Kennel Cough in Guinea Pigs?

Thank you very much for replying it has set my mind at rest :)

Hi Dazie,

Guinea pigs are susceptible to the bacteria ´Bordetella Bronchiseptica´, which is one of the most common causes of respiratory infections in pigs. It is the same bacteria that causes kennel cough in dogs and so can pass to the pigs. However, this rarely happens as it would be unusual for dogs to have close enough contact with the pigs for them to catch it. The symptoms of the disease is also different in guinea pigs, dogs will develop a deep, harsh cough (hence the name Kennel Cough) but pigs will get signs more similar to flu. They can have a snotty nose, noisy breathing and runny eyes. It is treated with anti-biotics but animals who have had the infection often become ´carriers´ which mean they will have the bacteria but no symptoms, but can pass it on to other animals. The most common way for a guinea pig to catch bordatella is from a rabbit. Rabbits can carry the bacteria but it doesn´t affect them at all.

Bordetella bronchiseptica is diagnosed by taking swabs of the nasal discharges, I am not aware of being able to isolate it from the urine. It would be unusual for a vet to culture the bacteria due to the costs involved and it usually responds well to anti-biotics. The only reason they might would be if an owner had a lot of pigs and wanted to know exactly what was going on. I wouldn´t be worried about your dog passing anything to the pigs, he is unlikely to have close enough contact, especially if most of them are outside.

I hope this helps!

Cat