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A stuffy nose and a weird sound when he eats

Lulum

Lulum

New Born Pup
Joined
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Czech republic
Hi, have any of you experienced something similar? I went to the vet about it and she said it was just water in his lungs, that I probably got it in there with a syringe. I thought it was weird, but after he got the shot he was pretty much fine and today it started again, but in a bigger way, that weird sneeze, he does it almost all the time now when eating.
The vet can't take us until Tuesday at the earliest, so I'm hoping he can make it until then.

Guinea pig weird noise : Shiriichi
 
Hi,

Whenever mine have sounded like that, it’s tended to only last a short while and has been something stuck in the nostrils; such as hay or dust. One of mine that likes to dive head first into the hay, tends to make the noise sometimes, but hasn’t since I switched them to a different hay. Does your boy do it constantly or does it come and go?

I had a guinea pig that did that chronically and after investigations the vet said it was mucous build up that he will always be prone to from a previous URI.

If you are at all worried, or there are any weight/behaviour/breathing changes, get him a vet check up.
Even if just for peace of mind, a visit to the vet is well worth it.
 
Bradshaw Piggies said:
Hi,

Whenever mine have sounded like that, it’s tended to only last a short while and has been something stuck in the nostrils; such as hay or dust. One of mine that likes to dive head first into the hay, tends to make the noise sometimes, but hasn’t since I switched them to a different hay. Does your boy do it constantly or does it come and go?

I had a guinea pig that did that chronically and after investigations the vet said it was mucous build up that he will always be prone to from a previous URI.

If you are at all worried, or there are any weight/behaviour/breathing changes, get him a vet check up.
Even if just for peace of mind, a visit to the vet is well worth it.
Click to expand...
I checked his nose and there's nothing in it. He is quite civilized when eating and unlike his brother, he doesn't stick his head anywhere. Last time we went to the vet was Tuesday because he was having a hard time breathing like this and was gagging. Then it was fine, then on Friday he started again for a while and again this morning. It's always been for about 4-5hrs, but almost all the time. Each time it got a little better when I gave him a drop of the infant nose drops.

And how did it go with your guinea pig, who did it chorinically? Did he need any special care, medication or anything? I'm still a student, and what I managed to earn over the holidays in June, when I finished the semester early, I spent on other problems he had. It's almost the second month I've been home with him 24/7 because he's had various antibiotics, and now I finally don't have to feed him and he's started gaining a little weight on his own. I'm very worried about something going wrong again.
 
Lulum said:
I checked his nose and there's nothing in it. He is quite civilized when eating and unlike his brother, he doesn't stick his head anywhere. Last time we went to the vet was Tuesday because he was having a hard time breathing like this and was gagging. Then it was fine, then on Friday he started again for a while and again this morning. It's always been for about 4-5hrs, but almost all the time. Each time it got a little better when I gave him a drop of the infant nose drops.

And how did it go with your guinea pig, who did it chorinically? Did he need any special care, medication or anything? I'm still a student, and what I managed to earn over the holidays in June, when I finished the semester early, I spent on other problems he had. It's almost the second month I've been home with him 24/7 because he's had various antibiotics, and now I finally don't have to feed him and he's started gaining a little weight on his own. I'm very worried about something going wrong again.
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We can't always see foreign objects in the airways, as it can be dust/small particles that are irritating the airways; sometimes much further in than the nostrils. Sometimes a bowl of steaming water next to the cage can help clear it.

My pig with the chronic rattles did not have further treatment as he recovered (with treatment) from his URI and was left with scarring. Though our vets did discuss just how many piggies show scarring on the lungs as their airways are so tiny and sensitive. Sometimes other irritants such as air fresheners, perfumes etc can cause irritation too.

I would avoid medicating him yourself, without speaking to your vet. You could always get a second opinion from another vet. Piggy savvy vets are hard to come by, but you can use our vet locator:

Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

What antibiotics has he been on?

We always recommend having a vet savings fund for piggies, as unfortunately things can and do go wrong; and usually at the most inconvenient times.
 
Lulum said:
Hi, have any of you experienced something similar? I went to the vet about it and she said it was just water in his lungs, that I probably got it in there with a syringe. I thought it was weird, but after he got the shot he was pretty much fine and today it started again, but in a bigger way, that weird sneeze, he does it almost all the time now when eating.
The vet can't take us until Tuesday at the earliest, so I'm hoping he can make it until then.

Guinea pig weird noise : Shiriichi
Click to expand...
How is he in himself? Any weight loss or lack of interest in food or drink? I also have a piggy that’s prone to making that sound fairly often, but it usually only lasts an hour or two, then she’ll sneeze, and that will clear it, sometimes partially and sometimes fully - until the next time. I know with her it’s nothing to worry about as it’s been checked out with my exotic vet. If you’re not sure whether your vet has lots of piggy knowledge and experience, there’s a list if recommended vets at the top of the page.
 
