Sick Guinea pig has persistent breathing problems even with vet care

[Scooter_is_dumb]

Despite my many trips to the vet my poor guinea pig has not gotten any better. The first day I notice his breathing pattern had changed I brought him to the vet immediately. They suspected it was a URI and sent me home with antibiotics that had to be administered twice a day for 9 days. I did it and he and his cage mate made no recovery. I have 6 guinea pigs all with this same weird breathing. I brought him to the vet again like a week ago because his breathing was getting worse after a few months had passed. She basically had no idea what was wrong with him then gave me like random medication for him saying he just has air in his stomach or something. She gave me a pain medication and a probiotic. It seems like she just wanted to send me home with random stuff and charge me more than she already did. The medication has done nothing in fact I think it has made it worse. I hate vets so much but Everytime you come to this forum you’re always told to go to the vet and then your piggie ends up staying sick and dying they never know what’s wrong with them ever and overcharge you. I really don’t know what to do I suspect if this doesn’t get resolved on its own he’ll likely die. His breathing is at a stage where his head bobs and I can visibly see his stomach go in and out with each breath. When I bring him close up to my ear I can hear him heavily breathing just so slightly. He eats fine he acts normal he’s a very good weight but guinea pigs are hard to figure out because they’ll just pretend like everything is normal then you wake up the next day and they’re gone. I really don’t want that to happen to me I’m doing everything I can for him even if it means I waste money on vets who can’t even figure out what’s wrong. I’m really hoping it’s not a heart thing but I had them take x rays of him they saw no fluid in the lungs never mentioned an enlarged heart or abnormalities so I’m just so lost as to what it could be ????

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

First of all, I believe you need a new vet. A small animal vet means dog and cat, and they know little to nothing about so-called "pocket pets", and can even be dangerous to pigs.

You need an exotic vet. From your description, it sounds like he may have a heart condition. The shortness of breath and head bobbing are definitely symptoms of congestive heart failure.

If he's been on antibiotics and other meds and has shown no improvement, that's what I'd look into next. It may also require further testing. I completely understand your frustration, vets are not cheap. But the reason that's what we tell you, is because that's what is required. \

If your vet IS an exotic vet and is still telling you they don't know what's wrong but havent explored this, you also definitely need a new vet. I am sorry you are in this position and I feel horrible for both you and your little guy.


I just read that you have SIX pigs, all with this same breathing problem? What are they housed on? Do you use shavings, or fleece or paper bedding? What kind of environment are they in?

 

[4boipigs]

Aside from the above asking about housing/bedding, I would consider doing xrays on the pig if you haven't. There may be something going on the vet can't see.

 

[Scooter_is_dumb]

They all have this white soft bedding that’s dust free and gets changed every week. The vet I take them to works with guinea pigs and rabbits but they seem to be more of a dog and cat vet. My nearest exotic vet is in another state which would be a long ride and very expensive. I’ve put it into consideration that maybe it was a heart condition but they ran x rays on him and made no remark about his heart and put my mind at ease knowing there’s no fluid in his lungs. Also seeing how majority of my guinea pigs have this head bobbing breathing I really doubt they ALL have a heart condition. My guinea pig scooter who is the one I’ve taken to the vet has the breathing the worse so I figure that if they can figure out what’s wrong with him they can figure out what’s wrong with all of them. This has been a cold cold winter and I’m hoping this will all go away maybe they just have the flu of some sort or a cold?

 

[bpatters]

The fact that they've all got it means it could be something in their environment -- dust in the hay, some sort of fungal infection that wouldn't respond to an antibiotic, or something else entirely.

I know you don't want to be told to take them to a vet, but there's no way we can diagnose them here. You really need a good exotic vet who'll think outside the box.

Where are you? City and state, not your actual address. We might be able to help you find a vet.

 

[Scooter_is_dumb]

Taunton Massachusetts closest exotic vet to me is in like Rhode Island it’s a far drive and it’s gonna be really expensive. I’m only 17 I don’t have a lot of money I work minimum wage 3 days a week and school my last vet bill was over $400 which is a lot to a teenager. I don’t wanna keep taking him to a vet and wasting my money on people that aren’t gonna help him. I’ll spend all the money i can if it means he’ll actually get better but so far it’s just medication that doesn’t work and it’s frustrating.

 

[Scooter_is_dumb]

Taunton Massachusetts closest exotic vet to me is in like Rhode Island it’s a far drive and it’s gonna be really expensive. I’m only 17 I don’t have a lot of money I work minimum wage 3 days a week and school my last vet bill was over $400 which is a lot to a teenager. I don’t wanna keep taking him to a vet and wasting my money on people that aren’t gonna help him. I’ll spend all the money i can if it means he’ll actually get better but so far it’s just medication that doesn’t work and it’s frustrating.

 

[bpatters]

Odd Pet Vet in South Weymouth is only about 25-30 miles from Taunton, and it is an exclusively exotic animal clinic.

It sounds like you've already decided that because one vet didn't cure your pigs, no vet can cure them so you're not going to take them to any other vet. But we can't treat them, either.

If you took them to a small animal vet, you took them to someone who specializes in dogs and cats, not in exotic pets, and they may not have known how to treat them. They may have been given a medication that didn't work against the organism that's causing their problems, and they just need different medication.

You need to figure some way to get your pigs treated. Medical care is just as much a part of responsible pet ownership as food and housing. It's not fair to a small animal to let it suffer because you didn't plan for the expenses of their veterinary care.

I would encourage you to find some way to earn the money to take them, or borrow it from someone, and get your pets to someone who may be able to treat them adequately.

 

[Smileandnod]

You said what kind of bedding you have them on, but I didn't see where you described the enclosure that you have them in.

Do you by chance keep them in an aquarium or an enclosure with solid sides?

Where is their cage?