My 1-week-old guinea pig has URI and eye issues. What to do?

Unfortunately if Carby has a URI, and it does sound like it from your description, then he will need antibiotic treatment in order to get better. it's important for him to be stress free and eat a good quality food as it can improve his immune reaction to the infection, but this does not replace antibiotics, which you can only get from the vet.

I am so sorry that you are having problems with both of your guinea pigs. Because your other guinea pig had signs of a respiratory (nose, windpipe, and lungs) issue, I would recommend having Peaches evaluated by a veterinarian. Many times, respiratory diseases can be contagious, and may present with abnormalities of the eyes (the eyes and nose are connected, so bacteria and other organisms can spread between them!). From the pictures, the changes appear to be mild right now, which is great as you have caught it early! Other things that can cause both watering of the eyes and respiratory problems is bedding in the cage. Shavings made of pine or cedar can be irritating to both the eyes and the respiratory system, and can result in sneezing and watering of the eyes. Excessively dusty bedding can do the same things. If these are present, I would recommend changing those out and looking for improvement. Your veterinarian will be able to look closely at Peaches' eyes, and take a close listen to her lungs to make sure she is not also having respiratory signs.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Pebbles. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian as he may have an eye infection. The veterinarian will use an ophthalmic scope to evaluate the eyes. He will likely need an eye drop or ointment. Is he sneezing or having any other signs of disease? If so, he could have an upper respiratory tract infection and may need an antibiotic. I hope this information helps!

Poor Pip, it looks like she has developed conjunctivitis. It is inflammation of the eye tissue that can be caused by infection or trauma (like getting bedding in the eye). There is a chance there may be damage to the surface of the eye which could cause an ulcer, usually a vet will put dye in the eye to check for this. Ideally I would take her to a vet to have this checked, but it may be more difficult with the virus. I would ring your normal vet and see what they say about an appointment. You will need an eye drop to treat the eye a d your vet should be able to prescribe this to you based on the symptoms you describe, they may want to see it though. Make sure Pip is still eating well as pain can put GPs off food easily.

It sounds as Uzi is suffering from an eye infection, it is relatively common in guinea pigs. you will need to take him to the vet the first chance you get, the vet will check the eyes to make sure there is no damage or foreign body in it, if it is indeed a simple eye infection your vet will prescribe an antibiotic eye drops that will probably solve the problem in no time.

Your guinea pig may have an upper respiratory infection or a tooth abscess. You should take it to a veterinarian familiar with guinea pigs for a check up of his teeth (guinea pigs often have malocclusions and teeth that are too long). If there is an upper respiratory infection your cavy needs to be treated with injectable antibiotics. Guinea pigs cannot take antibiotics by mouth as it kills their intestinal flora and can indeed kill the guinea pig. Should the crusts go away and your guinea pig eats and drinks well and is happy, then this might have been caused by a draft and it will not need a vet visit.

I am sorry to hear about your loss. The signs you are describing could be compatible with an upper respiratory tract inflammation/infection or eventually to a chronic rhinitis (inflammatory, allergic, infective). Unfortunately respiratory tract infections can be quite severe in guinea pigs. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed, but no probiotics are necessary at this stage. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.