Dilly's Piggies
Teenage Guinea Pig
I've been fighting a super long battle with two of my sows who just happen to be related (sisters). Both of them have a persistent issue with rattly/snuffly breathing and sneezing, sometimes they get a little clear nasal discharge but nothing major, eyes are never weeping or crusty.
They also 'snore', their breathing is very loud when they sleep and when they wake up it goes back to normal, it can also be heard louder when they eat. I find it strange how both of them have the exact same issue, can allergies be genetic?
We've tried both of them on antibiotics but they didn't respond, so we've decided to treat for allergies and give them 1/4 piriton daily. These antihistamines work for the most part but not always, especially when the hay batch is dusty antihistamines have little effect, but I cannot find a better quality hay than Oxbow timothy. I've tried their orchard grass, it actually seems to make it worse, no idea how as my allergies are definitely better with orchard!
I'm just constantly worried that it's not allergies and there's something more sinister going on, whenever I take them to the vet their lungs are clear (obviously, piggies always miraculously recover to make you look like a hypochondriac owner) so they think it's a nasal issue.
Does anyone else have a piggy that almost constantly has snuffly breathing? I feel like a terrible owner leaving them this way and just managing with antihistamines in case it's something else, it must be so uncomfortable and annoying for them to have to live with this. I just want to know if I'm doing the right thing with what I'm doing and there are other piggies out there with the same issue?
They also 'snore', their breathing is very loud when they sleep and when they wake up it goes back to normal, it can also be heard louder when they eat. I find it strange how both of them have the exact same issue, can allergies be genetic?
We've tried both of them on antibiotics but they didn't respond, so we've decided to treat for allergies and give them 1/4 piriton daily. These antihistamines work for the most part but not always, especially when the hay batch is dusty antihistamines have little effect, but I cannot find a better quality hay than Oxbow timothy. I've tried their orchard grass, it actually seems to make it worse, no idea how as my allergies are definitely better with orchard!
I'm just constantly worried that it's not allergies and there's something more sinister going on, whenever I take them to the vet their lungs are clear (obviously, piggies always miraculously recover to make you look like a hypochondriac owner) so they think it's a nasal issue.
Does anyone else have a piggy that almost constantly has snuffly breathing? I feel like a terrible owner leaving them this way and just managing with antihistamines in case it's something else, it must be so uncomfortable and annoying for them to have to live with this. I just want to know if I'm doing the right thing with what I'm doing and there are other piggies out there with the same issue?
