Not Convinced It's A URI

[Drawingwords]

For the past 2 or 3 months my 7 month old sow, Elise, has made some "kacking" noises while drinking, eating and sometimes, once in a while just sitting there. All of my pigs sneeze every now and then and I figured it was from the hay.

She dry heaved on Thursday so I made an appointment for today. The vet said her lungs and heart sound fine but he suspects it to be a URI. She hasn't lost any weight and her eyes look fine. However, he prescribed her .07 ML of Ditrim twice daily for 20 days. She weight 2.3 pounds at the vet and I need to re-weigh her because that sounds quite heavy.

I cross posted this topic on other forums but am wondering if it's not a URI A.) What is it and
B.) Will the AB's hurt her if they aren't needed.

He checked her molars as well and the only thing he could really see was the wad of lettuce she was saving for the trip. :-)

Also, I am going to put her back in with the other girls because whatever she has/had would have already contaminated them and they are frantically looking for her and wheeking. She's on AB's so I figured at this point, I need to keep my eyes on the whole herd.

Does ANYONE have any sound clips of a pig coughing? Is it a distinctive sound and could the "KkkkACCCK" that I hear be a cough? Thanks in advance!

[Slave to the Wheek]

I think you should post over on Guinea Lynx since there are a lot more medical professionals over there who can give solid advice. Guinea Lynx :: * * * * *

[Haley0489]

My pigs make that sound all the time. It's typically because they have food caught in their throat and they're dislodging it.

However, if she has URI symptoms with no URI, I'd look into heart problems. My Milo sneezed a lot, made a hooting noise and would sometimes lose color in his nose. We treated a "URI" for three weeks before I finally demanded some heart meds. He's been fine ever since.

[dra&pigs]

Like Haley said, my pigs make that noise all the time. The first time it happened, I rushed her off to the vet, too, but the vet found her to be perfectly healthy. After a while I realized that it mostly happened while eating or drinking, so they eat/drink to much and basically cough it up.

[Slave to the Wheek]

Healthy Pigs DO NOT make hacking sounds or any sound at all while they are eating or drinking or pooing.

Antibiotics are not going to hurt your pig if she doesn't have a URI. The vet prescribed them so that they could RULE OUT the URI. If it's not a URI, then the AB's won't help the sounds and it's something else. If the vet prescribed an AB, it means that something is wrong.

It's the way dr.s work. They start with the most common thing, and then try to rule them out before going to the next thing. If you were prescribed an AB you need to get good veterinary advice. For example: you need to make sure your vet gave you the proper kind of AB as some are deadly to GP's. Guinea Lynx is the best place on the web Bar None to get it. They have cavy specialists who are vet techs and many others who have plenty of experience and know what questions to ask you.

[Drawingwords]

Originally Posted by Slave to the Wheek

Healthy Pigs DO NOT make hacking sounds or any sound at all while they are eating or drinking or pooing.

Antibiotics are not going to hurt your pig if she doesn't have a URI. The vet prescribed them so that they could RULE OUT the URI. If it's not a URI, then the AB's won't help the sounds and it's something else. If the vet prescribed an AB, it means that something is wrong.

It's the way dr.s work. They start with the most common thing, and then try to rule them out before going to the next thing. If you were prescribed an AB you need to get good veterinary advice. For example: you need to make sure your vet gave you the proper kind of AB as some are deadly to GP's. Guinea Lynx is the best place on the web Bar None to get it. They have cavy specialists who are vet techs and many others who have plenty of experience and know what questions to ask you.

Slave, you posted to go to GL which I already had done and came here for a second opinion. The best opinion comes from...the vet.

I called them today and spoke with the one tech that I know and she had a pig with a esophageal tumor and that's why she was kacking. Some pigs for some reason do have this behavior ONCE in a while and it's not life threatening. Some times it is an indicator of other medical problems.

The reason he prescribed such a strong amount is because he wanted to keep her on a longer course to completely rule it out. She has taken her doses through today and I haven't heard her hack at all but I wasn't home much today. Yesterday, I heard nothing from her.

As for GL being the best place, I was a vet tech as well and trust and appreciate everyone's responses. I triple checked everything I was told because some of the AB's I was not familiar with but checked into them when I first adopted GP's.

Baytril inadvertanly killed my pig Pepper along with Pneumonia and the misdiagnosis from an uninformed vet. I am apprehensive to put a GP on any AB if there is not sufficient medical evidence to back it up.

As for Elise, she is doing fine, taking her meds well and is active and eating, peeing, and pooping. She is going to stay on them the whole course and if her hacking does not get better, she is going for an X-ray.

[clotho]

Unfortunately, many vets don't know a lot about guinea pigs and can give bad advice. I always check out guinea lynx to double check things and to find out info. There are people on there with practical experience with guinea pigs and their illnesses who I would trust above almost any vet.

I just wanted to ask if you are giving probiotics along with the antibiotic?

[Drawingwords]

Yes, I am. ;o)

[clotho]

Sending all my best wishes for a quick and full recovery for Elise!!

[Drawingwords]

Thanks, I haven't heard her kacking at all today. Hopefully it is just a URI and not a tumor.