Boy sounds snuffling

[Guineapiggirl34]

My boy pig often sounds snuffly. Dad took him to the vet a few weeks ago but they said he was fine. He often sounds snuffly and today sounds esp so. I assume he doesn’t have an infection, if the vet says he didn’t before (he has been taken two or three times for snuffly sounds - I’m a bit paranoid after one boy died of pneumonia) could it be something else making him snuffly or do some pigs just make more noise when they breath? It is almost like a half squeak, half snuffle.

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

He sounds fine when he isnt trying to squeak, when he is squeaking the noise becomes more apparent…

 

[Wiebke]

Hi|

Have you checked whether he is snufflier when eating or shortly after eating hay?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Does it sound like his nose is congested?
Is the hay dusty?
Do you use things like sprays, candles or perfumes?

Dusty hay is often a reason if there it not any infection. Piggies have narrow airways so even the smallest bit of hay dust in the airways can make their breathing audible

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

We don’t use any sprays, we clean the cage with piggie cage wipes, we use a spray maybe once a week/ once a month to make sure it is really clean, although the dirt and pee doesn’t go through the fleece. I do t wear any perfumes, or spray in here. Mum wears perfume once in a blue moon, but when she goes out as I can’t breath with it either. Hay dust possible. We buy the Timothy hay company hay both orchard and Timothy, we don’t use the bottom of the box as it tends to have lots of small pieces and dusty bits.

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

We wash the fleece with unscented ‘Ecover zero’. I have an air purifier on all night, the central heating has not yet been turned on… dad did sweep the chimney yesterday but it goes straight into the vaccum so not in the air at all (I would notice it)

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

Sorry I did not say his nose sorts of clicks sometimes, it always has done to a certain extent (could he have a small nasal passage of something?) like it is stuck and gets unstuck. But it seems to happen when he is squeaking not just when he is sat there? He manged to chase his wife around like crazy when she was in heat 3 days ago…

 

[Piggies&buns]

So your hay is dusty then if it is settling in the bottom of the box - this happens and is entirely normal but Dust can be through the whole box of hay, even though most will sink to the bottom.

Do you notice that he is worse when you have topped up their hay or when he has just be to the hay?

If you are noticing that then, I would take a portion of hay outside and shake it in a bag, to get even more dust out before feeding.

As I said Piggies do have narrow airways, so any dust can be audible in the airways

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

Hi|

Have you checked whether he is snufflier when eating or shortly after eating hay?

That would be hard to say as they have hay in rolls and big pile hay in bag all day, and they’re eat a bit when they are feeling like it. It seems to be worse snuffly when he is squeaking with a cuddle. He doesn’t snuffle atleast not loud enough for me to hear (I have super sensitive hearing) when he is in the cage…

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

Ok we will try the shaking to remove more dust. It is a shame they can’t totally remove the dust! The pet shop stuff is the worst for being dusty. I guess as the hay ages and gets moved around, bits of it break off causing the dust

 

[Wiebke]

Ok we will try the shaking to remove more dust. It is a shame they can’t totally remove the dust! The pet shop stuff is the worst for being dusty. I guess as the hay ages and gets moved around, bits of it break off causing the dust

Any snuffling will be louder when your piggy is eating or wheeking due to added pressure on the very narrow and small airways piggies have. Just a bit of hay dust can cause quite some alarming sounds.

The other possibility is more common during the winter months - dry air or a change from moister fresh summer air to drier radiator air.

See whether a bowl with steaming water next to the cage is going to make a bit of a difference.

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

The’ hay dust causing some alarming sounds’ does that mean those alarming sounds are in fact not as serious as they sound? I am so much of a worrier, made worse by loosing two babies in six months. If I were well I think I would be at the vet all the time, but it’s my poor parents who look after me and have to take them, so atleast the piggie vet trips are limited by what I think they can cope with! But then I thought I was worrying unnecessarily before my two died, so I don’t know when the worry is warranted. What I would give to BE an exotic vet…

 

[Wiebke]

The’ hay dust causing some alarming sounds’ does that mean those alarming sounds are in fact not as serious as they sound? I am so much of a worrier, made worse by loosing two babies in six months. If I were well I think I would be at the vet all the time, but it’s my poor parents who look after me and have to take them, so atleast the piggie vet trips are limited by what I think they can cope with! But then I thought I was worrying unnecessarily before my two died, so I don’t know when the worry is warranted. What I would give to BE an exotic vet…

Yes, they are not as worrying as they sound. Especially not when the weight/appetite is stable. Some piggies are more sensitive than others.

As rule of thumb, when you hold your ear next to the nose and the noise comes from there, it is generally harmless; if it is rasping/crackling from the throat area, you are more likely dealing with a bacterial respiratory infection and any clicking or laboured breathing from the chest area could be pneumonia and would be an emergency.
You may want to practise a little bit to learn what is normal and what not.

You may also find the very practical advice in this link here helpful so you can concentrate more on enjoying your piggies without falling into the hovering trap and starting to worry about your piggies nonstop.
Pet Owners Anxiety - Practical Tips For Sufferers and For Supporters

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

Thank you so much!

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

Yes, they are not as worrying as they sound. Especially not when the weight/appetite is stable. Some piggies are more sensitive than others.

As rule of thumb, when you hold your ear next to the nose and the noise comes from there, it is generally harmless; if it is rasping/crackling from the throat area, you are more likely dealing with a bacterial respiratory infection and any clicking or laboured breathing from the chest area could be pneumonia and would be an emergency.
You may want to practise a little bit to learn what is normal and what not.

