How can I stop my guinea pig from getting a respiratory infection?

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.

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

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.

Guinea pigs do not get URI from cold weather, they get it from bacterias in most cases. this could be from other guinea pigs and sometimes can be present in the environment. the treatment for URI is antibiotic treatment only.

Do not introduce any new guinea pigs to your current pigs without them being quarantined first for at least 2 weeks. That way no new infections will be introduced. Feed them a high quality diet like Oxbow. Remember, the majority of the diet should be hay (preferably Timothy). ( https://www.viovet.co.uk/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=oxbow ) Make sure all the husbandry is 100% correct - housing, diet, supplements, bedding, etc. Regular vet checks - about once per year - to check their teeth and overall health. ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-best-way-to-care-for-and-feed-your-guinea-pig/ )

If your guinea pig is sneezing it could be an indication of an upper respiratory tract infection. These can lead to pneumonia fairly quickly which can be life threatening in guinea pigs. If she is sneezing consistently I would recommend taking her in to see the vet so she can be started on some antibiotics. If the sneezing is just occasional then keep an eye on her to make sure it does not get worse. As far as the smell, all you can do is keep the cage in a well ventilated area, change the bedding frequently like you are doing and bathe your guinea pigs if they start to become smelly. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Guinea pigs are fun, fairly easy pets to own. Clean water daily, lots of Timothy hay, limited guinea pig pellets, vitamin C supplement are important. Guinea pigs also have sensitive respiratory tracts, so changing their cage several times a week to keep the urine smell (ammonia levels) down is also important. Some daily exercise out of the cage is also great! I hope this was helpful!