Guinea Pigs and Respiratory Issues

[Mimi13]

Does anyone have guinea pigs? My GS got two, male GP’s for Christmas. I believe they are 2.5 years old. Elvis and Hank!

Hank has a noticeable rattling, low moaning to his breathing. I don’t know anything about GP’s, but I want to learn. And I want to help him if he’s sick. It’s the wanna-be-vet in me, I suppose.

My DS picked them up on Christmas Eve when it was about 23 degrees out. They are now inside the house with a heat lamp close by. (It’s an old house with no HVAC.) I am going to read more about these little cuties to see what is best for them.

Thanks in advance and I hope someone will be able to help me out!

 

[HappyDuckie]

@TheOddOneOut you have guinea pigs, right?

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Does anyone have guinea pigs? My GS got two, male GP’s for Christmas. I believe they are 2.5 years old. Elvis and Hank!

Hank has a noticeable rattling, low moaning to his breathing. I don’t know anything about GP’s, but I want to learn. And I want to help him if he’s sick. It’s the wanna-be-vet in me, I suppose.

My DS picked them up on Christmas Eve when it was about 23 degrees out. They are now inside the house with a heat lamp close by. (It’s an old house with no HVAC.) I am going to read more about these little cuties to see what is best for them.

Thanks in advance and I hope someone will be able to help me out!

I do have guinea pigs.
Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in guinea pigs, unfortunately.
I will look up how to treat it and recommend some meds and treatment to you, but I need to know a few things, like :
1
Where did you get them? Places like Petco and PetSmart do NOT adequately care for their animals, so I’m not at all surprised if they sent a pet home with an infection. But it sounds like you maybe picked them up from someone re-homing them?
2
When you picked them up, did they have these issues? Is it completely, 100% only Hank? Also, does it sound like he is in pain, or just rattles? Is his appetite ok?
What breed is he? If you don’t know, can you post a pic?
3
How is your cage and poop/pee cleaning? What size is the cage? How often do you clean? (Look, I’m not the type to shame if it needs improvement, at least not with these guys - my cleaning could be better too.)
4
How close are you to stores, vets, and places you could pick up meds? You will almost definitely need some meds for him, and a checkup at the very least for both to make sure it’s no serious thing, just a little cold.

I’m off to do my research - good luck!

 

[Mimi13]

Thank you for replying. Here is a picture of the two and their set up.

1.) Yes, my son got them from a coworker, whose kids didn’t take care of them anymore.

2.) According to my grandsonHank was not making any noise when he first got them. It’s only Hank and he doesn’t make the noise all the time. His appetite seems just fine and he doesn’t seem to be in any pain.

3.) The cage looks to be about 18” or so by maybe 30”. The cage appears to be clean and no build up of feces. I think they are cleaning it out each night. They’ve only had them since Friday night/Saturday morning.

4.) We do have access to any type of store and also a vet.

 

[Mimi13]

After my first posting, I started reading about these cute little boogers, namely their susceptible illnesses, their preferred temperature, smells, etc.

One thing that worried me was the drastic temp changes they’ve endured the past several days.
I’ve also wondered if they are sensitive to certain smells.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Ok. I got some info.
I am not a fast typer so I just screenshotted it.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

After my first posting, I started reading about these cute little boogers, namely their susceptible illnesses, their preferred temperature, smells, etc.

One thing that worried me was the drastic temp changes they’ve endured the past several days.
I’ve also wondered if they are sensitive to certain smells.

Possible, yes.
Where are they located in the house? Drafts are not good for them.
Cedar and pine are BIG irritators.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Thank you for replying. Here is a picture of the two and their set up. View attachment 2467268

1.) Yes, my son got them from a coworker, whose kids didn’t take care of them anymore.

2.) According to my grandsonHank was not making any noise when he first got them. It’s only Hank and he doesn’t make the noise all the time. His appetite seems just fine and he doesn’t seem to be in any pain.

3.) The cage looks to be about 18” or so by maybe 30”. The cage appears to be clean and no build up of feces. I think they are cleaning it out each night. They’ve only had them since Friday night/Saturday morning.

4.) We do have access to any type of store and also a vet.

Hmm..ok, cleaning sounds good. If they didn’t come with it, it probably came from the stress...
Also..that cage really is quite small....I know, I know, it’s what all the pet stores sell, but they need more.

I’m sorry if that’s kinda rude to say that, I definitely don‘t mean it that way, and realize they aren’t actually yours.

 

[EverythingDucks]

Hmm..ok, cleaning sounds good. If they didn’t come with it, it probably came from the stress...
Also..that cage really is quite small....I know, I know, it’s what all the pet stores sell, but they need more. View attachment 2467327
I’m sorry if that’s kinda rude to say that, I definitely don‘t mean it that way, and realize they aren’t actually yours.

X2


I can't help with health issues, but I know quite a bit about enclosures.
Its doesn't have to be expensive, you can make it out of NIC grids.
Something like this would be perfect for them

And you could add a second level like this one pretty easily if you wanted.
The bottom is lined with fleece

 

[TheOddOneOut]

X2


I can't help with health issues, but I know quite a bit about enclosures.
Its doesn't have to be expensive, you can make it out of NIC grids.
Something like this would be perfect for them
View attachment 2467328
And you could add a second level like this one pretty easily if you wanted.
The bottom is lined with fleece

Mine are in a temp. setup in our beach house with us rn...