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Guinea Pigs Sneezing 3 Week's

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Haylez

Haylez

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Hello,
Got my little piggies in the 18th of January. I have two lovely female Guinnies one lilac (Dixie) and a black and white one (Flower) , soon as I put Flower in the cage she sneezed. I left them both for about a week Flower still sneezing even Dixie too but I found Flower sneezes the most. I took them both to the vet and she said both were healthy. Flower was treated for conjunctivitis and was given baytril 0.1mil her eye cleared up but she still sneezes she's been on baytril 8-9 days (meant to be on it for two week) I rang the vet with my concern this week and the receptionist said just finish the course and see. I just don't feel like it's working. They are both happy running and popcorning around their cage. Flower chatters away to her self (wheeking noises) they eat fine and drink well. Sorry for the long essay haha just really need some advise. My opinion is its an allergy I did change their wood shavings to shredded paper but didn't make a difference. Either it's the hay bedding or my spot cleaning. I have no idea.
I appreciate any advise you can give.
Thanks! :D
 
Guinea pigs sometimes sneeze due to dusty hay, and they don't have anything wrong.
You could try a different brand of hay, are you spot cleaning in the morning and evening? Do you clean fully after a week?
 
Is your vet guinea pig savy? If not I would seek another opinion. With medications always finish the course as it takes a full course to work. Have you thought about using vetbed or fleece? This prevents any allergies and is a lovely bedding.
 
How often is she sneezing? My 2 sneeze but its not an issue - just like hoomans sneeze occasionally. If she is sneezing a lot then it could be an allergy to the bedding.
 
Thank you so much for your replies really grateful! I'm a bit of a cavy novice haven't had a guinny in 9-10 years, only just noticed they separated the rabbits and the guinea pigs! Normally was told hay and sawdust.

The Vet: The one I go to is in the actual pet store they built one in the store the vet is a highly experienced for all critters big and small. The vet I seen was experienced in small animals http://www.companioncare.co.uk/aintree-meet-our-team.html, Jeanette Allison. I use to go to a vet that I wasn't very happy with, slightly rough I found as I use to have rats so I never went to my normal vets.

My cleaning: I spot clean for about 30 minutes and replace any wood shaving and clean at the end of the week for about an hour or longer. I do spot clean in the evening after I work (9am - 5pm), I don't normally have time in the morning, I give Flower her medication check water and food then give them fresh hay. At weekends I do spot clean morning and evening. - Is that bad?

Sneezing: Dixie - once or twice? Flower: quite often.

Bedding: Normal pets at home hay, I do find it quite dusty - possibly is that may not include it this week see how they go. I feed them Timothy Hay - they love it. When I went to the pets at home store I inquired about their sneezing and pretty much said oh the stuff you bought is same as what we use and its fine, they just have a cold.

I have considered using fleece although I was wondering how often it can be changed? How clean it is? They have a litter tray which they use although still have another corner where they sleep they poop and pee.I will start searching for vet beds. In all honesty only found out you can use these stuff online, pets at home done really offer a lot of alternatives either paper or wood shavings.

Thanks again.
 
I used to use P@H stuff but it is horrible - really short strands and really dusty. I get my hay from the hay for pets website - good quality, good price, not dusty. I know other people use the dust free hay site.

Another thing you could try to change is the wood shavings - there are threads on the forum that give members opinions on different types of bedding. I personally like Fitch which is perforated paper and is not dusty. I use that in their hidey areas with hay on top as this is where they pee and poo the most and it is easiest to clean out.

I use fleece and towels in all other areas of their hutch. I really like it, the boys really like it. Not everyone would agree. A lot of it is trial and error to see what works best for you and your piggles. But I really would considered changing your hay as priority because P@H stuff is nasty!
 
Once again pets at home give wrong advice. Guinea pigs do not get colds. They get u.r.is and they are very serious. I buy hay from hayforpets and it is a lovely quality hay. I would never go to pets at home.

Fleece is very clean. Spot clean twice a day and wash it every three days. I used a layer of towels under two layers of fleece. I really do not recommend shavings as they can cause allergies.
 
Is she sneezing any (excuse this word as I hate it) snot? If there is wet coming out it is likely to be a uri. I got some pigs from pets at home recently as I knew they were ill and wanted to get them treated which I did (on them I might add) one of them had a uri and when she sneezed on you she sneezed snot on you.

if you got them from p@h and are not happy with the vet they have you can ring the store and ask to take them to another vets in the group. I did this after the first vet was one I used to use and the nurse couldn't even sex them. So I took them to another vets In the group for free.

also I bed them on fleece so I could insist that it wasnt the bedding
 
Hello,
No, no little Guinea pig snots. Nose is clear no signs of her feeling icky. I've noticed she sneezes when I spot clean the cage and replace the bedding. I'm going to use paper to see if it makes a difference did alot of research between vet bed, paper and fleece. I was happy with the vet she seemed experienced, I think she gave me baytril for Flower but sneezes haven't changed as she's just come off the course. Her conjunctivitis cleared up too with the other medication - I got this at p@h expense. The vet was annoyed that the employee didn't take them to her before they left the store for a health check. The employee really annoyed me when I spoke to her completely blameless "oh the stuff you bought is what we use" pff first bad experience at p@h, I was going to adopt but seen them two and my heart melted. Anyway, I'm more than 100% sure it's allergies as she's happy as a kipper, I check her breathing any wheezes nothing she's fine.
Hopefully paper will work, carefree or finch which ever works heard good things about both whatever reduce the amount of sneezing! As always thank you all for the advice really appreciate it.
 
Paper is not going to last as it will get soaked. It will be difficult to use.
 
There is cardboard bedding as well to consider or if you like woodshavings have you considered aubiose? It is bigger chunks so doesnt have dust. you can get it from places that sell horse bedding and even some petshops sell it but usually it is the warehouse type petshops. I find morrisons and b and / home bargains hay is better than p@h for dust or if yiu have the range there's is good too!
 
I love home bargain will try that Hay since its only, I want to use something eco friendly, won't make the guinnies sick and seen a blog about someone who switched from fleece to paper. I tried paper bedding (but used the p@h hay which is why Flower still sneezed) and was fine really. Not fond of wood shavings as it sticks to everything! Plus I don't know whether its comfortable on their little feet. Will look for cardboard bedding as well so many things to consider... Hopefully will find a happy medium.
 
Well I've tried a week of fleece and paper Litter for their Litter tray, Dixie has stopped sneezing but flower still is plus she's starting to snuffle when she's sniffing. Still no crusty discharge, nose not runny. Some slight Guinny snots when she sneezes. Got some new chamomile hay as they are running out of pets at home Timothy hay, didn't know how dusty that was till recently since their other hay was just a bag full of dust. This isn't the start of URI is it?
 
I haven't read any of the comments, but pleaaaase don't use shredded paper. Until you shred it personally it's deceiving at how much dust is in it.. dust fumes literally pour out of our shredder, not just that, the bacteria when they wee on it can cause UTI's etc.

I am not sure what to suggest for the sneezing, sorry, but I hope you get to the bottom of it :)
 
Thanks I stopped with shredded paper. Fleece all the way they love it and much cleaner than I thought. Just cleaned the cage and them (they weren't too happy) no sneezing so far. The paper based Litter is back 2 nature reviews were good so thought I'd try it. I want to make sure it's just allergies before taking her to the vet poor things got really stressed when I first took them.
 
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