Help Piggy Sounds Like Darth Vader.

[Jesse's pigs]

So to make things clear my guinea pig has an allergy to hay I belive and so I've been going through different kinds-dust free,meadow,Timothy etc. He went to the vets in October for a URI but thankfully the vet assured me that he was fine -No uri or fluid on lungs. His breathing is a little louder which I also told her but she said not to worry. Since then,he's sneezed but been absolutely fine and much better.
However,I just returned home and I'm worried he's got dust up his nose as he was given hay before I left-I realise hay is neccessary in their diet. He is still eating and has had cucumber,tried to eat more hay and has had water. He was hiding when I entered which is strange cos he's always out but came out when I called. It is then that I noticed his breathing. Loud and snuffly. There is no discharge from nose and eyes seem bright. I've checked his nostrils and they appear as clear as ever.
I hurriedly cleaned his whole cage out in case it is dust to get it dust free though the hay is supposedly dust free! He's on a new fleece and everything. I also bathed his nose (which he did not like)with a warm cotton wool pad. I dried it after of course as I don't want him cold.
I also want to add he seems strange. He recognises my voice and has popcorned when I put new paper in his cage to sit below fleece like I always do but he appears to not know me and ran away from my hand more so then usual. When I left him a second ago with a tiny bit of pellets as he's looking for food he ate some then shook his head a couple of times. I've checked his ear regularly and they seem clear and don't smell. He's also not tilting his head.


So basically I don't really want to worry myself and there is no way I can make a vet visit tonight-trust me I'm kicking myself as he's my world!- this has happened a while before but was gone after an hour or so. Is it dust?

 

[Wiebke]

So to make things clear my guinea pig has an allergy to hay I belive and so I've been going through different kinds-dust free,meadow,Timothy etc. He went to the vets in October for a URI but thankfully the vet assured me that he was fine -No uri or fluid on lungs. His breathing is a little louder which I also told her but she said not to worry. Since then,he's sneezed but been absolutely fine and much better.
However,I just returned home and I'm worried he's got dust up his nose as he was given hay before I left-I realise hay is neccessary in their diet. He is still eating and has had cucumber,tried to eat more hay and has had water. He was hiding when I entered which is strange cos he's always out but came out when I called. It is then that I noticed his breathing. Loud and snuffly. There is no discharge from nose and eyes seem bright. I've checked his nostrils and they appear as clear as ever.
I hurriedly cleaned his whole cage out in case it is dust to get it dust free though the hay is supposedly dust free! He's on a new fleece and everything. I also bathed his nose (which he did not like)with a warm cotton wool pad. I dried it after of course as I don't want him cold.
I also want to add he seems strange. He recognises my voice and has popcorned when I put new paper in his cage to sit below fleece like I always do but he appears to not know me and ran away from my hand more so then usual. When I left him a second ago with a tiny bit of pellets as he's looking for food he ate some then shook his head a couple of times. I've checked his ear regularly and they seem clear and don't smell. He's also not tilting his head.


So basically I don't really want to worry myself and there is no way I can make a vet visit tonight-trust me I'm kicking myself as he's my world!- this has happened a while before but was gone after an hour or so. Is it dust?

Hi! Please don't panic! Guinea Pig airways are very narrow, so you hear any slight obstruction very quickly. Hopefully, it clears again within a few hours and there will a sneeze to clear the airways again at some point. Some guinea pigs react much stronger to hay dust and pollen. You can place a bowl of hot steaming water next to the cage to help ease the breathing.

You only need to see a vet as an emergency if your piggy was looking very off/apathetic all of a sudden or if his breathing was getting worse quickly.

 

[Jesse's pigs]

Thank you- the vet kinda laughed when I took him in October because he:sneezed. It really shook me becuase my first piggy just went down in one night and had to be put to sleep at the age of three-fourths days after turning three in fact. I won't lie I could have done a lot more research before getting her though what she got- meningitis I belive as the vet didn't know - couldn't be prevented.

Is it normal that he seems offish with me then and has shook his head a couple of times? I understand his sneezing as he's probably trying to sneeze the dust out.

 

[Jesse's pigs]

@Wiebke thanks again for the quick response and I took your advice and have just put a steaming bowl of water next to his cage. I don't want to jinx it but when I looked in he was flopped over on his side looking relaxed he's clearly been eating his pellets and his breathing sounded quieter. When I put my hand in to pick up a flake he'd totally destroyed he came to my hand kinda as though he was apologising. Thanks again and hopefully he'll be 100% back by morning.

I've realised that basically all of my threads are about Mo's nose lol

 

[Jesse's pigs]

Still asleep lol but noise still there not as bad - still no discharge etc.