URI/Upper Respiratory Infection Can't get into cavy savvy vet until tomorrow

I live in London, ON.

The problem is I'm away at school and my family lives 3.5 hours away. I don't drive and I don't really have any friends that drive either. Some acquaintances, but I feel really uncomfortable asking them to drive me out of the city.

I go to King Animal Clinic and they have been great. Last time I was there, they had another guinea pig there, so I know she sees them on a regular basis. There was also a hamster - so she's not just cat and dog. I only worry because she doesn't seem like a super specialized vet. She's good for the common ailments, but I don't see her being helpful for something more serious or uncommon. I guess I'll see when I go back tonight.

rolandinthehay said:

I live in London, ON.

The problem is I'm away at school and my family lives 3.5 hours away. I don't drive and I don't really have any friends that drive either. Some acquaintances, but I feel really uncomfortable asking them to drive me out of the city.

I go to King Animal Clinic and they have been great. Last time I was there, they had another guinea pig there, so I know she sees them on a regular basis. There was also a hamster - so she's not just cat and dog. I only worry because she doesn't seem like a super specialized vet. She's good for the common ailments, but I don't see her being helpful for something more serious or uncommon. I guess I'll see when I go back tonight.

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Most vet's will refer you to a specialist vet if a case is too much for then to handle. Ask your vet if their is someone that goes beyond what she is capable of doing for your piggy.

Sorry I do not have any experience with heart issues so I really can't add to that.

Also, if she doesn't seem comfortable with heart issues, ask if she'd be willing to consult with someone who is. You might have to pay for a phone consultation with the other vet, but that would be one way for her to get the information.

You can also read https://www.guinealynx.info/heart.html and print off anything that seems pertinent. Or refer her to the site.

Just got back from the vet. She took an x-ray. It looks like his pneumonia/the density in his lungs has completely cleared up. There is no fluid around the heart or in the lungs. Hooray! She also said the little bit of wheezing she heard at the last visit is completely gone! FINALLY AFTER 1 MONTH OF BAYTRIL.

She's not worried about heart disease just yet because the antibiotics have seemed to resolve all the respiratory issues. Since he has only done the hooting thing like 3 times, so she doesn't want to jump the gun as it could've been just regular noises we misinterpreted.

I asked if his heart looked enlarged and she said it didn't from the x-rays. She mentioned something about 2 spaces being normal and 4 is not, but I don't remember what technical term she used. Any ideas? I compared his x-ray to the ones on GL and I can't tell if it looks normal sized or not...

She cannot hear a murmur, so that's good, though she warned that a murmur isn't always present in pigs with heart problems so to keep an eye on him. I was told to watch for wheezing, coughing, laboured breathing and decreased activity levels.

I have a really hard time trusting that everything is okay because I naturally think something bad has to happen when a pig has a symptom. But it sounds okay for now, right?

Glad to hear she has the all clear!

I would trust her advice for now personally. If you continue hearing it then go on to the next step.
I completely understand how you are feeling as far as feeling like something will happen again. All you can do is your best and it sounds like you are!

Melissa123 said:

Glad to hear she has the all clear!

I would trust her advice for now personally. If you continue hearing it then go on to the next step.
I completely understand how you are feeling as far as feeling like something will happen again. All you can do is your best and it sounds like you are!

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I think I would trust her more easily if Alfie were a cat or a dog. I am always nervous when it comes to trusting any vet with my pigs. She didn't seem put off by the hooting sound at all, which made me nervous because I thought she'd think heart disease right away. Oh well, you're right in saying all we can do is our best. And this vet is the best person in my city. Last night while I was there she saw a bearded dragon, a bunny, and another guinea pig. Obviously people with exotic pets are going to her for a reason!

Okay. The vet said to watch out for laboured breathing. Alfie has always breathed this way, but now I'm wondering if it is normal or not as none of my other pigs seem to... You can definitely see each breath.



It's more noticeable on his right side.

God, I'm so worried we're missing something or not doing enough for him.

[video=youtube;eHe2Rt6sme4]

Sorry about the previous link. This video should work.

He looks fine to me.

Some pigs get permanent scarring in their lungs or airways after a URI, it can cause asthma-like attacks which sounds like hooting. But if that was the case then your vet should have seen it on the x-rays. However, if it's the early stages of heart issues it may take an ultrasound & & an experienced vet to diagnose it.

I see no reason to worry unless he has other symptoms or more frequent hooting. Happy he's finally better.

