Non-veternarian remedies for possible cold/respiratory infection? Advice appreciated!

No, you need to take him to a cavy savvy vet asap. A guinea pig with a URI ca go downhill really quickly, and it can be lethal. Allergies are rare, URIs are not.
Always have a vet fund in place & never wait for more symptoms, as guinea pigs will hide any symptoms until it's physically impossible.
It's better to go to the vet a few times too many & find out it's nothing, than to let an illness progress to the point of extreme suffering & death.
And always weigh your pigs weekly on a kitchen scale, weightloss is the first sign of an illness.

URI info & treatment:
https://www.guinealynx.info/uri.html
Weigh weekly:
https://www.guinealynx.info/weigh.html

Okay, thank you!

Good luck! Please keep us updated.

https://www.guinealynx.info/antibiotics.html

Could I treat him myself with doxycycline using these guidelines before seeing a vet? I'm going to try to find one asap, but thought I'd start that if it wouldn't do any harm to him, just to see if his squeaky nose stops. Could it do any harm if he doesn't have an infection?

BernieAndBert said:

https://www.guinealynx.info/antibiotics.html

Could I treat him myself with doxycycline using these guidelines before seeing a vet? I'm going to try to find one asap, but thought I'd start that if it wouldn't do any harm to him, just to see if his squeaky nose stops. Could it do any harm if he doesn't have an infection?

Click to expand...

No, I'd get him to a vet. Guinea pigs are prey animals and try and hide illnesses. A URI can quickly turn into pneumonia and you could end up losing him.

Bernie had his vet visit about two weeks ago. The vet regularly sees exotics and seemed to know what he was talking about. He said Bernie's lungs sounded clear and his eyes and nose looked fine. Bernie hasn't dropped any weight. He eats his food, poops, popcorns, etc.

Usually his breathing is either silent or just has a slight squeak, but today he was snorty. At first I couldn't tell what I was hearing. When I realized it was him I went over to the cage to try to get a clip of it. I got a small one but he stopped once he realized I was there. His lungs still sound clear and he still has no mucus or discharge. I haven't heard him do it since. I don't know what to do. This particular stuffiness was a random occurrence. I can't count on him to sound like that at the vet if I were to take him back. Can allergies be this extreme? Here is the video I took. You can hear his odd breathing from 8 seconds in to 16 seconds in.

[video=youtube;j_eZZ-LppHc]

No one is going to be able to make a diagnosis by watching a video or listening to a sound clip; if you have cause to be concerned, he needs to see a vet.

I understand. I apologize for the frivolous post...

You said he just saw a vet. The vet didn't give him any medication? I'd go back to the vet and ask for some medication to treat him. Guinea pigs don't get colds and URIs can get out of hand very quickly. Guinea pigs hide their illnesses very well and you'll likely never know how bad it really is.

The vet said that everything looked good and sounded good. I'd never heard him make that sound before today and his nose only squeaks periodically. His breathing was, of course, silent and normal at the vet. I have access to Bactrim at work. I have a proper syringe and know what dosage he would need...

I don't understand. First, you said you didn't want to drop a bunch of cash to find a vet. Then you said you had a good vet at least one of your pigs has already seen. And why would you be asking about giving him doxycycline if you have bactrim and know the dosage?

Take him to a vet and find out if he has a URI. If he does, get the antibiotic that the vet recommends (as long as it IS a cavy savvy vet). End of story. Giving an antibiotic to an animal that does not need it can be as detrimental as withholding an antibiotic from one that does. Please let us know how the vet visit goes.

Paula said:

I don't understand. First, you said you didn't want to drop a bunch of cash to find a vet. Then you said you had a good vet at least one of your pigs has already seen. And why would you be asking about giving him doxycycline if you have bactrim and know the dosage?

Click to expand...

