Double Ear Infection & Upper Respiratory Infection URGENT...LONG!

[Summerharv]

So, we took my little 1 year old piggie to the vet because we noticed she was holding her head sideways and wasn't as active. She had the same symptoms last year, but in the summer.

When we took her back, her vet checked her ears, breathing, and heartbeat. When he checked her heartbeat, he said he was kinda concerned because she had a slow heartbeat, but that it may not be nothing. He checked her ears thinking an ear infection could be the cause of her holding her head sideways. He checked and she has an ear infection in BOTH ears. He listened to her breathing and said it was rather raspy and he concluded she had an upper respiratory infection on top of the ear infections.

She had also quit drinking and eating and screamed when you touched her. So he gave her a shot with some fluids and antibiotics in it under the skin of her neck. He prescribed her some oral antibiotics and gave us a syringe to force feed and water her with. So she's been taking the antibiotics and I've been having to force feed her out of the syringe. ( Which she doesn't do without putting up a heck of a fight! )

I've also been putting water in the syringe and putting a few drop of her liquid vitamins that you put in their water, and gave them to her. I've noticed she hasn't been using the bathroom at all. She tries but she just can't. I'm guessing the antibiotics are causing her to be constipated or something? And is this something I should be worried about and seek medical attention for? Also, she has done nothing but become weaker and the sparkle in her eyes has now disappeared. I'm really worried and scared. Please help.

 

[bpatters]

How much food are you able to get in her when hand feeding? If she's not eating at all on her own, you need to get 50-60 cc per day of a Critical Care, Critter Be Better, or a pellet slurry in her, divided into 5-6 feedings.

The antibiotics don't cause constipation, but they do cause a loss of appetite, which is why it's so important to hand feed. You also need to be giving a probiotic about 2-3 hours before and/or after the antibiotic. But the feeding is most important, because a guinea pig that's eating is a guinea pig in danger of dying.

 

[Princess_Piggie]

If she's not going to the bathroom, it could be because her digestive system is slowing down due to not eating. How often are you able to hand feed her? Like bpatters says, guinea pigs need to eat, and bearing in mind they're grazers, it also needs to be frequently.

 

[AnoherKim]

How is she doing?

 

[foggycreekcavy]

What are the antibiotics? What are you force feeding her?

Inner ear infections are very serious. With an upper respiratory infection on top of that, you have a very sick pig. It's imperative that you continue to hand feed her.
https://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html