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sneezing guinea pig

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natk

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Hi, I am just a bit worried, as my two month old guinea pig has been sneezing intermittently. there is no discharge, its just the sneezing that has caused me some concern. She only has a little bit of hay in her hutch as food, so not for her bedding, I lay blankets and towels down in the bathroom for floor time, could it be the cold that is making her sneeze? Any advice would be really appreciated. I have rang the vet and they said to watch her for the next 12 hours and if the sneezing becomes more frequent to bring her in. Should I bring her in anyway if the sneezing still stays the same? Any advice:)! very worried:(!
 
If you are using wood shavings as bedding try using just hay and newspaper for a while to see if that helps. Please do not restrict the amount of hay she has as it's is essential for her diet, give the hay a good shake to get the dust off before you put it in the cage. Being cold will not make your pig sneeze.

It is always best to get any breathing issues checked as they are far easier to deal with the earlier they are treated, URI's in young pigs can be very serious.

Suzy x
 
Wood chippings can irritate the airways, and so can hay dust. Cold doesn't cause sneezing. You can find bedding alternatives to wood chippings in our housing section.

However, up to 80% of a guinea pig's daily food intake should be hay in order to keep the digestive system working optimally and to keep the crucial back teeth ground down. Please shake the hay up in another room or outdoors if necessary before placing an unlimited amount in the cage.

The good news is that it does not sound like a respiratory infection.

Is your girl single or has she got a companion?
 
Handful of hay

There is a large handful Hay in her hutch, I just don't use it as her bedding that's the only reason why. She gets fresh hay every second day. As she doesn't seem to get through all of it.
 
I would suggest giving fresh hay daily (mine get it twice a day,as they end up peeing and pooing on it )- and shaking out the hay dust before putting it in the cage ) - the more the merrier with hay as most piggies love to bury themselves in it - mine give the odd cough if it is dusty too.
 
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