Loud breathing / clicking noise when breathing

[Eliz20]

Hi there,

One of my sows seems to make a noise which I would best describe as a clicking sound when breathing. She seems to do this all the time (and has for months, she is 1 year old), you can only hear it when picking her up and putting her to your ear but i'm not too sure what this could be. She seems perfectly fine otherwise, and doesn't have crusty eyes or nose. I wondered if anyone may have any ideas on what this is?

Thanks

 

[Siikibam]

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to get her checked over the vet. Also make sure there are no irritants in the room they’re in. What are they bedded on and is their hay particularly dusty?

You can try putting a bowl of hot water near their cage and see if the steam will help. But I think a vet is your first port of call.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi there,

One of my sows seems to make a noise which I would best describe as a clicking sound when breathing. She seems to do this all the time (and has for months, she is 1 year old), you can only hear it when picking her up and putting her to your ear but i'm not too sure what this could be. She seems perfectly fine otherwise, and doesn't have crusty eyes or nose. I wondered if anyone may have any ideas on what this is?

Thanks

Hi!

Please have her vet checked. Only a hands-on examination can tell as we cannot check where the clicking is exactly coming from and can therefore only speculate wildly what it could be. Your vet can check whether it is coming from the mouth, nose or lungs and diagnose accordingly.
It is however obviously not the clicking sound that is associated with pneumonia and that you seem to be referring to, as this is a serious illness and you would have seen other symptoms and a very quick deterioration.

Vet Locator
Irritants to Avoid Around Guinea Pigs

 

[Eliz20]

Thanks for your responses. She is on fleece bedding which is washed in non-bio fragrance free detergent. I try get dust free hay but I have seen dust in it still. I have booked her in at the vets to see what they say.

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks for your responses. She is on fleece bedding which is washed in non-bio fragrance free detergent. I try get dust free hay but I have seen dust in it still. I have booked her in at the vets to see what they say.

Irritants can range from perfumed air fresheners, skin products, scent sticks etc. and are no necessarily associated with just the cage environment. Only a vet can see where exactly the clicking is coming from and what it could be associated with and whether it is treatable or not.