Corvois
Junior Guinea Pig
Hi all,
Hope you're having a good week so far.
I'd like some advice if the below happened to you, how quickly you'd get your pigs to the vets.
I have three guinea pig boys, each one of them presenting with a hoarse voice when squeaking for food, typically in the morning, and then they seem fine again throughout the day. This has started with just one pig that has been seen by a vet who advised to change their hay, which seems to have solved a a problem for a while but then it came back and it's been going on for about three weeks (vet advised to only come back if it worsens than what he was originally presented with, which didn't happen). The other two pigs only started sounding hoarse about three days ago. Recently I've noticed some of them making one off choking/coughing sounds, which could be due to the fact that they're a bit of greedy pigs and like to inhale their nuggets. There has not been a change in their diet or hay, they eat and drink well, and their poops are fine. No change in behaviour. I don't see any discharge from their eyes or noses, but I have noticed one of them is breathing loud enough for me to hear - like how I can hear my own breathing if that makes sense. No crackling sounds though, just normal but loudish breathing.
I know how quickly respiratory infections can develop so I don't want to be foolish, but I'm also aware that taking each one of them to get a consultation and their own set of potential medication is going to be a big chunk of money and I know in the past I've been a bit jumpy with getting pets to the vets that didn't really need it, so I'd like to know what you'd do in my situation.
Thank you all in advance.
Corvois
Hope you're having a good week so far.
I'd like some advice if the below happened to you, how quickly you'd get your pigs to the vets.
I have three guinea pig boys, each one of them presenting with a hoarse voice when squeaking for food, typically in the morning, and then they seem fine again throughout the day. This has started with just one pig that has been seen by a vet who advised to change their hay, which seems to have solved a a problem for a while but then it came back and it's been going on for about three weeks (vet advised to only come back if it worsens than what he was originally presented with, which didn't happen). The other two pigs only started sounding hoarse about three days ago. Recently I've noticed some of them making one off choking/coughing sounds, which could be due to the fact that they're a bit of greedy pigs and like to inhale their nuggets. There has not been a change in their diet or hay, they eat and drink well, and their poops are fine. No change in behaviour. I don't see any discharge from their eyes or noses, but I have noticed one of them is breathing loud enough for me to hear - like how I can hear my own breathing if that makes sense. No crackling sounds though, just normal but loudish breathing.
I know how quickly respiratory infections can develop so I don't want to be foolish, but I'm also aware that taking each one of them to get a consultation and their own set of potential medication is going to be a big chunk of money and I know in the past I've been a bit jumpy with getting pets to the vets that didn't really need it, so I'd like to know what you'd do in my situation.
Thank you all in advance.
Corvois