Mystery Illness

[Evenstar]

Just wondered if anyone could shed light/advise on this strange situation. In January I rehomed 4 Guinea Pigs, I believe them to be around 3 years old. I cannot be 100% sure as the lady had rehomed them a year or so previously from a poor situation where they were in dirty cages (at least that was the case for two of them)

In the past two weeks two of them have died, a third is now pretty much certainly on her way out. The first passed away overnight, the second after a week of antibiotics (showed no symptoms till after her sister’s death). The third one showed no symptoms until after the second had been dead for a week.They have no obvious problem just became dull eyed and lethargic. They were kept alone for well beyond the quarantine and the two others they were with are well (at the moment)

I have her and her sister in a warm cage in the garage with a blanket over it.

I have tried to feed Critical Care with a syringe, but the current poorly pig is not taking anything, I feel she will probably just die if I take her to the vet, I have separated her and her sister. Would it be best to let things take their course? I feel a check up for her sister might be good, but truthfully the vet could only say with the second one that died that it might be an Upper Respiratory Infection.

I have six other pigs in another group, they are fine, both groups are on Auboise bedding, meadow hay from the same bale, Burgess nuggets and exactly the same veg and herbs.

Any input appreciated, I have a good many years of Guinea experience and I feel at a loss. TIA

Hutch thoroughly disinfected and cleaned after each death.

URTI sounds the most likely if they are lethargic (did they have weepy eyes at all?)

It might just be the poor souls were too far gone before you got them, recovered a fair bit but age and a poorly start meant they weren't going to live as long a life as you'd expect. They could be older than you were told .

Are they showing any signs of scurvy ? Muscle fatigue , rolling gait?

When they stop eating its a bad sign, even with the most meticulous Critical Care syringing it hard to give them enough fibre and to get them to accept it when they're ill (they act like you're torturing them rather than accept that you're trying to help them, they are very ungrateful little patients )

If you feel that the poorly one is on her way out , just keep her warm and quiet with her cagemate . Let them have that time together and see how she goes . Obviously if she doesn't turn a corner you need to decide if its in her best interest to PTS.

DD and I nursed GP6 over the week after Christmas , he seemed to pull it round then just plummeted . Instead on dieing overnight (which would've been the calmer , easier option) we had to make an Emergency Saturday morning Vet visit to have him euthanised

If your other pig has symptoms of a URTI , your vet might give antibiotics but she might not thrive without her sister (and I would be wary putting her near your other pigs) .
We have a lone pig now since GP6 died , she's nearly 5 and we're in the middle of treating her eye ulcer . ( Gel and drops and another Vet Check this week) .
We've kept her indoors all winter but I don't know how this will pan out .

Good luck, it's always tough when they're ill. But think of it as giving a good home to these little critters .

Piggie is still with us this evening, went to the vets and this one has a chest infection, vet feels her sister is fine, syringing Critical Care which I always have in, she is accepting it tonight whereas she refused this morning. Vet is pretty baffled and we have discussed a post-mortem with a specialist vet if this one goes as well. I have bought a very large hamster cage and they are in that as a hospital cage at least for tonight. She has Metacam and a guinea appropriate antibiotic. Vet said if she is still the same in 2 days we need to consider PTS.

Thanks for your reply feeling very low about this, one of my cats was diagnosed with cancer last week and my dog had a fit the week before. I hardly seem to have been away from the vets.

No signs of scurvy and only one had runny eyes