Bradshaw Piggies said:
We can't always see foreign objects in the airways, as it can be dust/small particles that are irritating the airways; sometimes much further in than the nostrils. Sometimes a bowl of steaming water next to the cage can help clear it.

My pig with the chronic rattles did not have further treatment as he recovered (with treatment) from his URI and was left with scarring. Though our vets did discuss just how many piggies show scarring on the lungs as their airways are so tiny and sensitive. Sometimes other irritants such as air fresheners, perfumes etc can cause irritation too.

I would avoid medicating him yourself, without speaking to your vet. You could always get a second opinion from another vet. Piggy savvy vets are hard to come by, but you can use our vet locator:

Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

What antibiotics has he been on?

We always recommend having a vet savings fund for piggies, as unfortunately things can and do go wrong; and usually at the most inconvenient times.
Click to expand...
He had antibiotics, the names of which I didn't write down, but they were for a lump under his throat that was inflamed and then one for blood in his urine. On top of that, he was on probiotics and analgesics the whole time, which I was advised to continue. I would never give them anything without talking to a vet, I have a vet who specializes in small mammals. She just recommended that I give him infant nose drops, like a drop 3 times a day, so I'm continuing that for now. I had savings for the guinea pigs, his brother and him are only 2 so I hadn't counted on him getting seriously ill this early and I didn't have the opportunity to go to any part-time jobs during the covid and I was home with them and buying toys for them from savings (tunnels, houses, bridges, herbs, bowls, hay bins, etc. - simply put my whole room is now a guinea pig enclosure and I've given away the table and chair and I'm on the floor with them) and now that I have the opportunity to earn money I have to be home with him.
 
Janey said:
How is he in himself? Any weight loss or lack of interest in food or drink? I also have a piggy that’s prone to making that sound fairly often, but it usually only lasts an hour or two, then she’ll sneeze, and that will clear it, sometimes partially and sometimes fully - until the next time. I know with her it’s nothing to worry about as it’s been checked out with my exotic vet. If you’re not sure whether your vet has lots of piggy knowledge and experience, there’s a list if recommended vets at the top of the page.
Click to expand...
Luckily it's just the opposite, after a long time he is eating on his own again and for the first time in a month I even saw him drinking from a drinker, he is just starting to gain weight on his own after a long time on critical care. My vet is the best I can get in the area, we have been to many different vets and I am really happy with this one. I'm just worried that he'll somehow get sick again and I want to make sure he'll be fine.
 
I would continue to weigh him daily to monitor how much he is eating. Make sure there are no irritants in the room. But also, to rule out any potential problem, have another chat with your vet.
 
It's gotten a lot worse now. It's after midnight now and we have a vet appointment at 1pm today, but I can't sleep at all when I hear him struggling to breathe when he's lying down. Can it help him if I turn on the air humidifier or could it harm him?
 
Lulum said:
It's gotten a lot worse now. It's after midnight now and we have a vet appointment at 1pm today, but I can't sleep at all when I hear him struggling to breathe when he's lying down. Can it help him if I turn on the air humidifier or could it harm him?
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I would, it might ease his breathing. Glad you have a vet appointment tomorrow.
 
Hello again,
so he got extra syrup from the vet for congestion, plus I'm adding more drops to the nose drops for babies that the pharmacy mixed for me. Unfortunately it still hasn't gone away and so I think it is really something in his nasal passage that is interfering with his breathing there, but it's not even visible. The humidifier is helping him a bit, but he still sounds like he's struggling a lot. The vet said that if it's something in his nose that she can't see, then it's hard to do anything about it at all, that it's more like waiting and hoping it encapsulates and stops causing problems, because the likelihood of him sniffing it out is really low.
 
Viennese Furbabies said:
Is he on antibiotics at the moment?
Click to expand...
No, he's not. His breathing sounds fine now. We've been back for another check-up. She checked his breathing, the lump under his neck, blood in his urine, etc. Unfortunately he has suddenly stopped eating, he will have a treat but overnight (or 6hrs) he has dropped 40g and now weighs 890g, he is not doing anything, not eating not drinking. He should be fine now, it's only yesterday we went for a check up. I'm really lost right now. Every time it looks like he's going to be fine, something goes wrong. Am I torturing him?
 
I'm really sorry! It is always difficult when the guinea pig is definately sick and the vet doesn't find anything.
This can happen with really good vets because guinea pigs can be very difficult patients. And there is still a big gap between treatable problems in cat and dogs and in guinea pigs, at least in Austria.
It sounds like you're doing everything you can, but I can really understand what you're going through at the moment.

Do you have any pain medication at home?
Was he coughing or 'just' sneezing? I'm not quite sure about it in your video.

Sometimes guinea pigs develop infections of the throat which can be really painful. It seems to be hard to diagnose if you don't know exactley what to look for (as a vet).
That's the only idea that comes to my mind.
It can be treatable (with pain medication and antibiotics or antifungal medication), but sometimes piggies just stop to eat. :(
 
Viennese Furbabies said:
I'm really sorry! It is always difficult when the guinea pig is definately sick and the vet doesn't find anything.
This can happen with really good vets because guinea pigs can be very difficult patients. And there is still a big gap between treatable problems in cat and dogs and in guinea pigs, at least in Austria.
It sounds like you're doing everything you can, but I can really understand what you're going through at the moment.

