Pippin making crackling noises through nose

[RoloPip]

Hi Guys, my little pippin seems unwell. Last night i noticed he was making a crackling sort of sound through his nose as he was breathing. He is still eating and running around the cage as normal, but i've booked him it to see the vets today because he's only a baby and i dont want him getting an illness already. Is this a common sign in guinea pigs for a URI? My partner had the cold last week, do you think he could have caught it from him? Hope you are able to give me a little advice

xxxxx

 

[Wiebke]

Hi Guys, my little pippin seems unwell. Last night i noticed he was making a crackling sort of sound through his nose as he was breathing. He is still eating and running around the cage as normal, but i've booked him it to see the vets today because he's only a baby and i dont want him getting an illness already. Is this a common sign in guinea pigs for a URI? My partner had the cold last week, do you think he could have caught it from him? Hope you are able to give me a little advice

xxxxx

Hi! It is good to have the crackling vet checked. It can be symptom for a URI. Guinea pig airways are very narrow, so you are bound to hear any little obstruction very loudly. Any vet will treat for URI if there is the least suspicion for it because it is a potential killer. Hopefully it was just a bit too much hay dust, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

The good news is that URI is a bacterial and not a viral respiratory infection, so guinea pigs don't catch our colds. It is however always sensible to practice good hygiene and to keep contact with guinea pigs to a necessary minimum whenever you are down with an illness like a bad cold, coughing, flu, norovirus, salmonella etc (the latter two can transmit to guinea pigs).
Human Colds/flu And Tummy Bug Advice