Can guinea pigs have asthma?

[Jem22]

Hi all I have two boars who are about 3.5 years old. For the last 5/6 months one of them has had what sounds like asthma, he regularly has a really loud wheezing sound which in a human would sound like a chest infection or asthma attack. It started after he injured his jaw (no idea how but he was really out of sorts and the vet said he'd hurt it). The wheezing isn't constant but it is regular, sometimes he can clear it with a sneeze/cough but other times it can go on for ages. I've taken him to three vets and nobody can find anything wrong with him. They have an anti inflammatory medicine but that was guess work as they listened to his chest and said it was clear. I am at a loss! The noise is horrible but he is still eating, pooping and running around as usual so I don't think it bothers him as much as it bothers me!
Can guinea pigs get asthma?
Thanks for any advice

 

[Piggies&buns]

It would be incredibly rare for a piggy to have asthma - to my knowledge we have not come across single case of it on the forum. True allergies are also as rare.

Piggies have very narrow airways so any obstruction in them can be very audible. If it is cleared with a sneeze then it generally suggests a nasal obstruction.

Have you checked your hay isn’t too dusty?
Have you tried using a different type is hay?
Do you have any sprays, perfumes, candles, scents of any kind in the room or even in the house that could be drifting into the piggy room?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all I have two boars who are about 3.5 years old. For the last 5/6 months one of them has had what sounds like asthma, he regularly has a really loud wheezing sound which in a human would sound like a chest infection or asthma attack. It started after he injured his jaw (no idea how but he was really out of sorts and the vet said he'd hurt it). The wheezing isn't constant but it is regular, sometimes he can clear it with a sneeze/cough but other times it can go on for ages. I've taken him to three vets and nobody can find anything wrong with him. They have an anti inflammatory medicine but that was guess work as they listened to his chest and said it was clear. I am at a loss! The noise is horrible but he is still eating, pooping and running around as usual so I don't think it bothers him as much as it bothers me!
Can guinea pigs get asthma?
Thanks for any advice

Hi

Some guinea pigs can be very sensitive to hay dust but real allergies are very rare in guinea pigs and asthma is unknown. The airways in guinea pigs are very small and narrow. Guinea pigs are also not much in the way of mouth breathers (they are actually in acute respiratory distress if they do), so the least bit of obstruction in the nasal passages can sound very alarming; even though it is essentially harmless.

You can try different brands and sorts of hay (timothy, orchard or meadow hay are all OK as base feed) and see whether they are better with a different brand; dust extracted actually covers different levels.
A Comprehensive Hay Guide for Guinea Pigs (incl. providers in several countries)

 

[Jem22]

Thank you for the replies, the hay is the same hay they've always had, it doesn't seem very dusty but I wonder if it's worth washing it first? Or would that take out the nutrients? (My friend soaks her horses hay I think to take out sugars?) The hay is from the local farm shop so I will try some from somewhere else and see if that makes a difference. His brother isn't affected so it's unlikely to be an illness as such.
We don't have any fragrances in the room and we have a dehumidifier in the house that keeps the humidity at normal levels.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Don’t wash the hay, but do put some in a bag and give it a shake so any dust drops to the bottom

 

[LucyP]

I’m not an expert by any means and this might not be relevant to your situation… but our 2.5 year old rescue pig Mabel has regular breathing/honking issues. She also sometimes has slightly laboured breathing. She’s had a few tests/scans with our very experienced exotic vets and no clear issue was found, but they felt her lungs are not quite working 100% (maybe fibrosis). so after trying a few different things they suggested nebulisation once a day which we recently stepped up to twice if needed. It seems to help her (you can sometimes hear her clear her throat when she’s in there or just after) and then she usually gets back to more normal quiet breathing. She definitely seems to be wheezing less since the regular nebulisation started anyway (touch wood). Others nebulise their pigs just as needed rather than every day I think.

Not saying that’s what you need as every case is different and I’m not a health or guinea pig expert by any means, so I may be very wide of the mark, but might be worth a discussion with the vet if you’re worried or if it gets worse?

All the best
Lucy

 

[Urmel]

We've had a guinea pig with stress-induced asthma, it's very much a possibility! We also have one with a very flat nose who is more prone to breathing issues than others, possibly because his airways are obstructed a bit more easily, similar to dogs with short snouts (although not as extreme). If the jaw injury was the starting point, more easily obstructed airways seems a bit more likely to me, especially if he can sometimes clear it with a cough or sneeze.

Regardless of the reason, pretty much the same things apply: avoid dusty hay and bedding, make sure the cage is clean (ammonia is an irritant). You may also want to look into a humidifier if the air is a bit dry, especially in the winter months. There are herb mixes that are supposed to help with breathing issues, I'm not sure how much they are actually doing, but it could worth a shot. I second the nebuliser suggestion, we have one and I can't recommend it enough! You can get the equipment on amazon, through a pharmacy, or sometimes even ebay. Cut a hole into a plastic box (should not be 100% airtight but you want the steam to stay in there), stick the mouthpiece through, and keep your piggie (with ample snacks for stress release) in the steam for 10 minutes twice a day whenever there are acute issues. Seriously works wonders!

When in doubt, always double check with your vet whether it's an infection. Piggies who are prone to any sort of breathing problems, whether it's asthma, allergies or tight airways, tend to also be prone to respiratory infections, which need to be treated with antibiotics. They may be the first or only ones in the group to catch something, because they are more sensitive to begin with.