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Strange Breathing Noises And Snoring?

J

Junisek

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Hi there,
I'm new to this forum :) Sorry for creating a new thread, but I couldn't find any other open appropriate thread. Plus I'm sorry for my bad english, I'm not a native speaker, just learning :)

I have a ~5 years old female piggy and about a few months ago she started to make strange noises. First I noticed that her happy wheeking is hoarse. Not much, just a little bit. She was happy, lively and always hungry, just fine, so I didn't visit the vet to not stress her.
But with the time, she started to make strange noises even while breathing. You can hear it only sometimes, but even while she's sleeping or eating. First I thougt that she's just snoring, but she is snoring + having noisy breating.
Now I wasn't home for a while and my mum took care of her and told me afterwards that the sounds are getting worse.
BUT. She is still completely fine, no running nose, no abnormal sneezing or coughing, she's eating and drinking as usual, just a normal piggy.
Only making strange sounds.
I'm pretty worried about her, because it's kinda chronic, nothing acute. Maybe it's some kind of allergy, as her bedding is little bit dusty. Right now I can't see the vet because of public holiday.
Thanks :)

Here is a video of her strange breathing while eating. You may have to turn your volume up a bit.
 
Junisek said:
Hi there,
I'm new to this forum :) Sorry for creating a new thread, but I couldn't find any other open appropriate thread. Plus I'm sorry for my bad english, I'm not a native speaker, just learning :)

I have a ~5 years old female piggy and about a few months ago she started to make strange noises. First I noticed that her happy wheeking is hoarse. Not much, just a little bit. She was happy, lively and always hungry, just fine, so I didn't visit the vet to not stress her.
But with the time, she started to make strange noises even while breathing. You can hear it only sometimes, but even while she's sleeping or eating. First I thougt that she's just snoring, but she is snoring + having noisy breating.
Now I wasn't home for a while and my mum took care of her and told me afterwards that the sounds are getting worse.
BUT. She is still completely fine, no running nose, no abnormal sneezing or coughing, she's eating and drinking as usual, just a normal piggy.
Only making strange sounds.
I'm pretty worried about her, because it's kinda chronic, nothing acute. Maybe it's some kind of allergy, as her bedding is little bit dusty. Right now I can't see the vet because of public holiday.
Thanks :)

Here is a video of her strange breathing while eating. You may have to turn your volume up a bit.
Click to expand...
To me that's sounds like she could be hooting or she could be in pain.I will tag a health and illness expert @Wiebke
 
Sorry. I am struggling to hear the sounds, but please have any guinea pig checked that repeatedly makes sounds that could be caused by pain/discomfort, breathing or heart issues and where it is not a one-off from a blocked nose that passes after a few hours. Ideally by a piggy savvy vet who is experienced enough with his stethoscope to notice any often subtle indicators as to what is going on.
 
Wiebke said:
Sorry. I am struggling to hear the sounds, but please have any guinea pig checked that repeatedly makes sounds that could be caused by pain/discomfort, breathing or heart issues and where it is not a one-off from a blocked nose that passes after a few hours. Ideally by a piggy savvy vet who is experienced enough with his stethoscope to notice any often subtle indicators as to what is going on.
Click to expand...

Thank you. The volume in the video is pretty low. I'll try to see a vet asap.
 
I agree that this is not a normal noise and your guinea pig will need some help from a vet. It may be a heart problem, which can affect the breathing and make them "hoot".
 
So I visited the vet today and it may be some kind of chronical respiratory problem. She got two antibiotic injections and tomorrow a next shot. We'll see.
 
One of my boars used to do that. He had issues earlier in life which had caused damage to his airways. We treat for an infection at first but it never helped.

And we couldn't link it to anything specific so never thought it was an allergy.

So the vet said that because his airways were narrowed/damaged any little obstruction is going to cause an issue.

He had other breathing issues so had a nebuliser. But I noticed that when he was making noises like in this video if he sneezed it stopped. The nebuliser helped dislodge wheatever it was.
 
Junisek said:
So I visited the vet today and it may be some kind of chronical respiratory problem. She got two antibiotic injections and tomorrow a next shot. We'll see.
Click to expand...

It is not uncommon in older guinea pigs to develop chronic issues. Good that you have seen a vet.

Very often a bowl of steaming water next to the case, a half hour session in a steamed up closed shower (please dry the floor and put in a towel for grip and some treat to keep her happy or later on in more advanced cases regular sessions with a nebuliser can help ease the breathing.
 
I second trying the steaming water. If it works then fantastic, if not it's ruled something out at no cost.

I used to take my boar into the bathroom whilst I was having a bath. It seemed to help so I tried the bowl of water and it was great.
 
That hooting/wheezing sound can be a sign of a heart or respiratory illness. Hadley sounded like that when she had a respiratory infection that did eventually clear with antibiotics. Good that you've seen a vet and hope she recovers for you!
 
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