Sick How quickly do GP's get really sick?

[dbsam]

I'm not even sure if Caramel is sick but something seems a little off. One day his eyes will look a little watery, and then the next day they look fine. But today he doesn't quite seem himself and his eyes are a little watery - again. About ten days ago I heard him sneeze but I only heard it one time. It might be nothing, but since GP's are new to me and I read they can get sick quickly I called the vet. He cannot see Caramel until Friday.

Caramel is eating but is less active, makes less noise, his noises sound a little different to me but my husband and children do not notice the difference, and he has slightly watery eyes. He is also lying in his hut and is slow to exit - even when I put in veggies. He is usually the first to run out and eat. The two of them normally drink 32oz of water/day but have been drinking less the past week.

A little background...On Jan 3rd I had some horrible oil-based painting done at the house. I took tons of precautions but after three hours was afraid the fumes were still too much and found a place to board Caramel and Duncan. They kept them in the 'cat room' but there were no cats with them. I brought them home the next night. A few days later when the painter returned, I took the GP's to a friend’s house for three days. She kept the GP's in her son's room...her son came down with the stomach flu a couple of days later. Our entire family has had congestion and coughing for weeks. We have been very careful...washing hands, not holding them much, etc. I'm afraid the stress of all the moving around and being exposed to fumes and illness could have made him sick.

Since his symptoms seem so slight I was hoping the vet visit can wait until Friday. But I am wondering if I should find another vet tomorrow? I tend to worry and over-react. I know you cannot give specific advice online. I was just wondering what I should be looking for and info about how quickly they get sick.
TIA

 

[pinky]

Is he eating normally? Guinea pigs can get a lot of their moisture from veggies so I'd be more concerned about whether he's eating or not. Any nasal discharge or crustiness around the nose or eyes? Can you hear any chest congestion, labored breathing or coughing? Bacterial infections are contagious but viruses are not contagious from humans to guinea pigs. If they were coughing near them and it's bacterial, it could have been transmitted. On the other hand, moving guinea pigs around like that is always stressful for them. Are there still fumes from the paint? That could make them sick, as well. If they're breathing normally and are eating, I'd wait until Friday. If they have symptoms of an illness and aren't eating, I'd take them in sooner.

 

[bpatters]

This sounds like one of those "maybe he's sick, maybe he ain't" situations.

IF he's eating normally, and IF he's pooping normally, and IF he doesn't start sneezing, and IF he's still moving around, I'd probably watch him like a hawk and hope to wait until Friday. But if anything gets worse, I'd call the vet and see if I could get him in. I'd also probably get up in the middle of the night and check him.

They do get sick very quickly, and they hide it very well. I doubt that the people illnesses have anything to do with the pig's illness. The fumes might.

If this vet can't see him until Friday, is there another vet that knows anything about cavies that might see him tomorrow?

 

[dbsam]

Thank you for the responses. I do not know how to multi-quote so I will try to answer you both here...

He is eating. Usually he eats more than Duncan...but lately Duncan is getting more food first. Also, Caramel is the brave one who comes out and eats first. Recently Duncan is coming out first and tonight Caramel didn't even come out unless I pulled up the hut.

No nasal discharge or crustiness around the eyes. However, on the day he sneezed, there was a little moisture coming from his nose. His breathing also sounded a little raspy but everything was fine the next day so I figured it might have been the fumes. That was over a week or two ago...I hope something hasn't been going on since then. There are no fumes now. But there was a lingering smell for a while. I didn't smell it in the GP's room but I know their sense of smell is much better. I keep an air purifier in their room.

Tonight when I was holding him he mostly snuggled up by my neck/ear, which isn't his norm, he normally lies against my chest and looks around. His breathing sounded fine. I might be paranoid...but his face looks a little sunken in...does that make sense?

I've kept the children away from the GP's. I have been sick too, but I do not cough on them and I am an obsessive hand washer.

I took the GP's to the vet when I first got them. I wasn't impressed with the vet and just this week called a new vet and had their records faxed over. It is the new vet that is closed tomorrow. I could take them to the original vet if they will see them tomorrow (they are highly regarded and were offended when I switched vets). I really wish my normal vet's office, where I take my dogs, saw GP's.

He poop is solid and looks normal.

I changed bedding this week. Could that be causing a problem? I've been using Carefresh. I tried Cell-sorb (I think that is what it is called) this week.


Thanks again.
I will watch him throughout the night.

 

[guineapigfied]

this may sound strange but, sniff the inside of his ear, if it smells off it could be a sign. i forgot where i heard this tho.....

 

[bpatters]

Guineapigfied, sniffing the ear will do nothing except possibly alert you to a fungus or other infection in the outer ear. You can't diagnose a respiratory infection or any other illness with that.

When's the last time a doctor sniffed your ear to diagnose something wrong with you?

 

[dbsam]

A little update...
Well, I think I can wait until tomorrow for the vet visit but I am going to continue to watch Caramel today. I checked on him every few hours last night. At 1:30am I was a little worried because he felt so warm - but then I figure...I woke him up and took him out of his warm hut so that might be the reason. (I've just finished reading the medicine cabinet thread and see that I should get an ear thermometer.) At 4:00am, he was up eating hay when I walked in and his eyes looked less watery. At 6:00am, he was drinking water when I walked in and his eyes looked a little watery again. Just now, when I held him really close to my ear I could hear a very slight sound - sort of raspy - when he breathed. I'm not sure if I am over analyzing and noticing something that may have always been there.

I was planning on changing their bedding tomorrow but am thinking I should do it today. It would be a good little test. They always hop around and get all excited right after the bedding is changed. If he is not energetic after a bedding change I will know he is sick. If I can make it to the feed store I will change it. I only have 30L of CareFresh left and that is not enough.

 

[dbsam]

We just arrived home from the vet...Caramel is fine. His eyes were not even watery tonight! I am not sure why they are intermittently watery - the vet said it might be some sort of irritation. I am not sure why his behaviour has changed either. She did an exam and said he is fine. (She couldn't check his teeth because he fought them so much, but she didn't feel anything off.) So...at least I have a new vet who is knowledgeable about GP's. The $80 was worth the peace of mind knowing he is alright. She said she's seen situations where someone says their GP's eyes are watery one day and they died the next day so it is good I had him checked out. I wonder if the Cell-Sorb is bothering him. It controls odors better than the Carefresh and costs less. But in case it is bothering him I will go back to CareFresh.

Thanks for all the help.