Non-veternarian remedies for possible cold/respiratory infection? Advice appreciated!

[BernieAndBert]

Well, Bernie has lost an ounce and has been squabbling more than usual with Bert. Also, the mucus is back. There isn't a ton but I saw some present itself when he sneezed earlier. It was white-ish colored and it always presents itself out of his right nostril. I have never seen mucus come out of his left. Is it common for just one side to be affected? I have an appointment with the vet tomorrow morning.

I've read that piggies with chronic URIs can have heart problems and now I'm so nervous. The thing is, he responded well to both the Doxycycline and then the Bactrim. The mucus and sneezing nearly stopped. A few days after being done with antibiotics he would flare up again. Could this mean the original URI has just not been kicked? Did he need to be treated for longer? He's about 6-7 months old. Is that too young for Baytril? I know that's a stronger antibiotic.

I know you guys are not vets, I'm just so worried. He's my little man and I love him so much :'(

 

[foggycreekcavy]

It could be that the infection wasn't fully kicked, or that his immune system will not work on it's own right now without antibiotics, or ?

He's old enough for Baytril.

 

[BernieAndBert]

The vet said that aside from the obvious mucus, Bernie looks great and his lungs are clear. He suggested we try Benedryl for a week to see if that helps. If not, we will do a nasal flush and do a culture. The only thing is, he told me to give .4 mL of Benedryl twice a day. Bernie weighs 2 pounds. I've been reading some threads over at Guinea Lynx and that sounds like way too much! Perhaps this vet is not as savvy as I thought? I'm working on getting my license right now and as soon as I do I will probably switch to one of the 2 vets in NH that Guinealynx has listed. They are each about an hour away.

 

[foggycreekcavy]

Someone here used to give their pig Benedryl, was it Paula?

 

[BernieAndBert]

Someone here used to give their pig Benedryl, was it Paula?

I tried searching back in the forum using "allergies" and "Benedryl" but I get mostly threads about people who are allergic to their pigs, not pigs with allergies.

 

[Onetwo]

The only thing is that symptoms would not have diminished with the ABs. I'm not sure how long your piggy was on one treatment of ABs but I would do a round of something for the longest suggested duration before thinking it is allergies. I'd also try changing bedding and hay just in case.

BTW my piggy had this issue too and it was because he had a heart condition. He lived to be around 3-5 years old (was told he was a year old when I took him in and he lived for another 3 years with us) He had the heart condition for the last 2 years of his life. He died in our arms this summer.

 

[BernieAndBert]

The only thing is that symptoms would not have diminished with the ABs. I'm not sure how long your piggy was on one treatment of ABs but I would do a round of something for the longest suggested duration before thinking it is allergies. I'd also try changing bedding and hay just in case.

That's what I was thinking too...but he was on Doxycycline for 10 days and then a week later went on Bactrim for 10 days. He is on fleece and towels and the Sweet Meadow I buy is always super soft and has very little dust. I suppose I could still try changing hay but nothing else in the area has looked as good. It looks better than the Oxbow. I am going to start changing the fleece a little more often and I've ordered him a new hidey because the one he usually chooses doesn't have great ventilation.

I'm very sorry about your piggy. I really, really hope that this is not the case with Bernie. He's so wonderful and sweet.

 

[Onetwo]

Yeah my piggy was the sweetest, calmest piggy. It was so easy to love him and he never cared about the herd dynamics so he was easy to pair with anyone. I hope its not the case with your piggy but I'd do some research and possibly looking into an xray or something of his heart!

The week between the Doxy and the Bac could have allowed the bacteria or something to grow and become immune to the ABs. I thought I heard that some ABs could be given for 14-21 days depending? I don't know what the real problem is but with my piggy the symptoms did not budge one bit on ABs.

Weather someone has a cold, the flu, allergies, an infection etc... A decongestant like Benadryl will control the nasal discharge but if its a URI or another medical condition that needs meds he will continue to get worse in other ways. I'm not sure what you should do.

 

[BernieAndBert]

Yeah my piggy was the sweetest, calmest piggy. It was so easy to love him and he never cared about the herd dynamics so he was easy to pair with anyone. I hope its not the case with your piggy but I'd do some research and possibly looking into an xray or something of his heart!

The week between the Doxy and the Bac could have allowed the bacteria or something to grow and become immune to the ABs. I thought I heard that some ABs could be given for 14-21 days depending? I don't know what the real problem is but with my piggy the symptoms did not budge one bit on ABs.

