Should I be worried? Guinea-pig inhales sharply when she squeaks for food!

[littleloaf]

See video for evidence, it's pretty hard to hear but it's when she turns away. The sound is almost similar to air being pumped into a bicycle tyre! (You'll probably need the video to play on maximum volume to hear it).

I've had Penelope (and Matilda) for a little over a week now and Penelope is around 10 weeks old. Over the past couple of days, I've noticed that when she squeaks for food, she doesn't "wheeze" but makes noises that sound like a sharp inhale.

There is no other symptom to worry about; there is no discharge, her nose and eyes are clean, she is lively and playful, always eating and her breathing is very quiet during any other time. She only seems to make this sound when she squeaks loudly for food. She'll often wheek when travelling around her cage, and there is no breathing noises then, either. Their cage is spot-cleaned twice a day and is cleaned out every 48 hours. I use the ecover non-perfume skin sensitive detergent for the cage liners. Her sister is perfectly fine in comparison.

I'm not sure if I'm overreacting or not because I understand how badly respiratory issues can get in a short matter of time. Any advice would be very helpful.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I really can’t hear anything on the video I’m afraid - it all sounds pretty normal really but it must be one of these cases where if is more evident in person. It’s always best to have her checked out if you are concerned though. A URI would be a noise in the chest when she is breathing not just when she wheeks.
You don’t need to do a complete cage clean every 48 hours though - once or twice a week is fine as long as there are no wet areas in the cage

 

[littleloaf]

Thank-you. I'll keep that in mind in future when cage cleaning! It doesn't sound like a chesty noise at all, more like a failing whistle. As I said at any other time, she is perfectly fine.
I've also just read that it's advised their water is filtered - and we live in a very hard water area! I shall have to get a water filter this afternoon.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank-you. I'll keep that in mind in future when cage cleaning! It doesn't sound like a chesty noise at all, more like a failing whistle. As I said at any other time, she is perfectly fine.
I've also just read that it's advised their water is filtered - and we live in a very hard water area! I shall have to get a water filter this afternoon.

Do pop along to the vet if you are worried though.

Yes - keeping pellets limited to one tablespoon and filtering drinking water are the two best ways to limit the amount of calcium they take in (and therefore help reduce the risk of bladder problems). Even low calcium pellets contain more calcium than the highest calcium content veg.

 

[littleloaf]

Do pop along to the vet if you are worried though.

Yes - keeping pellets limited to one tablespoon and filtering drinking water are the two best ways to limit the amount of calcium they take in (and therefore help reduce the risk of bladder problems). Even low calcium pellets contain more calcium than the highest calcium content veg.

Thank-you. I shall keep an eye on her for another day and continue to film her, too, because I doubt she'll be willing to demonstrate at the vet and squeak for food! Best I bring some evidence with me if it continues.

Cheers for the help. x

 

[Jimmie O'Chutt]

It sounds like rhinitis but if there isn't any discharge I would not worry about it. She is the cutest

 

[littleloaf]

Thank-you! It's been several days have passed and there's still been nothing else to worry about. I actually was able to find an old thread about guinea-pig wheeks sounding like "air pumps", and it's just something some guinea-pigs happen to do now and again!

I'll still be keeping an eye on her, of course.

 

[Marlee and Fluffy]

I don’t see any video...?