain the loss of appetite, decrease in faeces and weight loss not to mention the crackly breathing.
Going to wait for blood results, as we discussed this may be caused with something else that is going on.
I just hope that this gets resolved.

 

[Wiebke]

I am back from the vet for about an hour,
And I am at complete lost.
My Guinea pig made it through anaesthetic and is doing incredible.
Vet and I had look at X-ray and everything is perfect as it should be and the swab game back with no resistance to the medications.
I hope that there is nothing wrong with him, but what else could explain the loss of appetite, decrease in faeces and weight loss not to mention the crackly breathing.
Going to wait for blood results, as we discussed this may be caused with something else that is going on.
I just hope that this gets resolved.

I am really sorry. It is always so hard when the obvious culprits have been ruled out and being a vet turns more into trying to solve a murder mystery. The more our horizons widen medically, the more strange and much more difficult things appear.

Please keep on syringe feeding round the clock. Loss of appetite means smaller/less poos and loss of appetite. Keep in mind that what you cannot control by eye is the hay that makes the bulk of the daily food intake (over three quarters) in a day and which is the food group that is most often impacted first. You adjust the frequency and amount of how much to feed over the coming 24 hours by weighing first thing in the morning for best day to day comparison because that is when the weight is at its lowest. All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

 

[Natashaguineapig]

I am feeding him about every 3-4 hours critical care and providing him a pro biotic with his veg which seems he enjoys a lot.
Critical care he loves and will eat effortlessly without syringe needed.
His faeces amount is definitely increasing and I can also tell he is a bit brighter so many the medicine he is on which is enrocare (baytril)
Tomorrow will get blood results back and go from there.

 

[Natashaguineapig]

Hi,
So I got call back from the vets everything came back perfect.
The blood smear as well.
We going to continue a long course of baytril until the crackling noise stops.
We have another piggy but we won’t be bonding until few weeks from now due to this could be mild respiratory infection.
Thank u for all your support

 

[Wiebke]

Hi,
So I got call back from the vets everything came back perfect.
The blood smear as well.
We going to continue a long course of baytril until the crackling noise stops.
We have another piggy but we won’t be bonding until few weeks from now due to this could be mild respiratory infection.
Thank u for all your support

At least you know that there is nothing serious wrong.

 

[Natashaguineapig]

Yes,
And I am so happy for him.
Going to continue treatment until the noise stops as discussed with my vet.
In 2 weeks time got an appointment and hopefully it will be gone by then