URI/Upper Respiratory Infection Fast breathing... or is it?

[helteralan]

Hi all, not sure if i am being paranoid but we have a 2 year old female piggy that seems to be breathing fast. She doesn´t seem to be breathing overly hard, no major noise either but i took this video for some quick opinions.

[video=youtube;0nrAw6JaRaY]

This is Thadeus, she is eating well, nosey, sleeping and getting excited as normal.

Unfortunately here in Norway, it´s a major public holiday so no treatment or appointments are available today. There is slight popping (almost unhearable) occasionaly from the nose and if you listen very close, there is almost wheezing (wheezing is too strong a word, again it is almost non existent). It´s more the exagerated fast breathing that is bothering me. It only really started a day or so ago (of course, over the weekend of Norways National day so only treatment for Cats, Dogs and Horses are allowed).

The reason we are a little paranoid is we are getting a 4 month old guy possibly euthanised on Friday due to pretty sever Maoloclussion... already 2 vet treatments with it coming back just as strong and the vets prognosis is not good so we are a touch jumpy at the moment. We took him to try all the options and give him treatment (almost rescued to give him a fair chance) but no luck there. We have other piggies 2 years, they are all fine and driving us nuts as usual =)

So the video, is it a slight cold or maybe more, just asking for some experienced opinions before the vet is called first thing in the morning.

Thanks;

Alan

 

[MochaAndMoo]

So the video, is it a slight cold or maybe more

Guinea pigs cannot get colds.

Labored breathing is a symptom for a lot of medical problems, the only person who can give a proper diagnosis is a vet. The respiratory rate for a healthy guinea pig is about 40-150 breaths per minute. Please give us an update after the vet visit, wishing all the best for Thadeous.

 

[helteralan]

Thanks for your reply... i will keep this thread posted.

 

[helteralan]

Just back from the Vet, he thought she was overheated but her temperature (unfortunately for her through a rectal thermometer!) was fine. Her heart was fine, her lungs were clear, she wasn´t pregnant (be a miracle if she was!). The vet himself keeps guinea pigs so he knows what to look for and he couldn´t find anything wrong. She is in a cage with 3 others (one her biological sister) and they are all absolutely fine. Plus the cage is in a hall with good ventilation and no direct sunlight at a nice constant temperature.

So, long story short, if she is still the same on friday morning we´ve to take her back and he´ll do x-rays to check for anything else.

 

[helteralan]

Thanks, i´ll update the thread if there is any improvement or trip to the vet.
Sorry you lost one to heatstroke, so sad =(
I never thought i could fall in love with these little critters, they are now my favourite animals (apart for Capybaras!).

 

[Amalee]

I don't mean to scare you but I had a very similar experience recently.
My guinea pigs symptoms: Very fast breathing, lethargic but excited over treats, slow eating and drinking, and a popping or ticking coming from the chest/lungs.
I got an x-ray on him and it turned out he had a collapsed lung, either from a freak accident (internally collapsing with no outer trauma) or he was born with it.
It also turned out he had an URI which made it harder for him to live with. He's been on SMZ-TMP (bactrim) for one week now and all of his symptoms are nearly gone.
He will most likely always breathe a little faster than other guinea pigs.

The X-Ray was well worth it for me. I've had to separate him from his cage mate; If you can, you should separate yours just to keep any extra stress off of her.

 

[helteralan]

So, we took her to the vet and she had another check up.
Breathing: laboured, Heart rate: fine, Lungs: no fluid or un-normal sound, Temperature: fine.

He X-rayed her and was a little baffled being honest. On her X-Ray, the images of the lungs were not as dark as they should be with almost a soft cotton-wool texture. He said they should have been darker. So, she is on a small 10 day course of antibiotics (we´re about 4 days in now) and so far they is no major change except she is making her old/normal noises again (squeaking when picked up, sounds like a radio being tuned in! Purring when stroked and still eating/drinking as normal).

He actually mentioned he´s not seen that look of the lungs before on any small animal (he is the small animal expert, and himself keeps a few different small animals at home including a couple of piggies). He did say if the antibiotics didn´t work he didn´t think he could do anything which is a little disheartening, more so for me than my wife as i have the soft spot for Thadeus... she was our first one and is the boss. I sometimes jokingly call her the evil one as the can be ruthless in clearing the houses if she wants to sleep in one hahahaaa!

I´ll do another post after the course is finished and hopefully away to the vet for another x-ray to compare x-rays.

 

[helteralan]

It was the vets explanation....