Let me explain better, because now I feel kind of humiliated. When I made this post a few weeks back, Bernie had just started sneezing more than normal. I was asking about doxycycline (my mom is a doctor and could easily get it) because yes, I wanted to avoid a vet if I could but you all made me realize that that was not practical. This was BEFORE I realized that I could get Bactrim from work. So, two weeks ago, I took him to the vet. Up until the point of taking him to the vet, his nose had only been a bit squeaky at times. At the vet, his breathing was normal, his lungs were clear, etc. I told the vet about my concerns (URI) and he said that he did not believe anything was wrong with him.

Two weeks later, TODAY, is when Bernie started that snorting business. So I suppose my real question is: should I take him back to the vet and ask him for another look or find an entirely new vet, or get Bactrim, etc...

I would definitely take him back to the vet. His lungs may have sounded clear when he saw the vet last but now that he appears to be showing symptoms, it's important to get him on antibiotics ASAP. They go downhill very quickly.

BernieAndBert said:

Let me explain better, because now I feel kind of humiliated. When I made this post a few weeks back, Bernie had just started sneezing more than normal. I was asking about doxycycline (my mom is a doctor and could easily get it) because yes, I wanted to avoid a vet if I could but you all made me realize that that was not practical. This was BEFORE I realized that I could get Bactrim from work. So, two weeks ago, I took him to the vet. Up until the point of taking him to the vet, his nose had only been a bit squeaky at times. At the vet, his breathing was normal, his lungs were clear, etc. I told the vet about my concerns (URI) and he said that he did not believe anything was wrong with him.

Two weeks later, TODAY, is when Bernie started that snorting business. So I suppose my real question is: should I take him back to the vet and ask him for another look or find an entirely new vet, or get Bactrim, etc...

Click to expand...

I completely understood the timeline, and you should not feel humiliated in any way. I have been in this same situation, where I am questioning the second visit back when the vet has already said things were fine the first time.

Ask for a "recheck" appointment. It is often much cheaper than a regular appointment when you are returning for the same issue. It is very possible that he had the slight start of something before, hid it well on the first visit, and it is now more progressed.

Think also about any recent changes... Have you used a new bedding material, maybe new shavings that have a stronger smell, or is there a new box of hay that seems dustier than usual, or have you been moving furniture around that could have stirred up dust?

Even if you answer yes to any of those, I would probably still go back to the vet. If you can get medicines cheaper, I would do that only after things are confirmed by the vet. I would personally just err on the side of caution here. It's just better to be safe than sorry. Good luck and keep us updated on how he is doing.

Okay, no, sorry, there's no need to be humiliated. I aplogize for not recognizing that the initial posts were from a while back. I would in this case suggest exactly what jdas did, call back and ask for a recheck with the vet you've already established a relationship with. Since you were just in two weeks ago, that shouldn't be a problem. In my case, a recheck is $28 versus the $55 I pay for an initial exam. If the vet determines that you need to put him on antibiotics, tell him you have bactrim already and see if that will work (sometimes Baytril is preferred, it just depends). In that case hopefully you'll only be out the cost of the exam, but do remember to give probiotics when you are giving an antibiotic.

As to the original question - Do not give antibiotics if you're not absolutely certain that he really needs them - that could be problematic for a number of reasons, and yes, you can do harm if they aren't necessary.

So I called the vet today and described what has been going on. He told me I could come in and pick up 10 days worth of doxycycline, as it seems to sometimes be more effective than Bactrim. He didn't ask for a recheck. Is that super sketchy?

No, I've had vets do similar. It saves you the vet visit, and it's most likely what the vet would do anyway. Keep weighing him.

Okay, thank you!

Bernie has been on his doxycycline for his URI for a week now. He has 3 days left and I'm just not sure if he's improving as much as he should be...his nose still sounds stuffy when he breathes and when he does sneeze (I THINK he is sneezing a bit less) mucus comes out. His weight has not changed, his appetite is fine and he does seem to have a bit more energy. This is my first time treating so I'm just not sure how to tell when an antibiotic is working well. Any advice??