Guinea pig breathing

[Jelliebaby93]

I need help with an issue for my guinea pig

A long time ago he kept making a strange breathing sound so I took him to the vets and they said he has an allergy. Prescribed him piraton and so it clears up nicely.

Over Christmas he has been making a strange sound again like he was out of breath. He stopped eating so I took him to vets and they have said nothing is wrong but give him some metacam. Gave him that and he started eating again (this was a week ago)

Then yesterday he noticed he is still making the sound. Every now and again this is paired with a hooting sound and then he has sneezed a couple of times.

I can see his breathing near his tummy which is regular. No watery eyes or nose. Vets have refused to see him again and said next steps are sedate him and do blood tests but no appointment for that until the 6th Jan.

He’s walking around fine and eating/drinking/pooing/weeing fine. He’s like his regular self with the odd breathing. Is it his allergies or something worse?

Also I did change part of the cage to wood shavings before Christmas could this have done it?

 

[Wiebke]

I need help with an issue for my guinea pig

A long time ago he kept making a strange breathing sound so I took him to the vets and they said he has an allergy. Prescribed him piraton and so it clears up nicely.

Over Christmas he has been making a strange sound again like he was out of breath. He stopped eating so I took him to vets and they have said nothing is wrong but give him some metacam. Gave him that and he started eating again (this was a week ago)

Then yesterday he noticed he is still making the sound. Every now and again this is paired with a hooting sound and then he has sneezed a couple of times.

I can see his breathing near his tummy which is regular. No watery eyes or nose. Vets have refused to see him again and said next steps are sedate him and do blood tests but no appointment for that until the 6th Jan.

He’s walking around fine and eating/drinking/pooing/weeing fine. He’s like his regular self with the odd breathing. Is it his allergies or something worse?

Also I did change part of the cage to wood shavings before Christmas could this have done it?

Hi and welcome

Can you please hold your ear to your piggy's nose when he is making this sound, then against his throat and then his chest to see where the sound sits? It's a very rough and ready way of checking the airways but it has its uses.

Guinea pig airways are very small and narrow. They are also not much in the way of mouth breathers (if you see a piggy actively breathing through the mouth, they are in acute respiratory distress). This means that even the tiniest obstruction, like a dust particle or some pollen can cause some alarming sounds in the nose. Usually this is totally harmless and comes out with a big old sneeze. Hay is a natural product and some of it can be dustier than others or contain pollen to which your piggy is a little more sensitive.

You can also check whether a bowl of steaming water next to the cage can help with humitidy issues in the room.

The sounds you really need to be alert for are nonstop rasping and crackling, constant sneezing that is more thn 5 times an hours and that doesn't stop after a few hours and any clicking from the chest (potential pnuemonia) plus any loss appetite in conjuction with respiratory symptoms. In these cases, please see a vet promptly.

 

[Jelliebaby93]

I need help with an issue for my guinea pig

A long time ago he kept making a strange breathing sound so I took him to the vets and they said he has an allergy. Prescribed him piraton and so it clears up nicely.

Over Christmas he has been making a strange sound again like he was out of breath. He stopped eating so I took him to vets and they have said nothing is wrong but give him some metacam. Gave him that and he started eating again (this was a week ago)

Then yesterday he noticed he is still making the sound. Every now and again this is paired with a hooting sound and then he has sneezed a couple of times.

I can see his breathing near his tummy which is regular. No watery eyes or nose. Vets have refused to see him again and said next steps are sedate him and do blood tests but no appointment for that until the 6th Jan.

He’s walking around fine and eating/drinking/pooing/weeing fine. He’s like his regular self with the odd breathing. Is it his allergies or something worse

Hi and welcome

Can you please hold your ear to your piggy's nose when he is making this sound, then against his throat and then his chest to see where the sound sits? It's a very rough and ready way of checking the airways but it has its uses.

Guinea pig airways are very small and narrow. They are also not much in the way of mouth breathers (if you see a piggy actively breathing through the mouth, they are in acute respiratory distress). This means that even the tiniest obstruction, like a dust particle or some pollen can cause some alarming sounds in the nose. Usually this is totally harmless and comes out with a big old sneeze. Hay is a natural product and some of it can be dustier than others or contain pollen to which your piggy is a little more sensitive.