Weather someone has a cold, the flu, allergies, an infection etc... A decongestant like Benadryl will control the nasal discharge but if its a URI or another medical condition that needs meds he will continue to get worse in other ways. I'm not sure what you should do.

Bernie is pretty sassy, actually. Incredibly loving and cuddly when he wants to be, but if he is not in the mood he can be nippy. Definitely a dominant pig. I guess I will try the Benedryl and see what happens. If it seems to work like a charm, then I'll continue with it and monitor his weight/behavior very closely. I will also look into getting an X-ray once I have a bit more money.

 

[iamsnape]

Have you considered allergies? Just read the whole thread. Noah had that exact same problem - sneezing but with NO other symptoms of a URI. Took him to the vets and they put him on antibiotics, no change. Took him back and they gave me something else. No change. So I suspected allergies. Turns out he was allergic to the washing up stuff I used to clean their fleece. He still sneezes every now and again, maybe once or twice a day, but nothing bad like before when it was like 4 times an hour.

 

[BernieAndBert]

That is what I'm considering right now and I think why the vet suggested trying Benedryl before getting more invasive and expensive. I just don't know what he could be allergic to. I use unscented detergent to wash their fleece and towels, their hay is soft and has very little dust and I don't use any sort of air fresheners around them...

 

[BernieAndBert]

I've been looking at the KMS site and I suppose it couldn't hurt to switch them from Sweet Meadow, especially since I've heard so much about KMS and it will end up being cheaper. It's a great hay, right? Can anyone who uses KMS Hay tell me which cut they've found is better? The 2nd or the 3rd?

 

[MrWhistles]

Sweet Meadows as in (broken link removed) ?
I've personally ordered from both companies. They're both equal in quality. KMS just has more choices for hay. Are you closer to the west coast? I think KMS is slightly cheaper for the west coast folks. Versus SM is cheaper for the east coast folks.

 

[BernieAndBert]

Sweet Meadows as in (broken link removed) ?
I've personally ordered from both companies. They're both equal in quality. KMS just has more choices for hay. Are you closer to the west coast? I think KMS is slightly cheaper for the west coast folks. Versus SM is cheaper for the east coast folks.

I'm in New Hampshire, so it's definitely easier for me to just go buy some Sweet Meadow at the local feed store. But buying in bulk would be cheaper regardless of where it was from...

Seeing if changing the hay makes a difference for Bernie probably couldn't hurt. If it's going to be good hay anyway, it won't go to waste! I'll order some bluegrass like @spy9doc suggested.

 

[iamsnape]

It could be all sorts of things if you think about it...hay dust, normal dust, something in the air, your washing powder (mine wasn't scented either but I switched it to be sure, to a non-bio anti allergy one). I'd switch up any possibilities one by one and see if he improves.

 

[BernieAndBert]

Bernie has a very tiny bit of crust under his nose...and it's green. If he just had allergies, wouldn't his mucus be clear?

 

[soopermum62]

Mucus would normally be clear in allergies unless a bacterial infection has set in. Green means there is an infection setting in. Time to call the vet again.

 

[BernieAndBert]

The vet said he'd see him again in a week and if there's no improvement we'd do a nasal flush/culture, he did say that would be on the expensive side. At $60.00 just for a re-check, I'm very nervous.

 

[BernieAndBert]

Sorry to post so much, but the more and more I stew about this the more I think that I really just need to get Bernie to a better vet. There are two savvy vets listed on GuineaLynx for NH and each are an hour away from me. My boyfriend said he would drive. I set up an appointment with Dr. Messenger at the Fisherville Animal Hospital and Bird Clinic.

I don't think this vet is stupid, but I also don't think he sees enough guinea pigs. I feel like the bulk of his work is in dogs and cats. An interest in exotics does not mean you know what you are doing. I'd actually forgotten about this in all my worry: at the appointment I pointed out the fact that Bernie's inner arm that he uses to wipe is going bald and had dried, green mucus. The vet acknowledged it, but stuck by his decision to try some Benedryl before doing a culture.

They charge $75.00 just for a visit. $60.00 for a recheck. This new place is only $55.00 for a visit and has a positive review on GuineaLynx.

 

[soopermum62]

Then I think your decision is clear, Go to the new vet. The cheaper cost of the inital visit will pay for the gas to get there. Plus you may get the answers you need. Hopefully this will be the last time he needs to go for this URI. Don't forget to get him probiotics. He has had a lot of antibiotics and his gut flora is probably not up to par.