Noisy breathing - frightened me to death!

[Allie0078]

I was just sitting watching the TV and suddenly noticed a weird fast cooing sound coming from the pigs cage.

As soon as I got there I could hear loud and clear that it was coming from Sookie. I got her out of her cosy bed (much to her disgust) - and the noise was SO loud. I listened to her lungs against my ear and could feel hear and feel the vibrations all the way through her body. I had a right panic. I put her back to call the vet (suspecting she had pneumonia and was in respiratory distress); and as I did so she had an almighty sneeze and the noise stopped. Took her back out. No more noise, no more vibrations. Normal pig breathing. PHEW!

What the hell Sookie?! I wonder if she has a cold, or is allergic to something? Or perhaps just has smaller nasal passages than average, because I’ve heard a similar noise coming from Sookie before (again, solved with a sneeze!) - but never this loud. (Never heard this from her cage mate Tallulah)

Anyone have similar issues? Scared me to death

 

[Wiebke]

I was just sitting watching the TV and suddenly noticed a weird fast cooing sound coming from the pigs cage.

As soon as I got there I could hear loud and clear that it was coming from Sookie. I got her out of her cosy bed (much to her disgust) - and the noise was SO loud. I listened to her lungs against my ear and could feel hear and feel the vibrations all the way through her body. I had a right panic. I put her back to call the vet (suspecting she had pneumonia and was in respiratory distress); and as I did so she had an almighty sneeze and the noise stopped. Took her back out. No more noise, no more vibrations. Normal pig breathing. PHEW!

What the hell Sookie?! I wonder if she has a cold, or is allergic to something? Or perhaps just has smaller nasal passages than average, because I’ve heard a similar noise coming from Sookie before (again, solved with a sneeze!) - but never this loud. (Never heard this from her cage mate Tallulah)

Anyone have similar issues? Scared me to death

Hi!

Guinea pig airways are very narrow; they can also not breathe through their mouths like we do. This means that any little obstruction somewhere is very audible. Most often the problem solves itself with a big sneeze, like with yours. I assume that your piggy has inhaled some hay dust when burrowing its nose in the hay.

You need to only worry if there is any crackling or rasping that is not letting up or if your guinea pig is continuously sneezing every few minutes for hours on end and not just a few times a day as a normal part of a piggy wash.

 

[Allie0078]

Hi!

Guinea pig airways are very narrow; they can also not breathe through their mouths like we do. This means that any little obstruction somewhere is very audible. Most often the problem solves itself with a big sneeze, like with yours. I assume that your piggy has inhaled some hay dust when burrowing its nose in the hay.

You need to only worry if there is any crackling or rasping that is not letting up or if your guinea pig is continuously sneezing every few minutes for hours on end and not just a few times a day as a normal part of a piggy wash.

Thank you so much for replying - this is really useful to know!
She was actually burrowed in a mound of hay when I whipped her out of the cage . Oh well - happy me! (not-so-happy Sookie)

 

[Deleted member 122615]

Hi, there's always something to worry about. My boar used to do this a lot before I started using dust free products. He still does it but only once in a blue moon these days.

 

[Allie0078]

Hi, there's always something to worry about. My boar used to do this a lot before I started using dust free products. He still does it but only once in a blue moon these days.

I haven’t had many issues with her (I buy hay from a local pet shop that gets it from a local farm). I wonder if it’s just this bag I’ve been using. I’ll open a new batch and see if it makes a difference. Thank you!

 

[Wiebke]

I get local hay via a local independent pet shop that is not dust extracted, but apart from the very occasional big sneeze, I have only ever had one piggy in about 50 that was sensitive to the dust and needed to have dust extracted hay in the 6 years I have used the local hay, which is generally a better quality than what I get in a pet shop for the same price, not to mention that the environmental footprint is a lot smaller than from imported US hay that is produced, harvested and processed on an industrial scale. Unlike many members I've never had a problem with hay mites, except for one unquarantined piggy coming with them.

Taffy developed crackly breathing whenever she was near hay dust, which was clearly not a URI and which several courses of antibiotics could not work. A one-off sneeze is really nothing to worry about!

 

[Allie0078]

I get local hay via a local independent pet shop that is not dust extracted, but apart from the very occasional big sneeze, I have only ever had one piggy in about 50 that was sensitive to the dust and needed to have dust extracted hay in the 6 years I have used the local hay, which is generally a better quality than what I get in a pet shop for the same price, not to mention that the environmental footprint is a lot smaller than from imported US hay that is produced, harvested and processed on an industrial scale. Unlike many members I've never had a problem with hay mites, except for one unquarantined piggy coming with them.

Taffy developed crackly breathing whenever she was near hay dust, which was clearly not a URI and which several courses of antibiotics could not work. A one-off sneeze is really nothing to worry about!

I have to say I bought all of this expensive “meadow hay, dust extracted etc” when I first adopted them, as I thought it was the right thing to do. But they never seemed to eat much of it. I bought this local farm stuff and they love it. It depends on the batch as to how nice it is - but I change their hay every day and they always nose dive straight in. I reckon they do like it better than any of the compressed pet shop stuff.

 

[Wiebke]

I have to say I bought all of this expensive “meadow hay, dust extracted etc” when I first adopted them, as I thought it was the right thing to do. But they never seemed to eat much of it. I bought this local farm stuff and they love it. It depends on the batch as to how nice it is - but I change their hat every day and they always nose dive straight in. I reckon they do like it better than any of the compressed pet shop stuff.

I have exactly made the same experience when mine were offered the choice between local or chain hay.
There are some batches in a year that are not quite as nice, but you get the same with shop hay and the vast majority is perfectly fine! In fact I get often asked what brand my hay is when people see my pictures.
Considering the amount of hay I go through in a week, buying hay my piggies love locally makes a lot of sense.