Sick Crusty nose

[Akiira]

My boar, Calcifer, has a little bit of crustiness around his nose. He isn't making any unusual sounds (wheezing, sneezing, ect), no obvious trouble breathing, and he's acting completely normal.

A few weeks ago he had a little bit of discharge from his left eye. I wiped it away and it didn't come back. I don't know if the two things may be related or not.

I didn't notice it until just today so it is pretty recent. It's the only thing that's different.

Also, I do have a second boar and they are housed together. Should I separate them until this is cleared up?

 

[pigger123]

Crusty eyes and noses are usually the first signs of a URI. I would treat both him and his friend with antibiotics now rather than waiting for them to get worse. There's no need to separate them though, and it probably won't go away on its own.

 

[CavyTV]

My guinea pig used to have some discharge in his eyes after I got him. I just wiped it off and I decided that if it does continue I would bring him to the vet. After a few days it started to go away. I don't know what happened, but he's a discharge-free piggie now

 

[Akiira]

I just looked him over and the crustiness around his nose is gone. I didn't do anything (I was afraid of making it worse) it just went away on its own.

I will continue to monitor them closely. Is there still a chance it could be an URI? All the symptoms are gone now, so should I still take him into the vet?


I just thought of something that may be relative. Yesterday, a few hours before I noticed the crustiness I had changed their litter. I use CareFresh and it is at times a little dusty. I know that with hamsters sometimes that can bother them a little bit. Is it the same with guinea pigs? I will be changing their litter type. I just want to know if there's any chance that that could have caused the crusty nose.

 

[pigger123]

They can still have a URI without showing symptoms, so I would just keep a close eye on them and take them to the vet if you notice it again.

 

[Akiira]

Update: I went to the vet on Wednesday. She is a cavvy savvy vet, she's even had her own guinea pigs in the past. She said it sounded like some sort of irritant or allergy. His breathing sounded normal and there was no redness or inflammation anywhere (I felt really bad for poor Caly when she was trying to look in his mouth). Before that he had started having a little drainage from his eyes, the right eye stopped so when I saw her it was just the left one (his nose was fine). She gave me an antibiotic to help with it. It's put in his eye twice daily.
She said changing his litter was a good move. For now I've switched to aspen shavings. She recommended going to fleece. I haven't had a chance to get any yet and I haven't figured out what I want to put underneath it, but I will switch soon.

There still is a little bit of drainage, but it is better. I believe it will clear up in the next few days. Yay!