Can I give my coughing guinea pig children's Benadryl for relief?

Thanks for your question about Oliver, and I am sorry that he is having some respiratory issues. If he has allergies and is being treated with the diphenhydramine regularly, you should see some sort of improvement within a week of being on it. As far as your question about whether life-long treatment will be required, that would depend on whether you and your veterinarian could identify the item (or items) that Oliver is allergic to. If that can be identified and eliminated from the environment, then you may not need constant treatment. It may then only be required on an as needed basis. If you do not see improvement on the diphenhydramine, then I would agree with your veterinarian that radiographs (x-rays) would be needed. Unfortunately, pneumonia and other lung issues are very common in guinea pigs, and this would show up on the radiographs. If that is seen, your veterinarian would likely need to change up the treatments that have been tried in Oliver before. I hope that gives you a place to start, and that Oliver feels better soon.

If the cough is just very occasional and Daisy is otherwise acting normally I would not be too concerned at this time. If however, the cough is increasing in frequency (more than a couple times a day), if Daisy is not eating well, and/or if she has eye or nasal discharge I would recommend taking her to the vet to be examined. Guinea pigs are prone to getting upper respiratory infections that can lead to pneumonia so if the problem progresses you should have her checked out. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hello there! I'm sorry to hear that Benji isn't feeling well. I do worry that something may be serious going on as coughing is never normal in guinea pigs, and the shrieking makes me think that Benji is either very stressed or possibly painful. Not all upper respiratory diseases include symptoms like nasal or ocular discharge, so it's really important that Benji visit the vet as soon as possible. There is also the possibility that something is obstructing Benji's throat (a piece of food, bedding, etc.), so a thorough exam by a vet is in order. In the meantime, keep Benji warm and as calm as possible. If he is still eating and drinking, that's a great sign - definitely encourage him to continue to do so. Good luck, and I hope that Benji gets well soon!

A clean cage is the most important thing you can do, as the ammonia from the urine causes a lot of irritation to the respiratory tract. Monitor closely for any more coughing or sneezing, and if this occurs she will really need to see a veterinarian for possible respiratory tract infection. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Based on what you are describing I would be concerned about a respiratory disease going on with Henry. It would be best if you could take him to be examined by your veterinarian because he will most likely need antibiotics and possibly an anti-inflammatory medication to help stop the cough. The veterinarian may also want to perform radiographs to assess the lungs and heart. I would also recommend you look at this article about nutrition and husbandry for guinea pigs to make sure Henry is getting all the nutrients he needs to stay healthy. https://www.petco.com/shop/PetcoContentDisplayView?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&path=/content/petco/PetcoStore/en_US/pet-services/resource-center/caresheets/guinea-pig.html I hope this helps. Please let us know if you have any additional questions. Best of luck.

I am sorry to hear about your guinea pig! You are correct in that we don't normally prescribe Penicillin products in guinea pigs as they can kill the normal healthy bacteria in the GI tract leading to severe GI problems. I would recommend contacting your vet to see if they have other antibiotics available. In the US we most often use a drug called Baytril (enrofloxacin) or Tribrissen (trimethoprim sulfadiazine). Perhaps your vet does have other drug options available.

Hello. I assume your previous veterinary visits resulted in x-rays, antibiotics, & a good assessment of diet & environmental conditions. If a dust free environment was not suggested, then change to something like Yesterdays News. If not, that is where I would start. Many young GPs can get a respiratory infection called Bordetella. Treatment involves using the antibiotics enrofloxacin (10 mg/kg once daily), & doxycycline ( 2.5 mg/kg every 12 hours ). Nebulization using saline & enrofloxacin may be very useful. Your veterinarian can recommend a protocol, but I like to do this 3 times daily for 10 minutes. Treatment with antibiotics & nebulization may need to be continued for as long as 21 days. I hope Thomas is feeling better soon. Take care.