Guinea pig URI: Is it from cold? Causes, signs, and prevention tips.

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.

The best ways to prevent URIs is to make sure to use a dust free bedding, change the cage at regular and appropriate intervals, feed a high quality diet and supplement with high quality vitamin C. Keep the cage well ventilated and away from drafty windows or other conditions which may cause extremes in temperature. Providing lots of healthy fresh fruits and vegetables will also help improve the immune system. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It can take hours to days for a serious URI to develop. It depends on the guinea pig, environment, diet, etc. Temps below 65F can lead to stress and illness. The ideal range is about 68F-72F. Snuggle sacks make comfortable hiding spots, just be sure she doesn't chew and ingest the fabric. Keep the cage away from cold drafts. Avoid large swings in temperature. Provide plenty of clean bedding and don't forget to supplement with vitamin C.

There is no specific incubation period. URIs in guinea pigs (and other mammals) can be caused by more than one organism. Yes, if left untreated a URI may progress to more severe illness such as pneumonia.

Thanks for reaching out about Peppa. This does sound like an upper respiratory disease, and these can be bacterial or viral. There are some antibiotics safer to give newborns, such as doxycycline, and treats many of the diseases that cause URIs in guinea pigs. Not sure what is going on the eye on the other one, but a corneal infections if a concern. It is recommended your see a veterinarian to help and prescribe medication. good luck.

I am sorry to hear about Biscuit. I would be concerned about an upper respiratory infection with this noise you describe. Sometimes we can have mild symptoms at first which then progress as infection worsens. I would recommend having her examined by a vet. In the meantime, you can give her a steam treatment by putting her in the bathroom while you run a steam shower for 10 minutes a few times a day or placing a humidifier in her room. You can also place her on paper bedding or fleece bedding to decrease respiratory irritants/dust and ensure the cage is staying very clean to decrease ammonia exposure which can irritate the respiratory tract.

heat pads and snuggle sacks cannot prevent respiratory infections. They can only keep your guinea pig warm when it is cold. The only thing that can keep your guinea pig from contracting upper respiratory disease is to make sure his cage is always clean,. she gets fed good quality dust free hay, some fruit and veggies in addition and always fresh clean water. Here is very good information on how to keep a guinea pig properly: https://vet.purdue.edu/vth/sacp/documents/CareofGuineaPigs_001.pdf