Sneezing Simon's Medical Thread.

[Guinea Pig Papa]

I'm sorry you're alone for the holidays, Shonta. You have your little ladies to keep you company and if you wanna chat, we're all here!

Simon is going to be just fine I think. I was warned, however, that after what happened to him to bring this on and the subsequent fight to get rid of it, that there may have been damage done and he could very well be prone to these for the rest of his life. Here's hoping that isn't the case.

Otherwise, he's in perfect health.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Just a quick update on the floofmonster:

He went through 10 days of azithromycin without a hitch. The poop soup as a probiotic worked wonders, and there were absolutely no issues with his appetite or his weight. His weight actually went UP for a bit, oddly enough.

As it stands right now, he still sneezes VERY occasionally, but there's been absolutely no discharge and the one nostril that seemed to be the problem has been dry. He still snorts at me too, but I'm pretty sure that has nothing to do with any sort of illness. I think it's just piggy attitude!

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

New experience this morning.

I usually try to sleep in Sunday mornings, much to the piggies dismay. By the time I get up, usually around 730 they are running around wheeking and waiting for their pepper treat. ESPECIALLY Simon.

This morning, Leo was out. No Simon. Called him, nothing. He was huddled in a hidey and would not come out. Usually when I pick him up, he starts mouthing off. This time, not a peep. He was absolutely petrified of something. When I put my hand on his back, he started trembling. I put him in the tub to weigh him (his weight was normal) and he cowered there like he was about to die. He even tried to jump out of my arms.

I sat him on the couch with me to eat his pepper. He cowered against the arm of the couch, and after some time he started to eat it, warily. After a good hour, he was complaining a little when held which is normal, and nibbling and licking my thumb which is also normal.

He's hiding now but eating hay. I have no idea what happened, and I can't check my camera because after I got the new one I forgot to set recording. I have NEVER seen a pig act like this before, much less Simon. Leo was absolutely normal. You would have sworn Simon was an abused, traumatized pig by the way he was acting this morning.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Yeah, I've seen them get weirded out before and act funny. The only reason I posted about it this time is because it was so far out of character. Not even just skittish: outright terrified. I had to put him on the couch with me and hold the pepper to his mouth for him to eat it, and even then it was a few minutes before he even tried it. Eyes as big as saucers and shivering and trembling when being petted.

Poor little guy. He seems to be coming around, but slowly.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

@Guinea Pig Papa, I am wondering if Simon is back to normal today? I've been thinking about him and hoping that he's back to his usual happy self.

He has improved, but we aren't there yet. He had his bedtime veggies from cover last night, and he did do a little exploring but was very darty, quick moving and nervous.

This morning, again, he was not out waiting for me but he WAS interested in his pepper and ate it rather eagerly. Later on I sat in the pen with them to tidy up a bit and he climbed up into my lap looking for a treat.

He's been out eating more today, in the pellets and in the hay pile. He's better, but still isn't vocal at all and still seems nervous. He's slowly coming around.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

He still hasn't been out to greet me in the mornings, but tonight he was wheeking for his bedtime veggies. Leo's kind of been aggravating the crap out of him too which doesn't help. I'm sure it'll take a bit more time, but he's at, I would say, about 80%. He's such a little goofball.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

He's pretty much back to normal now. He and Leo were both waiting for me this morning and while he wasn't running around wheeking, he was active and his vocals have definitely picked up. I suspect by tomorrow morning we'll be back where we should be.

That was definitely a new experience for me.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

This really may not be a medical issue, but it's Simon's thread so it seems like the best place to put it.


Does anyone else's pig go through seemingly temporary personality changes?


I was guessing something spooked him earlier this year, as it only lasted a day or two. Tuesday last week, Simon's demeanor abruptly changed. Not terrified, just.....withdrawn. No wheeking at all which is VERY out of character for him. He's a big talker. So I monitored him as closely as I could. Simon has always been a big drinker but it seemed to step up a notch or two this past 10 days. A few times they have completely drained a 12oz water bottle overnight. It's brand new and leakproof so I KNOW they (mostly Simon) has drank it and the fleece underneath is relatively dry. They have a 2nd water bottle so they were not without.

During this entire time, Simon has only wheeked once. That was last Saturday morning, just a few to get me to wake up. If I sleep in Simon usually wheeks his face off for his morning treats. I had hoped that after three of four days, those few wheeks were the start of his coming around. Nope.

He has been eating fine. Obviously drinking fine. No problems with poop and weight is stable. All outward appearances are a healthy pig. The last few days he's been rather standoffish with veggies. He'll eat a little and then go and munch hay.

Fast forward to this morning. I heard Simon wheeking a little bit just after 7am. Just a few wheeks, just like last Saturday. So I got up and as soon as he saw me, he went crazy. Wheeking his face off, running around a babbling. Just like he always did. Just like nothing had happened over the last 10 days.

He again drained the water bottle last night, between 6pm and 730am. And there was more poop in the cage last night than I've seen in awhile. I'm just not sure here. I'm not sure if I'm overthinking this, or if there is something else I should be looking for.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Nothing new in the house at all. No changes. I did notice one odd behaviour, only once. If it was what I thought it was it would explain everything, but I don't know. Not something I really want to discuss. It's not a medical problem at all LOL.

He wheeked for his veggies a little bit tonight. Hasn't done that in a week and a half. He ate more veggies tonight than he has been and hes back in the hay again.