Coughing Guinea Pig...

[Charlotte01]

My boar, stevie, has recently been making a coughing kind of noise and it sounds quite raspy. He does it a lot when he is eating. He seems perfectly healthy and is pooling and seeing and eating and drinking well. Does anyone know what this is? Also, I have recently changed my hay to a bail and it isn't as soft as his old stuff. Could this be the problem?

 

[Wiebke]

My boar, stevie, has recently been making a coughing kind of noise and it sounds quite raspy. He does it a lot when he is eating. He seems perfectly healthy and is pooling and seeing and eating and drinking well. Does anyone know what this is? Also, I have recently changed my hay to a bail and it isn't as soft as his old stuff. Could this be the problem?

I would recommend to have him checked by a vet. It is likely not be an acute URI, but the drier air from increased heating due to the current cold spell can aggravate any underlying issues, which tend to be more audible when eating. Try and see whether a damp towel over the radiator or a bowl of steaming water are making a chang.
Alternatively, he is just a greedy eater or he could have something small stuck in his nose or throat.
If the coughing during and after eating is persistent, it may in some (rare) cases point towards a heart issue, but so far we do not have any evidence for a direct link; you also would like to see other indicators for heart problems in order to make that connection.

 

[gizzy]

best see a vet , also look at he mid to lowere body , is hes breathing fast or iregular ? this an indication of respertory problems

 

[biscandmatt]

i'd see the vet about ruling out any respiratory problems as the first thing, then take it from there