my guinea pig is sick need advice?

Question

My guinea pig is barely eating and barely drinking and he has white discharge from the eye. One eye is even almost closed because of it. I've noticed in the past that sometimes I would hear him coughing, I'm not sure if that is relevant to his current situation. What's making him sick? There's really no 24 emergency vets around here and I'm not sure how he'd take a long trip in the summer heat in his condition. Please help, and how can I help him?

Optional Information:
Age: 1; Male; Breed: Guinea Pig

Answer 1

First of all, make sure that you are giving your guinea pig his vitamin C tablets. We didn't know about the importance of Vitamin C when we had our first guinea pig and he ended up getting the same kind of infection as your piggy has. If he had lived, he would have had to have his eye removed. I suggest taking the piggy to the vet ASAP. With guinea pigs, you have to act fast because they are so fragile and finicky. But please, don't forget the Vitamin C - it's so important for guinea pigs.

Answer 2

From the site sourced below:

URI
Labored breathing, crackling sound from the lungs, eyes that are almost sealed shut, discharge from the eyes and/or the nose, sneezing, coughing, and wheezing can all be symptomatic of an upper respiratory infection (URI). A vet will prescribe a safe antibiotic to treat these bacterial infections (cavies do not get cold viruses). See a vet immediately if you see any of these signs. Untreated URIs are almost always fatal. Occasionally allergies can produce the same signs - but because URIs are so deadly and fast moving, it is imperative that the vet rules out a URI before considering the possibility of an allergy.

Scary! But don't freak out, you can go out to your drugstore and get some polysporin eyedrops. It's an antibiotic and should help treat the infection until you get to the vet. Also, you should really try force feeding and watering him b/c guinea pigs tend to die really quickly if they don't have food and water. You can find out how to do this on these pages. And take a good look at the medicines listed that are TOXIC to guinea pigs and take it with you to the vet (as some vets are not very knowledgeable about guinea pigs). Good luck! I hope he gets well soon.

Answer 3

Not eating is extremely serious, as your pet's system will shut down with dire consequences. After as few as 16 to 20 hours of anorexia, liver cells begin to break down and from then on, your pig will only get worse. If your guinea pig is not eating, get to a vet immediately to determine the cause and begin treatment.

Guinea pigs very seldom get over an illness without help and can decline EXTREMELY quickly. While it may appear your guinea pig has "just" come down with something, he may have been concealing signs of illness for some time, a behavior which puts additional stress on the immune system. Concealing illness is a survival mechanism in the wild, where a lagging pig would quickly be picked off by a predator.

For these reasons, if you suspect your pig is ill, it is always best to take it to a vet. If you have more than one pig, you might take along a healthy one so the vet can compare them (unless it has already been separated from the sick one to avoid passing on an illness to your other cavies).

Answer 4

From the area sourced less than: URI worked respiration, crackling sound from the lungs, eyes that are very virtually sealed close, discharge from the eyes and/or the nostril, sneezing, coughing, and wheezing can all be symptomatic of an higher respiration an infection (URI). A vet will prescribe achieveable-free antibiotic to regulate those bacterial infections (cavies do not get chilly viruses). See a vet contained in the modern-day in case you be conscious any of those alerts. Untreated URIs are very virtually continuously deadly. at cases allergies can produce a similar alerts - yet because URIs are so deadly and speedy-paced, it is mandatory that the vet regulations out a URI before thinking the opportunity of an hypersensitive reaction. scary! yet do not freak out, you may bypass out on your drugstore and get some polysporin eyedrops. it is an antibiotic and may help you cope with the an infection till eventually you get to the vet. also, you ought to truly attempt stress feeding and watering him b/c guinea pigs have an inclination to die somewhat in the present day contained in the adventure that they don't have food and water. you may a as end results of the point this on those pages. And take a superb seem on the drugs indexed that are poisonous to guinea pigs and take it with you to the vet (as some vets are literally not any further very knowledgeable about guinea pigs). solid luck! i'm hoping he receives suitable right away.

Answer 5

The white discharge from his eye is simply an eye infection... Go to your vet (leave the guinea pig, which is actually called a cavy, at home) and ask for a bottle of tetracycline, and some antibiotic eye drops. When you come home, give the cavy some of the tetracycline by flipping him on his back (hold him by the scruff of the neck and hold him tight, he won't like this very much) and give use a dropper to give him about 5 mL of the tetracyline in his mouth. Then, flip him back over and hold him tight, he won't like this either... use an eye dropper and drop about three drops of the antibtiotic eye drops in his eyes... do this twice a day and the infection should clear up in a few days...

Answer 6

FIRST OF ALL TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND CALM DOWN. It is really a special thing to see that there are kids like you still around see i thought that kids your age were too busy to notice thier pets... anyway sorry, i know that you are worried now take your little guinnie and trot yourselves into the bathroom and close the door so not to let your patient escape!look at the eye that is pussy and take a little wash cloth THAT IS COLOR FREE AND THAT IS SUPER SUPER SOFT!!!! YOU COULD DAMAGE THAT EYE OF IT'S SO BE GENTLE GENTLE GENTLE now take some water and soak the wash cloth using not too hot and not too cold [kinda like baby bears porrage] sorry bad humor doesn't help you now huh? and now gentlly wipe the eye going from the head twards the nose this should come out in a string like snot. maybe not the first time but it will and your pet is going to squirm so maybe the thing to do is to put your guinnie between your knees on it's back for better surg. procedure. now try some fresh cold lettuce and some carrots that are not peeled not to be given anything too acidy right now because it sounds like it has a upper resp. congestion.. look and it's poop does it have anything crawling inside of it? if so it could have worms...so now go to the phone and call the spca or the animal rights they can guide you to a closer location.. if not call me at [e-mail] and we can talk some more on what else we can do...GOOD LUCK!!!

Answer 7

You really (REALLY) need to being him to a doctor. He might be seriously sick. Be sure to turn on your A.C on your car a good 15 minutes BEFORE you leave for the vet's. Make sure it's about 70-75 degrees in the car, and wrap him in a blanket so he doesn't get a draft. (still air is best for sick G.pigs.) Also, once you get back from the vet, make sure that you buy a syringe that you would be able to feed him through if he ever got this sick again, and you weren't able to bring him to the vet immediatly. In order to feed through a syringe, mash up only grained food, add water untill it isn't chunky. For fruits and veggies, put them in a blender (NO Iceburg) and add water. When he gets better, or even after you get back from the vet's, be sure to offer him plenty of apples, carrots, strawberries, raspberries, romain lettuce, oranges (w/ rind), and occasionally, some tomatoes. This will keep his vitamins in check, also be sure to ALWAYS clean his cage at least once every week. This will reduce ammonia build up. Hope I helped

Answer 8

Uhh....could be an infection or it got poked in the eye.

Or I am told that guinea pigs can be allergic to cedar bedding......

Otherwise you should possibly take him to the vet as early as possible before the heat.

If not you could wait it out. It doesnt sound like a lethal situation.

Answer 9

Get him to the vet.

If you're concerned about the heat, take frozen veggies from the freezer, put them in a box under a few layers of towels and put a cover on the box, keeping it out of the sun.

Your pet sounds very sick.

Answer 10

i am so sorry to hear this

clean his cage really well

only handle him with clean hands

clean him with a wet sponge and clear water, no soap & use a q-tip on his eye to clean it...water only

get him to the vet as soon as you can

empty his cage...only food & water, get rid of any thing else in there until after he sees the vet