You can also check whether a bowl of steaming water next to the cage can help with humitidy issues in the room.

The sounds you really need to be alert for are nonstop rasping and crackling, constant sneezing that is more thn 5 times an hours and that doesn't stop after a few hours and any clicking from the chest (potential pnuemonia) plus any loss appetite in conjuction with respiratory symptoms. In these cases, please see a vet promptly.

Thanks I will give that ago. Is any place better than another? In guessing if it’s like nose then that’s better in a way?

It’s not really a rasping or crackling he just sounds like if you’ve run up and down the stairs ten times. Like out of breath? I did the water trick when he was hooting and he stopped

 

[Jelliebaby93]

Hi and welcome

Can you please hold your ear to your piggy's nose when he is making this sound, then against his throat and then his chest to see where the sound sits? It's a very rough and ready way of checking the airways but it has its uses.

Guinea pig airways are very small and narrow. They are also not much in the way of mouth breathers (if you see a piggy actively breathing through the mouth, they are in acute respiratory distress). This means that even the tiniest obstruction, like a dust particle or some pollen can cause some alarming sounds in the nose. Usually this is totally harmless and comes out with a big old sneeze. Hay is a natural product and some of it can be dustier than others or contain pollen to which your piggy is a little more sensitive.

You can also check whether a bowl of steaming water next to the cage can help with humitidy issues in the room.

The sounds you really need to be alert for are nonstop rasping and crackling, constant sneezing that is more thn 5 times an hours and that doesn't stop after a few hours and any clicking from the chest (potential pnuemonia) plus any loss appetite in conjuction with respiratory symptoms. In these cases, please see a vet promptly.

The sound is coming from this nose- I can’t hear it in his chest

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks I will give that ago. Is any place better than another? In guessing if it’s like nose then that’s better in a way?

It’s not really a rasping or crackling he just sounds like if you’ve run up and down the stairs ten times. Like out of breath? I did the water trick when he was hooting and he stopped

What is in the nose is mostly harmless, especially when it is on and off. Rasping and crackling are often sitting in the throat (which makes it potentially a bacterial respiratory infection, URI). It can take a bit of practice to learn to distinguish what is echoing into the chest and what is sitting in the chest but if the lower airways are quiet, you are are not dealing with a serious respiratory infection of some sort.

 

[Wiebke]

The sound is coming from this nose- I can’t hear it in his chest

Good. Take a deep breath and relax. It's just a bit of dust or pollen in the nose...

 

[Jelliebaby93]

Good. Take a deep breath and relax. It's just a bit of dust or pollen in the nose...

I just listened again and I can hear the wheezing in the chest but no clicking sometimes like a hooting

 

[Wiebke]

I just listened again and I can hear the wheezing in the chest but no clicking sometimes like a hooting

But it sounds like it is more echoing down and not directly sitting there? That is why I am saying that it is a rather rough and ready method and nothing like with a proper stereoscope.

Anyway, what you are reporting is not triggering any of my alarm bells.

 

[Jelliebaby93]

But it sounds like it is more echoing down and not directly sitting there? That is why I am saying that it is a rather rough and ready method and nothing like with a proper stereoscope.

Anyway, what you are reporting is not triggering any of my alarm bells.

I’m not entirely sure it just sounds like he’s out of breath but then he seems well enough to eat?
It’s the same sound I can hear in his nose just heavy breathing I’ll monitor him thanks

 

[Wiebke]

I’m not entirely sure it just sounds like he’s out of breath but then he seems well enough to eat?
It’s the same sound I can hear in his nose just heavy breathing I’ll monitor him thanks

Please monitor his food intake in the coming days if you have any concerns but if his weight remains stable, then you are not dealing with a serious illness.

You will find this guide here very helpful for putting your observations in the appropriate perspective:

Thread 'Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support Levels'

Jun 20, 2024

1 Weight and Weight Loss
- Why regular weight monitoring matters
- How weight changes over a lifetime
- How to weigh on your kitchen scales (with video)
- The weight loss rules
- How critical is the weight loss for my piggy?
- Possible causes for weight loss
2 Body Mass Index (BMI) or 'Heft'
- Why is understanding your piggy's weight so important?
- 'Average' weight vs. individual weight - the big trip up
- How to check for the BMI...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 5
• Forum: Health & Illness Support Corner

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