Emergency please help: Duck's URI gasping for breath
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Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
Is there any chance the very small grain of rice could have been a parasite or a parasite egg? Also, a very few guinea pigs can actually have allergies and allergy meds can help (we encourage treatment for bacterial infections first - the Bactrim should help if there is any active infection).
I'm not too familiar with how parasite eggs look so I will say that it is possible that it could have been a parasite or parasite egg. After a google search it may resemble a tapeworm egg in shape. But I think it was bigger than the images I'm seeing. Really hoping she doesn't have a parasite.
I will start her on the sulfatrim tomorrow and post updates here. Please keep Duck in your thoughts!
I will start her on the sulfatrim tomorrow and post updates here. Please keep Duck in your thoughts!
-
Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
I have three pet chickens. They have the run of a garden and are much more exposed to parasites, having had both internal and external parasites that have caused many problems. It would be worth exploring some safe parasite treatments. Describe what you saw to your vet and see if he/she thinks it might be worth treating for potential internal parasites.
For example, my chickens were treated for possible gape worms - a parasite that lives in the throat - with fenbendazole (Safe-Guard). Gape worms interfere with breathing and a chicken can repeatedly open and close its mouth, trying to breath better. Fenbendazole happens to be one of the antiparasitics listed in my old copy of Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary for giardiasis (all species) and mice (cestodes, pinworms). There seem to be a lot of rodent treatments for pin worms (guessing that cyclically, they would pass out of the digestive system and perhaps even be visible to the naked eye).
All this said, it is unusual and I don't recall any guinea pig on the forum having parasites in the throat/respiratory system so this is just a wild guess.
Gape worms seem to be mainly a problem for birds. More about gapeworms in chickens:
https://alchetron.com/Gapeworm
Some cool slides identifying various parasite eggs, including gape worm, which could look like a grain of rice (perhaps smaller than what you found, though). A tutorial on identification of internal parasites in mammals and birds:
https://www.slideshare.net/VanessaVanRh ... nd-draft-2
For example, my chickens were treated for possible gape worms - a parasite that lives in the throat - with fenbendazole (Safe-Guard). Gape worms interfere with breathing and a chicken can repeatedly open and close its mouth, trying to breath better. Fenbendazole happens to be one of the antiparasitics listed in my old copy of Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary for giardiasis (all species) and mice (cestodes, pinworms). There seem to be a lot of rodent treatments for pin worms (guessing that cyclically, they would pass out of the digestive system and perhaps even be visible to the naked eye).
All this said, it is unusual and I don't recall any guinea pig on the forum having parasites in the throat/respiratory system so this is just a wild guess.
Gape worms seem to be mainly a problem for birds. More about gapeworms in chickens:
https://alchetron.com/Gapeworm
Some cool slides identifying various parasite eggs, including gape worm, which could look like a grain of rice (perhaps smaller than what you found, though). A tutorial on identification of internal parasites in mammals and birds:
https://www.slideshare.net/VanessaVanRh ... nd-draft-2