URIs

A URI (upper respiratory infection) can be life threatening in guinea pigs. If left untreated, it can quickly develop in to pneumonia, so time is of the essence if you suspect your guinea pig may have one. Common signs of URIs include laboured or ruttly breathing, a crust on the eyes or nose or the guinea pig looking generally inactive, fed up or off its food. If you notice any of these symptoms, please take your pet to the vet immediately.

Ziggy

Ziggy was nearly two years old when he developed his first URI. All the pigs had been perfectly fine in the afternoon, but when I came in later that evening I found Ziggy making an awful racket while breathing. He was very snuffly, had a slightly crusty nose, and every inhale and exhale gave a series of crackling noises from his chest. He seemed otherwise perky and was running round when he heard the fridge open, but was getting very breathless and obviously wasn't a well chap. I whisked him straight off to the emergency vet who confirmed it was a URI and gave him a Baytril injection (Baytril is a commonly used antibiotic with guinea pigs). I had an appointment to take him back the next day for another injection and was advised to take him home and keep him warm and cosy.

Whether to separate?

I asked the vet if I should separate him from the other guinea pigs he was housed with. However she said, and this seems to be a common view amongst vets, that if he had been mixing closely with other piggers, it was most likely if he was going to pass anything on, he would have done so already as the most contagious period of an illness is before you actually develop any symptoms. Another thing to consider is that when a guinea pig is feeling unwell, it can get pretty down in the dumps. Isolating it from its companions while in this state could do more to dampen the pigger's spirits which can have a great effect on their ability to fight illness. Of course with something highly contagious, you wouldn't take that chance, but often one pig in a herd will suffer from a URI while the others remain unaffected. I weighed up the pros and cons and decided to leave Ziggy put.

In the cage, I put in two cardboard boxes stuffed with hay (one for Zigs, one spare incase his companion pinched it!) and with a drop of olbas oil on the inside of the top. Olbas oil is a very strong and effective decongestant, and while I wouldn't want to put it on their skin, a drop on the box sends out the aromas and helps them breathe a little more easily. I also put a tiny dab of vicks above his nostrils. I'd been hesitant about the idea before but when you see a little creature having so much difficulty breathing, you try anything, and this really helped ease his breathing. I made sure the room stayed nice and warm and that he was well out of the way of any draughts (as always of course). When I have a cold type bug I always burn essential oils like eucalyptus, rosemary and tea tree, and I've done the same when Ziggy has had his respiratory problems. Probably makes no difference but it makes me feel better! Some people find a humidifier in the room also helps their breathing. I gave Zigger a good variety of veggies, making sure some were high in vitamin C.

The next morning Ziggy sounded a little quieter, but his nose was slightly more crusty than the day before and I was very pleased I'd had him seen to, and got treatment started the previous day. He went back to the vets for his next Baytril injection where the vet said his chest was sounding a little clearer. I was then given oral Baytril to give him at home at a dose of 0.2mls twice a day. The journey to the vets was quite long and stressful for Ziggy, so this suited him much better. The injections were great and very important to get the antibiotics kicking in at the start, but continuing his course with oral meds meant I could keep him at home and relaxed while continuing the treatment he needed.

Giving Oral Medications

Baytril doesn't taste very nice, so it's not something many (if any) pigs will take willingly. However I managed to get Ziggy's in to him quite quickly. I'd give it before I fed any veggies. They tend to store food in their mouths for a couple of hours after they have eaten, so if you give it straight after veggies while they are still chewing around some greens, it makes it easier for them to spit the meds back out. I don't withhold their hay, pellets or readigrass - just getting it in before a veggie gorging session does the trick.