@HannibalLecter The vet did say she noticed something on the x-ray that could be scarring, so that is definitely possible. She didn't hear any wheezing, though.

Thank you to everyone who has been so helpful up until now. I'm sorry I seem quite panicked about him, I just want to make sure he is getting proper care and I am doing everything in my power to help him lead a healthy life.

@bpatters I'm relieved that the breathing looks normal. It's more pronounced than my other pigs so I got worried!

You did say, though, "Alfie has always breathed this way," so there was really nothing new to worry about.

rolandinthehay said:

UPDATE:

He is no longer sneezing. Active. Eats and drinks normally.

But this past weekend I've noticed that he makes this "hooting" sound occasionally. This terrifies me as I've read it can be heart disease and I don't think there are any vets in my city experienced enough to deal with it... I'm bringing him to the vet tonight at 5:30 pm, but I was wondering what the prognosis of heart disease is.

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I had this scare with the hooting like an owl noise. Turns out my gp has an innocent heart murmur so no meds needed.

bpatters said:

You did say, though, "Alfie has always breathed this way," so there was really nothing new to worry about.

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Yes, but I was worried I had let the breathing slide too long because he had no other symptoms. Now that he has hooted, I second-guessed the breathing and wondered if it might be a sign of heart disease.

I just said this to someone else on this forum, but it needs saying again. It's one all med school students learn -- "When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras." Chances are that any disease is something mild and common, NOT rare and deadly. You've jumped from one hoot and the breathing that the pig has always had to death's door. Just relax. Even if it is heart disease, the usual progression is slow, and you'll see more symptoms as time goes on.

It doesn't do him any good for you to panic over him, and it won't do your relationship with the vet any good, either. The more you take him in for trivial symptoms, the less attention they're likely to pay to you if something is really wrong. Just observe him over the course of the next couple of weeks, weighing him once a week. If he's going downhill in behavior, eating habits, whatever, or if he gets much worse, then take him in. Otherwise, just enjoy him.

bpatters said:

I just said this to someone else on this forum, but it needs saying again. It's one all med school students learn -- "When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras."

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That would be me

@bpatters I think I needed to hear that. I've just been feeling like if I don't get answers to help him right away I'm a bad piggy mother ahahaha. I'm new to this being responsible for another life thing. I've had family pets before, but my parents took care of any health issues. It definitely takes getting used to - just knowing that you can't always diagnose something right away and not everything is going to have him at the rainbow bridge in a day.

Honestly, I think it started because 1. I have anxiety and 2. everyone talks about how they hide symptoms... I just kinda got out of control with paying attention to everything. I was on pig-watch every moment of my free time.

So, thank you, thank you, thank you for being so patient with me and helping me without getting TOO frustrated I really appreciate it.

rolandinthehay said:

Well, giving them their first doses was not fun. They are not so sick that they are lethargic or not eating, so they were able to put up a good fight LOL. Currently they are spazzing out because they can hear each other running around.

I meant to ask earlier, does anyone have any suggestions about how to keep Charlie's molars down? He just doesn't eat as much hay as my other boars. I bought some willow twigs today, I hope he likes those more.

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I had my little Petee that had dental problems. Not so much that his teeth were too big but that they wete growing inward and csusing him great pain. I had to continually have them shaved/cut back and eventuslly had to hand feed him through a syringe because he could no longer grind the food.

I did this for seven months until petee couldnt take it anymore and he gave up..bless his heart. He was the sweetest little pig i have ever had.

Update:

The vet called to see how the hooting was going (she always calls a few days after a checkup) and I let her know that he was hooting for 10 minutes this morning. She said that concerned her a bit and she was going to send his x-rays to a specialist to make sure there was nothing wrong that she missed out on. She's not charging us anything so that's great! Hopefully the specialist has something good to say!

I really love my vet right now ahhaha.

martha58 said:

I had my little Petee that had dental problems. Not so much that his teeth were too big but that they wete growing inward and csusing him great pain. I had to continually have them shaved/cut back and eventuslly had to hand feed him through a syringe because he could no longer grind the food.

I did this for seven months until petee couldnt take it anymore and he gave up..bless his heart. He was the sweetest little pig i have ever had.

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I'm so sorry for your loss! I can't imagine having to syringe feed for 7 months! You are incredible!!

I think Charlie's molars are getting better. He eats a loooot more hay now that we've given him variety - so we'll see.