sudden illness

Question
all of a suddenn the past couple days one of our guinea pigs has developed what sounds like nasal congestion. weve given him vitamins and orange drops and some medicine in a dropper but he still sounds congested.  it also seemed like his poop was really thick and all clumped up around his rear end which we wiped clean. hes eating drinking and being active, but his breathing sounds labored. any thoughts or help would be appreciated. thank you

Answer
Hi Anthony,

You need to get your piggie to a vet. Labored breathing is a serious symptom of an Upper Respiratory Infection or pneumonia, both of which are fatal if prompt treatment is not sought.

What medicine did you give him? Countless medicines are toxic, so you should never give anything without consulting your vet first. The risk of under and over dosing are high as well unless you have treated this problem before.

It may be the medicine which caused the abnormalities in his poop. It sounds like either diarrhea or impaction. Impaction is where the faeces build up in the anal sac due to a weakening of the muscles in the rear end. This requires regular checks of the sac and, when necessary, cleaning out using a cotton bud and mineral oil.
Diarrhea is due to illness, improper diet etc.

Drops in his water will be useless. If he is eating fine and his diet is correct, he should be getting enough vitamin C anyway. The only supplementation you should need is a human/small animal vitamin C tablet (no sugar/additives) crushed and sprinkled over the food or added to a little bit of water and syringed directly into him.

The best thing is to cotact your vet ASAP and get him checked out. Remember, prompt treatment saves lives.

Best Wishes,

- Laura
www.cavy-care.com