sneezing/wheezing guinea pig

Question
My gp is 1.5 yrs old, weighs just over a pound.  for the last few months she has been sneezing, infrequently.  Last week, she started labored breathing and wheezing.  I'm not so sure it is "wheezing" in the asthma sense - her nose sounds very stopped up, but she does not have any drainage, nose looks fine.  I took her to the vet 11/18.  He said gp's are prone to resp problems/pneumonia.  He heard a little too much rattle in her chest.  She REFUSED to have her temp taken.  Since she has been sneezing, we decided to try children's benadryl .5cc 4-6 hrs.  She loves it, but no improvement in 5 days.  For last 2 days, she is also taking antibiotics twice daily.  Still no improvement.  She seems to be eating normally, I haven't seen her drinking.  I will change her Aspen bedding, which they have always had (I have 2, other one is fine) to the paper stuff, no scent, etc.  What else should I do?  Thanks, Lori

Answer
Hello Lori,

The bedding is probably fine, but go ahead and switch it just in case. It sounds like a URI. Keep her eating and keep up her antibiotics. Also, watch the other, URIs are contagious. URIs tend to get alot worse before they get better even with treatment, but don't give up. It can take a week or so on antibiotics before they show any signs of improvement. You are doing well, just keep it up. Also, running a vaporizer should help with her breathing. If you don't have a vaporizer, you can take her into the bathroom when you take a hot shower and the steam will help in the same way. Extra vitamin C in her diet will help a bit too and get some acidophilus to give her too (it's a supplement found in the vitamin section of the drug store that replaces the needed tummy bacteria the antibiotics kill off). Good luck. I hope she'll be well soon.

-kkat
www.geocities.com/abyssinianguineapigs