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coughing/ choking

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Midge&Panda

Midge&Panda

Adult Guinea Pig
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Now we all now piggies like their food but is it possible for them to eat too quickly and get food stuck in their throats.? One of my little ones Maisie has on the rare occasion (when she's been eating) has been making a sound as if she is trying to clear her throat. Its sounds like a cross between a cough and a sneeze. As I said before I've only just noticed her doing it and it is a rare occurrence. Any ideas or a trip to the vets. Otherwise I have no health concerns with her she is doing everything a piggie should be doing. Thanks.
 
I have noticed this occassionally here if some of the guineas are being given their favourite foods ( like cucumbers yesterday) and get really excited and try to gobble it all up too quickly.
Could it be this?
 
I'm hoping it is, I will just keep an ear and eye open and if it gets worse then definatly a trip to the vets. she was doing it this morning while eating lettuce maybe because it is quite soft and she can shovel a lot more into her mouth at once, i will take note of when she eats her other veggies and see if she does it with the harder ons like carrot or sweetcorn. thanks
 
One of mine does it every day, the one time he was gasping for air for ages, i thought he was going to be starved of oxygen, it really scared me, he eats really quick, he loves his food!
 
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Gertie does it most meal times and a couple of the little ones have started now too.
 
Bramble just did it right in front of me. Munching on hay at the time. She's just a greedy wee pog!rolleyes
 
My little Earnie does this occasionally too and I think it's definitely a case of Gredy Pig Syndrome! Love the phrase! X
 
I have that regularly with somepig trying to bolt down more than their fair share!
 
Midge&Panda said:
Now we all now piggies like their food but is it possible for them to eat too quickly and get food stuck in their throats.? One of my little ones Maisie has on the rare occasion (when she's been eating) has been making a sound as if she is trying to clear her throat. Its sounds like a cross between a cough and a sneeze. As I said before I've only just noticed her doing it and it is a rare occurrence. Any ideas or a trip to the vets. Otherwise I have no health concerns with her she is doing everything a piggie should be doing. Thanks.
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My piggy sometimes does it too usually after drinking from his water bottle too quickly. Its kind of a cute sound like coughing or sneezing like a baby x
 
Midge&Panda said:
Now we all now piggies like their food but is it possible for them to eat too quickly and get food stuck in their throats.? One of my little ones Maisie has on the rare occasion (when she's been eating) has been making a sound as if she is trying to clear her throat. Its sounds like a cross between a cough and a sneeze. As I said before I've only just noticed her doing it and it is a rare occurrence. Any ideas or a trip to the vets. Otherwise I have no health concerns with her she is doing everything a piggie should be doing. Thanks.
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Don't panic. I have had this many times before, as one of my girls loves to scoff the food down as fast as possible so the others can't get to it. As you probably know, Guinea Pig's only have a 1 way digestive system, so if they get, for instance, a piece of broccoli stuck in their throat, the only way it can go is down.
Now, what you have seen is called Hiccups. Yep, hiccups. But of course much more vigorous than the human kind. It's where the body wants to be sick, but obviously isn't possible. It sounds like a hiccup/sneeze/cough, and can happen and repeat itself up to 8 times in a row! Sometimes they rock back and forth, and can even fall over by the sheer force of it. All you can do it talk to them calmly, and don't panic. It should pass over. :)
 
Yep - my 2 older boars have done it quite often - usually when cucumber is on offer!
 
One of my boys does this, almost like a cute baby cough. Scared the hell out of me the first time he did it and began chopping his food up to a near pulp mallethead Every time he has a drink from the bottle too he gives us a little cough but I don't worry too much now (think he likes attention as I always go over to him and make a fuss ^)) rolleyes
 
My girls do this too, I used to worry that they were coughing but it is only when they are eating! They like to munch their veggies too quickly rolleyes
 
I actually noticed one of my piggies doing that for the first time today .... He was greedily eating cucumber at the time .
 
I actually went to my vet about this just to make sure there were no teeth probs etc. She explained that guinea pigs can often struggle when eating high moisture content food and advised me to cut down on cucumber and romaine. Since then I've not heard a peep!
 
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