URGENT please help quickly

Question
hi i know you dont deal with guinea pigs but im deperate for some advice, please help me this is urgent.  my 5 year old guinea pig is really sick. I have researched and think he has URI his symptoms include: labored breath, dull eyes, puffy coat and not much interest in food. I cant get a vet until tomorrow evening and am not sure if he will make it through the night. can you give me any advice or tell me if he has much chance? i was also wondering if his illness could spread to his companion who lives with him. i hope you can help thank you

Answer
Dear Jess,

As you say, I am not a guinea pig expert.  If your little one is having trouble breathing, it would  be wise to see if you can find an emergency vet who can at least put him on Baytril or other appropriate antibiotic.

Mildly warm steam can help loosen mucus and allow him to bring it up and swallow it.  You can run hot water into a sink and let him sit near it to inhale the steam.  Once he's been breathing the steam for about 10 minutes, gentle coupage (light tapping on the ribs) can help loosen the mucus so he can bring it up.

But these are not substitutes for immediate veterinary treatment.  I hope you can get him to the vet ASAP.  For now, I would not worry about the companion GP, and would NOT separate them unless the healthy one is bullying the sick one.  If they are bonded, then the moral support of the companion is critically important.  The healthy one also needs to know what is going on with his/her partner.  They are much more aware of illness than you might think.

I hope he will be okay.

Dana