Can a Guinea Pig go hoarse?

[HumanWithFurryPotats]

Can a Guinea Pig lose their voice or go hoarse just like us? I have been hearing my Guinea Pig making squeals that just sound like heavy breathing but I am certain that the sound is a squeal not coming out right, it sort of sounds like when you're shouting and lose your voice. Is going hoarse in Guinea Pigs okay or could it mean something dangerous, such as URI?

 

[Freela]

They can get hoarse... a couple of my pigs tended to lose their upper register as they got older. They would wheek, but it would just be air instead of wheeking! It could be something as simple as overuse or some minor irritation from allergens/dust, but I would watch out for other signs of URI just in case, like runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, lethargy, not eating, etc. But otherwise I think it's just one of those things.

 

[Tigermoth]

My Jenny does this. Last night she was hilarious, we had the loudest wheeks from her ever, I just picked up my phone to record her though and she stopped. A few minutes later she was in the same pose doing the same thing but just a breathy noise came out. But normal chuffs as she pottered about. Then a bit later a mixture of normal wheeking and hoarse sounds. A bit like my teenage boy going through his vocal traumas, lol. Some times it seems more deliberate though. Who knows?!

 

[VickiA]

How old is the piggy? Has he been ill or through any trauma?

 

[HumanWithFurryPotats]

She is around 5 years old, and I haven’t seen any signs of URI from her.

 

[Merab]

When my Merab got older she lost her wheek.
She just whispered most of the time but occasionally surprised herself with a proper wheek.
There was nothing wrong - just age