Conditions Bacon’s Medical Thread

If you ever get this figured out, let me know! I don't know anyone who takes better care of their cavies than I, and yet none have lived beyond 5 y.o. The young woman who cuts my hair has a rescued sow who by all accounts is about 6+ y.o. and apparently perfectly healthy. Who knows? I think that much of it is just the randomness of the universe and the fact that cavies are truly delicate creatures.

I'm confident that you have already done this, but have you looked for anything in their environment that could be contributing to their various medical conditions? I would more suspect an environmental component in Bacon's condition vs. that of Penny and Trixie. Any possibility of airborne irritants from chemical sources or even their hay? Do you have an air cleaner running near their cage? I have one that runs 24/7 at the foot of my cage. This seems to help both piggies and human since the cage sits alongside my desk where I spend a great deal of time.

I know how humans are nebulized, but what sort of set up is there for cavies? I'm trying to picture Bacon with a little mask over his face with a nebulizer running nearby. ;-}

Keep us posted!

@spy9doc, you nebulize a guinea pig by putting it in a small covered box and running the business end of the nebulizer tube in there. I used a plastic file box with a thick folded towel as the lid, and taped the end of the nebulizer tube to the side of the box. Mine never minded being in there, as I also added favorite veggies at the same time.

Makes sense......thank you!

Just FYI, I had asked about feeding Bacon a veggie while he’s in the nebulizer container and the vet tech said not to in case the misted medications accumulate on the veggie and he ingests them. I don’t think they can ingest gentocin safely? I’m not sure about the steroid (acetylcysteine)?

So then I was worried about Bacon ingesting medication off his hair since his whole body gets misted. I’ve been wiping him down with a barely damp paper towel (followed by a dry one) after his neb treatments. I’m probably a crazy pig mom.

@spy9doc I’m not suspecting anything environmental at this point, although an air purifier may not be a bad idea just in case.

This whole thing with Bacon started last winter when he managed to yank the syringe with the liquid vitamin C out of my hand and aspirate some of it at the same time.

Bacon kept coughing afterwards so quickly off to the vet we went. After 2 weeks of antibiotics he wasn’t coughing as much but still coughing occasionally.

So I took him back to the vet. Another X-ray showed his lungs were clear but two vets concurred that his heart was now enlarged. I kept asking why his heart would all of a sudden be enlarged, I got no good answers there (infection or congenital).

We tried 2 weeks of lasix, Bacon stopped coughing except for very rarely when he was running. We tried 2 weeks off lasix, he started coughing a lot again.

At that point they did another X-ray to make sure his heart size hadn’t changed, it hadn’t. They also put him back on lasix and I was referred to the veterinary cardiologist.

What has me so irritated is that looking at the April x-ray with the 2nd veterinary cardiologist (Dr. R, who was able to get an echocardiogram unlike the 1st guy) it’s obvious Bacon’s upper lungs aren’t clear. Dr. R even had a theory about why the lasix reduced Bacon’s coughing with the lung congestion.

Grrrrr. Poor little guy hasn’t been able to breathe right for months.

He’s doing much better now, I’ve heard very little coughing while he’s on oral antibiotics and nebulizer treatments. Fingers crossed his lungs clear up.

What an ordeal both you and Bacon have been through! Let's hope that he continues to improve. As painful as it is for those who are experiencing these medical scenarios, it benefits all members of the Forum to learn how we deal with them and the outcome.

Please do keep us posted.

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Edit to add: If you are considering purchasing an air purifier, I highly recommend the HomMedics brand. I have one that has been running 24/7 for at least six years.....and I DO mean 24/7. I purchased mine from BBB with a 20% off coupon which brings the cost down. This is an instance where you genuinely "get what you pay for".

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