Uri..upper respirAtory Infection
I went for many years never seeing this in my pigs. Eventually it is likely most of us will come across this. It is quite common. At first I panicked like most of us would, but now I know, if caught early, it can be cleared up successfully.
Guinea Pigs do not catch colds. They are not like us, a few days and we are well again. The pigs always need antibiotics for a URI. Some may need hand-feeding. So in a Fist Aid Kit, I like to keep Critical Care for handfeeding, and Liquid Vitamin C to boost their immune system. I will go into how to handfeed later on this page.
URI is highly contagious to other pigs. Not to us. My experience is. If a pig gets a URI and is living with another pig, I no longer separate. There is little point. They have already been exposed. The stress of moving the pigs is not good either. Stress let’s in illness in guinea pigs. Also the sick pig being alone can get depressed making it harder to fight the germs. This advice is not for everyone, but it works for me. I would treat the two pigs in this situation.
Guinea Pigs with a URI can display a number of symptoms. They may be hunched in a corner, not coming to greet you as they normally would. They could be sneezing, coughing or have crusty eyes. Any or all of these symptoms are worth checking. They could also have noisy breathing, raspy or wheezy. They may stop eating. All pigs with a URI need antibiotics ASAP. The quicker they are on meds, the better the chance at a full recovery.
There are limited safe anti biotics for Guinea Pigs. Baytril is the go to treatment for adults, but is not suitable for young piggies. It can also cause tummy issues in some pigs, so always have a Pro Biotic on hand. Bactrim is the go to for babies, but in my opinion, not so effective for adults. I have had a lot of success with Doxycycline. Doxycycline should not be given in the last three weeks of pregnancy or to piggies under a month old. It can cause permanent yellow staining of the teeth. Weigh the risks versus benefits.
We like to give any anyibiotic for 10-14 days. If not given long enough the infection can come back. If after 48-72 hours on treatment, you are not seeing signs of improvement , talk to your vet about changing or adding antibiotics. Not all antibiotics work for all germs. Sometimes you have to find the right one or the right combination.
URI can be scary to us piggie parents, but in my personal experience if it is caught early and antibiotics given, hand-feeding if needed, daily vitamin C, the prognosis is good.
I am not a vet. I am sharing my own personal experiences over the last 35 years. Always seek out the advice of your exotic vet.
Guinea Pigs do not catch colds. They are not like us, a few days and we are well again. The pigs always need antibiotics for a URI. Some may need hand-feeding. So in a Fist Aid Kit, I like to keep Critical Care for handfeeding, and Liquid Vitamin C to boost their immune system. I will go into how to handfeed later on this page.
URI is highly contagious to other pigs. Not to us. My experience is. If a pig gets a URI and is living with another pig, I no longer separate. There is little point. They have already been exposed. The stress of moving the pigs is not good either. Stress let’s in illness in guinea pigs. Also the sick pig being alone can get depressed making it harder to fight the germs. This advice is not for everyone, but it works for me. I would treat the two pigs in this situation.
Guinea Pigs with a URI can display a number of symptoms. They may be hunched in a corner, not coming to greet you as they normally would. They could be sneezing, coughing or have crusty eyes. Any or all of these symptoms are worth checking. They could also have noisy breathing, raspy or wheezy. They may stop eating. All pigs with a URI need antibiotics ASAP. The quicker they are on meds, the better the chance at a full recovery.
There are limited safe anti biotics for Guinea Pigs. Baytril is the go to treatment for adults, but is not suitable for young piggies. It can also cause tummy issues in some pigs, so always have a Pro Biotic on hand. Bactrim is the go to for babies, but in my opinion, not so effective for adults. I have had a lot of success with Doxycycline. Doxycycline should not be given in the last three weeks of pregnancy or to piggies under a month old. It can cause permanent yellow staining of the teeth. Weigh the risks versus benefits.
We like to give any anyibiotic for 10-14 days. If not given long enough the infection can come back. If after 48-72 hours on treatment, you are not seeing signs of improvement , talk to your vet about changing or adding antibiotics. Not all antibiotics work for all germs. Sometimes you have to find the right one or the right combination.
URI can be scary to us piggie parents, but in my personal experience if it is caught early and antibiotics given, hand-feeding if needed, daily vitamin C, the prognosis is good.
I am not a vet. I am sharing my own personal experiences over the last 35 years. Always seek out the advice of your exotic vet.