Wheezing Guinea Pig wheezing, not eating and lethargic

[Snowman]

Norman is a 4 year old guinea and seemed fine until yesterday morning. He ate his breakfast (Greens and pellets) but at midday he just stopped. After that, he has been laying in the same place and not really bothering to move, and when he did it looked like such a struggle.
His eyes are very weepy, with a pale creamy coloured liquid running down his face and he now wheezes with every breath, which started a few hours ago. Yesterday he also had been dribbling a lot, which made me think that it was something to do with his teeth but when the vet was phoned she said it wasn't anything to do with his teeth.
There is also a patch of fur on his back that has been sticking up for the last few months, but I had thought it was just how he lied in his hut but now I don't know if it has something to do with whatever is going on now?

Norm lives indoors by our front door - always has done. He was bought with another guinea pig, Alfie, from the same place but he died earlier this year. We also have another 3 piggies that live upstairs who are fine - they get the same food everyday.

So my main question is, should he be taken to the vet or is he not likely to recover from something like this? I have to consider the money side of things too.
It's so hard to make decisions like this and I am just looking for a bit of advice really.
Thanks!

I apologise if this is in the wrong place, I hadn't discovered this forum until earlier today.

 

[bpatters]

He needs to see an exotic vet now. With prompt treatment, he should recover -- four years old is not old for a guinea pig. It may be teeth, it may be something else. But don't waste money on a dog-and-cat vet for treatment -- they have little training and often no experience in caring for exotic pets.

If he's not eating, you MUST hand-feed him. Guinea pigs have to have food moving through their gut at all times. See http//www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html for how to do it and what to feed.

You really should put money by each month in a vet fund. It's not fair to an animal to have it and not provide for its medical needs, and almost every pet will need care at some point in its life.