Do you have any pain medication at home?
Was he coughing or 'just' sneezing? I'm not quite sure about it in your video.

Sometimes guinea pigs develop infections of the throat which can be really painful. It seems to be hard to diagnose if you don't know exactley what to look for (as a vet).
That's the only idea that comes to my mind.
It can be treatable (with pain medication and antibiotics or antifungal medication), but sometimes piggies just stop to eat. :(
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I
I know, it's the same in the Czech Republic! When I had my first guinea pigs, I learned the difference between traditional vets and those who understand guinea pigs. Now we have a vet who specializes in small mammals and their internal medicine and surgery, but it doesn't seem to help much...

I've got too much medicine for me. The schedule I give him is:

5:00 AM Cream (20g) + Meloxidyl (Analgesic; 0.2ml) + RodiCare Akut (In addition to probiotics to help with digestion; 0.3ml) + Nasivin (Nasal drops for infants; a drop in each nostril)
5:20 AM Pamycon (additional nose drops specially formulated for him; a drop in each nostril)
9:00 AM Feeding (15g)
1:00 PM Feeding (15g) + Protexin (probiotics, 0.4g mixed in feed) + Sumamed (drops for congestion; 1ml) + Nasivin (-/-)
1:20 PM Pamycon (-/-)
5:00 PM Feeding (15g) + Meloxidyl (-//-) + RodiCare Artrin (This is for his bones, as he had a broken leg a year ago)
9:00 PM Feeding (15g) + Nasivin (-//-) + Vitamin C
9:20 PM Pamycon (-/-)
12:00 PM Feeding (15g)

He hasn't coughed or sniffled for two days now, I have the humidifier on 24/7 and as soon as I start to feel like the air is a little worse, I just ventilate quickly to keep the humid air in because it seems to be helping him.
I also called the vet (they're open 24/7 even on weekends and holidays), but they weren't able to give me any advice, given that we were there yesterday and he seemed fine already...
He's been dragging on for two months now, I don't mind that the savings are gone and all the holidays canceled, I just want him to be a happy guinea pig and run around my room playing with his brother again. He's way too young (he's just turned 2 now), but I paid for the vet to come to our house on Monday (he wouldn't have made the trip anywhere in that condition). But I don't know what I'm going to do if they don't find anything and it just turns out he's lost the will to live, I don't want to torture him in any way...
 
Now I noticed that he also has diarrhea... so I'll have to skip the vegetables and dandelion leaves he was looking forward to at least a little bit228668859_545635620127374_5262163206327660973_n.webp
 
I'm really sorry. :(
The Rodicare-drops are really good. I have been using the different types for years with good results, especially Rodicare akut. But of course they only help a little bit when it comes to the worst.
 
I’m really sorry, I am not sure that I can add anything that has not already been considered. If he has diarrhoea, then it’s best to stop all fresh green stuff (grass, veggies, fruit) and feed him just hay and pellets and his medicines and any syringe feed that you can get into him. It is so hard when you are fighting what seems to be an unknown battle and taking one step forward and then another backward.
 
Hello again. Do you know how to find out if diarrhea is caused by bacterial, viral or parasitic infection? Do I need to go directly to the vet with my piggy or could it be detected through poops or something?
 
Okay... so this is really, really weird. These are two day old poops that I'm picking up to test, and they've turned white, it looks like the poops have grown fur.
 

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It's not much, I turn on the humidifier during the day because it makes it easier for the piggy to breathe, but I keep this box in the hallway and in other rooms the air is rather drier.
 
But I have no experience with mold, so I guess it's possible, because I wouldn't know it. Maybe it happened when I was picking up poops in my room.
 
Viennese Furbabies said:
How is your boy?
Click to expand...
Hi,
he's not doing too well. We're just waiting for the coprology results. We'll get them either tomorrow or Monday. I'm feeding him every two hours now, and he's holding his own, sleeping most of the day. Diarrhea's still bothering him now and then. Some of the poop is diarrhea and some of it is good. I've spoken to the vet again and since he doesn't have diarrhea from his diet, I'm also bringing him grass to prevent dental problems, plus he looks much better and happier afterwards, it keeps him going a lot. His weight is the same every day, 870g in the morning after 5 hours of not feeding him and 930g in the evening. I'm trying to get him to hold on now until the results are in and he finally gets his meds.
 
I hope you will get the results soon. My specialist vet would also encourage you to feed grass, dandelion and plantain.
All the best for your boy! 🍀🍀
 
Hang in there. I really hope the vet can find an answer for your sweet piggy. You’re doing a great job.
 
Thank you both so much for your encouraging words. No results today yet and we have to wait until Monday, but that's a minute compared to how long he's been holding out.
 
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