You may also find the very practical advice in this link here helpful so you can concentrate more on enjoying your piggies without falling into the hovering trap and starting to worry about your piggies nonstop.
Pet Owners Anxiety - Practical Tips For Sufferers and For Supporters

Wow, that link is going to be very helpful, I do have mental illness and anxiety.

 

[Wiebke]

Wow, that link is going to be very helpful, I do have mental illness and anxiety.

We have got quite a few members with anxiety and it is generally rising, so I have written this to help both sufferers and the people who support them or who are confronted with a panic and feel helpless.

It's just simple but quite effective measures born from my experiences in dealing with anxiety sufferers. I hope that you will find them useful.

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

Hi, same pig snuffling again. Yesterday sounded so bad it was exactly like my boy with pneumonia, took to expensive out of hours non exotic vet as that was all avaliable. He said Guinea pig seems normal but he did hear so them of the snuffles, he said I could do X-ray or antibiotics. We took antibiotics, X-ray seemed drastic. Today Guinea pig was fine most of the day, but this evening has started breathing heavy again. Very heavy. His bum end between legs feels very full/swollen a little. Has been like that for a week. I thought he was just getting chunky. But everyone has lost a little weight this week (ran out of their Timothy hay, refusing their meadow hay despite it being nice and green just a little thicker stems that the Timothy) so I can’t really go by their weight. We have started having heating on (which I how I need help) only 15 mins once or twice a day. I know you say bowls of steaming water, but I live in Cornwall in a 200 year old barn conversion, very damp, constant mould clearing up, do you think streaming water will help if already very damp?

I attach photos of the cage set up. His is next to radiator but as my black girl hates the sight or smell of him I think it is the only place his cage can be. Someone suggest3d cardboard between cage and radiator, what do you think? He is really breathing hard, I. His cage right now, suddenly he gives one breath very loud and squeaky, like a forced breath. I am pretty terrified, but he went to see a vet yesterday and they said he had no obvious problems, he is being given the antibiotic doses in case of infection.

The third photo shows the white radiator overlapping the cage by just over one panel.

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

Update, the central heating just came on first time since this morning, no cover over radiator yet, he seems to have reduced the heavy breathing?

 

[Wiebke]

Update, the central heating just came on first time since this morning, no cover over radiator yet, he seems to have reduced the heavy breathing?

I hope if your piggy is reacting well to less humid air that is going to help him. You can never predict whether drier or more humid air can help.

Anyway, I assume that all treating vets have checked the heart? And checked the body or chest area for a potential build-up of fluid (which the x-ray may have been meant for)?

With heavy breathing are you speaking of very loud or very laboured breathing with heaving sides?

PS: I have merged your threads so we can keep the case together. We are all doing this for free in our free time and the forum is too busy to read all threads and remember all cases from weeks back all the time. I would recommend to please bookmark this thread so we have a bit more of a chance to know what has done before, been ruled in or ruled out so we can give you better support.

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

Ok I understand. The vet really was not a specialist and didnt sound terribly sure of anything. He said have a follow up consult with an exotic vet this week. When he seemed better this morning we thought maybe it was an infection and the antibiotics were working. Mum may well take him tomorrow if they have space, she will explain about the rear end sweeling a little and a specialist may connect the dots, I can but hope. He does seem to be better having had some heating on. We don’t air the room, I can’t have the windows open when I am downstairs. We were opening the windows a jar overnight, but after my piggie died of pneumonia a year ago we stopped doing that, damp cold air at night seemed a bad plan. Would windows open at any point say before I come down help? They have been doing ok until now without them open.

 

[Wiebke]

Ok I understand. The vet really was not a specialist and didnt sound terribly sure of anything. He said have a follow up consult with an exotic vet this week. When he seemed better this morning we thought maybe it was an infection and the antibiotics were working. Mum may well take him tomorrow if they have space, she will explain about the rear end sweeling a little and a specialist may connect the dots, I can but hope. He does seem to be better having had some heating on. We don’t air the room, I can’t have the windows open when I am downstairs. We were opening the windows a jar overnight, but after my piggie died of pneumonia a year ago we stopped doing that, damp cold air at night seemed a bad plan. Would windows open at any point say before I come down help? They have been doing ok until now without them open.

So dampness rather than dryness could be a problem.

Please air the room from time to time but if your mother could do it for 5 minutes a day over the winter months either before you come down or after you go back up that would likely be best. Never leave the window open overnight during colding/freezing nights.

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

We aired the room today and the heating has been on a couple of times, he is breathing really well. Still on the antibiotics. As the we go further into winter we will have the heating on more, do we need to put some cardboard in between the radiator and the cage to prevent overheating? I think pigs and buns suggested it once.

 

[Truffolo]

Yes, mould forms on hay quite quickly in humid conditiins and I suspect both humans and piggies could get congested if the microscopic moulds trigger an alleegy or immune response. It may be something else causing his symptoms, but throwing away old hay each evening and trying to keep the bedding and hay dry may be worth trying. In high humidity hay feels slightly sticky. My piggies adore nesting in their hay, so we go through quite a lot of Pillow Wad. No brand is immune to the odd lousy bag, but so far Pillow Wad has been ok. Of course you may have a different brand which you like.

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

Thanks guys, he is doing much better, no wheezing or heavy breathing now his antibiotics have finished.he seems to be enjoying the warmth of the heating and the airing of the room. X

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks guys, he is doing much better, no wheezing or heavy breathing now his antibiotics have finished.he seems to be enjoying the warmth of the heating and the airing of the room. X

Thank you for your update. So often, we don't hear about the outcome.

We are always here if you need any help or moral support.