Coughing URGENT- choking after antibiotics

Don't feel guilty, you didn't do anything wrong, i hope he coughs it up! It's good if he is eating, he can't be suffocated and enjoying food, i wouldn't think. I hope someone with this experience can help you out soon!

I'm not sure there's anything you can do since it's liquid and it sounds like he got it into his lungs. Does Pickles usually seem stressed in the car? I'm wondering why he's on oral antibiotics for an eye infection? The external antibiotic eye drops or gel are usually more effective for that. Maybe ask the vet when you take him (whether it's tonight or tomorrow).

Thank you for your support. He had had a few more big coughs and is doing a bit better, he was losing consciousness when I initially called the vet. His noises are still different, more grunt like and sound congested. Picking him up or touching his body seem to give him discomfort or pain.

Rywen said:

I'm not sure there's anything you can do since it's liquid and it sounds like he got it into his lungs. Does Pickles usually seem stressed in the car? I'm wondering why he's on oral antibiotics for an eye infection? The external antibiotic eye drops or gel are usually more effective for that. Maybe ask the vet when you take him (whether it's tonight or tomorrow).

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Thanks for your reply. Yes, even for a guinea pig he is particularly nervous and stressed ever since he was a baby. Just an extra cautious personality. He has done the trip to cornell before and it was not an easy trip.
I mentioned the eye infection a bit as an afterthought, sorry. He is actually missing that eye, had it removed over a year ago. The surgery was not entirely successful and he gets recurring infections in it. He has topical antibiotics for daily use but when it gets bad he goes on a cycle of oral antibiotics. He is on the last week of his last cycle for this particular infection now, I've never had problem like this before.

An update. As time had passed his belly had gotten hard. I'm assuming his coughing and choking led him to swallow a lot of air. I ran and bought some infant gas relief. Have him about half a dose and massaged his belly. Gave him some water as well. Finally he pooped a few times. He still seems a uncomfortable but I'm hoping the worst has passed. He just ate some hay and is lying down now, but still is whining a bit and I can hear his stomach I can tell his belly still hurts but he needs some rest too. This all started around midnight it is after 4am now.

On the other hand he is no longer coughing.


Irrelevant to this but my day started with my car braking down spending 4 hours and $500 on brakes. Haven't even had dinner yet, it's been a day

How is Pickles doing, what did the vet say today? It sounds like you had a horrible day, I hope today was better!

Thank you for your concern. Yes today was much, much better! And the patient is doing fantastic!

Pickle is back to his normal self, thank goodness! He is up begging for food and running around. His breath and digestive sounds were normal, I was told to keep an eye on him and on his weight but from what we could tell he is perfectly healthy! I thought for sureI was going to lose him last night, I can't believe he made it. Here is thepatient, alert and active! A far cry from the choking, bloated, in and out of consciousness baby from last night.

I can't even imagine how stressful that must have been. Glad to hear he is well. He's a cutie!

I'd continue to keep a close eye on him. After aspirating liquid into their lungs, guinea pigs can develop pneumonia.

I will be, I was instructed to weigh him twice daily for at least the next two weeks and keep extra watch if he struggles to breath, coughs or loses appetite.

He looks pretty happy in your pigtures

Yes he is doing much better and consequently so am lol!