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Sneezing piggy

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Sabrinova

Sabrinova

Junior Guinea Pig
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I think it's a sneeze, it sounds a bit like a cough, but begins with slightly raspy breathing and ends with a spasmodic out-rush of air.

I've been hearing it occasionally for several weeks, but couldn't tell which one of them it was coming from, then yesterday I saw it was Archie, my baby who is about 8/9 months old. There is no facial discharge, his eyes are dry and bright, he seems healthy and strong and with bounds of energy. He eats like food is going out of fashion, runs around and tries to challenge 4-year old Milo for leadership, so by all indications, he is a healthy piggy.

Their bedding is fleece with towels underneath and with hay generously piled on top. It is English meadow hay as the Spanish stuff is coarse and dusty, and I have been changing it every couple of days with their clean-out, because it has now been discontinued at the English supermarket, so my stockpile is all that's left.

I have just ordered some Timothy hay and some organic meadow hay online from the Hay Experts to see whether that helps. I leave the patio door open an inch beside their pen and at least a foot at the other side to try and encourage some through-breeze and I wondered whether this could be contributing, but with outside temperatures in the mid 30s, I'm afraid of them being too hot without the air moving.

Is there anything else you can suggest I try? As I have said before, there is no vet here that I trust enough to take him to, after my local vet killed Gilbert with antibiotics when he didn't even have an infection. Some of you have suggested previously that I contact vets at Loro Parque, which I will do if you think this could be a URI, but I'm hoping it isn't as he seems so well in himself.

Thank you for your advice :)
 
No, he doesn't do it while I'm holding him or watching him. Although I hear it I've only seen it once, yesterday, when I heard raspy breathing under the sofa and looked under just in time to see the "choo" part. When I watch him, waiting for it, he just looks back at me like I'm daft. I will try to get a video, but the chances are minute.
 
It's definitely starting to sound more like a cough or a choke now. I have read on here that piggies can do this when they've eaten too fast and that does seem consistent with Archie, as he often has these episodes after he's been eating and he is a gannet.

The thing is, his breathing is raspy and wheezy for several minutes before the cough, but then seems to return to normal after the cough. There is still no facial discharge and he seems fine in himself.

I haven't been able to capture the moment of the cough on video, but you can hear some of the laboured breathing in this audio clip and a little bit also in this video.

It's feasible that it could be aggravated by dust in the air as we are just coming out of a calima, which is caused by hot dusty winds blowing over from Africa, which makes the air quality very bad and affects many people, especially those with asthma. Also the weather is very hot here right now (low to mid-30s) and this is Archie's first summer.

Please advise and if possible reassure me that this is nothing serious!
 
Have you a good vet you can see? I'd tend to get his little lungs etc.. checked out just to be sure.
I see what you said about the weater, can you keep his room a little cooler without direct cool air going on him? maybe the open door is bringing in dust? UGH good luck love XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Maybe he has some food stuck? One of my girls has been rattly of late, but she also seemed to choke/cough last week, i was told she probably aspirated!

KISSES FOR ARCHIE XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 
Thank you Glynis :) My boys' pen is just inside the patio door, which I often open a little at their side just to keep the air moving and the persian blinds (metal blackout blinds with tiny slits in them to allow some light through when not closed fully) are always down on their side to keep the sunlight off them and keep it cool. They also have permanent access to the tiled floor which remains cool. I'm afraid to try closing the door for them because then it is hot. I have to keep the front and back patio doors open at all times or I start to stifle.

I don't have a vet, which is why I get so anxious about these things. There are no vets in Tenerife who know enough about guinea pigs for me to let them near :( Is there anything I can check for myself?
 
we got similar breathing sow,time to time our sows doing this,but after attending vet(other reason) one of them start doing this every night.Strange that it happens only at night time/morning.We got 5 days of septrin.I do videos asap.
 
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