I sit down with the (needleless) syringe loaded with the correct dose, and hold the pig in an upright position on my lap so it's back is right against my body. I usually pop a cushion on my lap, just so their lower body is stable. Holding firmly I simply pop the syringe in to the side of their mouth and as soon as it's secure and they have started making a chewing motion (which means they will swallow rather than inhale the contents of the syringe) I squeeze the Baytril in. They usually take on a 'I've sucked on a lemon' face so I give them a quick tickle behind the ears and pop them straight back so they can chew a bit of hay and get rid of the taste. Some people mix the Baytril with an equal amount of apple juice to make it more palatable but I've found that with this method, they still hate it, and it makes it easier for them to dribble a bit out which never happens when I give it straight. It works for other people though so is worth considering if you are having trouble administering meds. Some people also fine towel wrapping the piggy useful, if they are fighting the syringe..

Probiotics/ Vitamin C

I also started giving Ziggy a probiotic. Antibiotics, as well as killing off the bad bacteria they are intended for, kill off the good bacteria in the gut and disrupt the gut's natural balance, which is an important part of a healthy pigger. A probiotic helps replenish the good bacteria and keep the intestines, and therefore pigger, healthy. I used acidophilus capsules at a dose of half a capsule twice a day. You can just sprinkle this on a slice of cucumber or a piece of rinsed romaine lettuce as they don't seem to mind the taste. However I wanted Ziggy to have some extra vitamin C too - just a little natural booster to help him fight off the URI. So I made up a little mixture of a small amount of water with of half an acidophilus capsule and 30 mg vitamin C and gave it twice daily a couple of hours after the Baytril. He really loved this mixture and would waddle over to the syringe to drink up. It was also useful to keep his fluids up as he's not generally a great drinker.

The importance of weigh-ins

During the time he was ill, I weighed him daily. His usual weight is 3lb 2oz and I made sure he wasn't losing any weight as often when a pigger is under the weather they don't eat. If this happens you need to syringe feed them to ensure you keep their weight and strength off. It's enough for them to battle off a URI anyway, but if they aren't eating properly it does nothing to improve their chances of a full recovery. If they aren't eating at all, it will quickly lead to their death. Luckily greedy Zigs managed to chomp his way through his URI and stayed the same weight. I pop the fleece on the scale and then set it to zero before adding the pig.

The end....?

By the following morning his breathing was a lot better, although he was still snuffly and had a bit of a crusty nose. I carried on giving him the Baytril and the supplements, and he continued to improve. He went back to the vets later in the week for a check up. By this time his breathing was clear and the only residual sign of the URI was a bit of crusting around his nose. The vet gave me some more Baytril and said to complete the course of 10 days (as with humans, a course of antibiotics must be finished whether the pigger is still showing any symptoms or not or it may lead to a resistance to that antibiotic). By this time his nose had cleared up and there was no return of the breathing problems or any new symptoms, and he went and got the all clear.

Ziggy has since had two further URIs since this first one. The second came seemingly out of the blue, as before. It wasn't as serious as the first one but he had a course of Baytril and the usual extras. The last one he had was when he developed dental problems and wasn't eating at all by himself. Although I was syringe feeding him during this time, he wasn't getting as much food as he usually does, so I think this lowered his immunity and made him more vulnerable. The vet thinks he is now susceptible to them so is prone to developing them when there is a weather change, something stresses him, he is exposed to dust - things like that. But as he is otherwise in good shape and responds well to antibiotics, I just have to keep a close eye on him and get him prompt treatment when he displays any symptoms. I have tried him on several types of bedding including towels, to see if he had any allergies which were predisposing him to developing URIs, but it didn't make any difference (each URI has started while he's been on something different). Allergies are worth considering if you have a piggy prone to URIs though. None of my other pigs have ever had a URI. Charlie did once have a brief ruttling moment at the same time as Ziggy developed his so she went on Baytril too, as a precautionary measure. She didn't make another sound after the initial ruttle so it's unlikely she did have one, but I don't believe it's worth taking chances and leaving something to 'wait and see', especially if another pig has a URI at the same time.

Ziggy and Upper Respiratory Infections

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