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URI/Upper Respiratory Infection 12 week old pig with suspected URI

turtledispatch

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So I recently fell in love with a pair of boys from the pet store and, against my greater judgement, I adopted them in hopes that I could give them the life they deserve. They live with 2 older boars (Cain and Abel) who are rescues that have been under my care for a few months now and were surprisingly welcoming to two new pigs in their C&C palace. Anyhow, when I first got my younger pair of boys, there were no symptoms of any respiratory problems. I was told that one of them, Dale, had a heart murmur but was very suspicious of such claims since I doubted PetSmart had actually administered any veterinary care.

Dale started sneezing the next morning which was very saddening. His sneezes are light but fairly frequent and have been getting louder with the passing days. I set up the absolute earliest appointment I could get with my local exotics veterinarian but it?s all the way out on the 22nd of May. I?m very nervous that he will suddenly take a turn and not even live to see the vet. I?m also bringing his brother Brennan to get checked as well even though he has no symptoms. Just rather be safe than sorry because he?s so young.

So my two main concerns are the following; is 8 days too long a wait for what seems like a mild URI? My second concern is that my older boars may need vet care as well. I will take them if the response to this post say that they should be checked too but I?ve also read that healthy adult boars can usually avoid contracting URIs because they have a good immune system.


Thanks for your time, Turtle Dispatch
 

bpatters

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He needs to see a vet before the 22nd. A mild URI can turn into a life-threatening illness in a very short amount of time.

They may all need treatment, but not until/unless they start showing symptoms. URIs are not all that contagious, and antibiotics in guinea pigs have their own set of problems.

I'd either find another vet who could see him sooner, or call this one back and tell them you've got a sick guinea pig that needs to be seen. Even if it's an exotic vet, they probably see a lot of dogs and cats as well. The people who answer the phone and make the appointments often don't realize that sick guinea pigs can't wait that long without considerable risk.
 

turtledispatch

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Thanks so much I was considering taking them to emergency but I honestly don’t know if I can afford it. Do you know if it’s considerably more expensive? I have the money aside for their vet appointment I just don’t know if it’ll be twice the cost at emergency or???
 

turtledispatch

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Unfortunately after calling all around the city this was the earliest I could find and the veterinarian is not even in the clinic until the 22nd. Apparently he’s ‘away’. Hoping that my piggies don’t pay the price of his vacation.
 

bpatters

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I wouldn't take them to an emergency vet unless they've got someone there who knows about guinea pigs.
 

turtledispatch

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Is there anything I can do to ease the symptoms of his URI to hopefully ensure he makes it to the vet on the 22nd? Because it seems like otherwise I’ll just have to wait
 

bpatters

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It might help his breathing to put him in a steam-filled area. If you run hot water in the shower, it will steam up, and you could put him in the bottom with a cage.

Or, if you know someone with a nebulizer, you can make a chamber by putting him in a box, putting the pig and the hose end of the nebulizer in the box, and covering it with a thick towel to keep the moisture in. I use a plastic box that's about 15 inches square, and it works just fine.
 

spy9doc

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It's pretty easy to find a small humidifier often marketed as a "personal" humidifier. When I had a sow with pneumonia, I covered the cage (adequate ventilation from the sides) and made a steam room for her.
 

turtledispatch

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Okay thank you so much! I'll update this forum to let you guys know how it goes!
 
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