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Uri Or Cold?

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Pig

Pig

Junior Guinea Pig
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hello! A question which has been asked many a time I know... however as somebody who is quite cavvy savy I am a little stumped over one of my boys. We've been to the vet on and off over the past year with sneezing and occasional wheezing. We've tried many antibiotic combinations. Piggie is still nice and chubby. Screaming when I open the fridge. Jumping around etc. However I know that as soon as uri signs pop up the need treatment however am at my wits end with this baby. Any advice or experience would be great. They are kept indoors on fleece which is cleaned daily and have good quality hay. Xx
 
Pig said:
hello! A question which has been asked many a time I know... however as somebody who is quite cavvy savy I am a little stumped over one of my boys. We've been to the vet on and off over the past year with sneezing and occasional wheezing. We've tried many antibiotic combinations. Piggie is still nice and chubby. Screaming when I open the fridge. Jumping around etc. However I know that as soon as uri signs pop up the need treatment however am at my wits end with this baby. Any advice or experience would be great. They are kept indoors on fleece which is cleaned daily and have good quality hay. Xx
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Have you and your vet considered an allergy to hay dust or pollen, air fresheners, issues with dry air/air conditioning etc. etc.? Guinea pigs can have allergies.

It doesn't sound like it is a URI and he is also not showing any signs of having heart issues.
 
I keep a pretty clean place and dust a lot. Maybe I use too many cleaning products? I also have an air regulator thing which may not help. He did have a slightly snotty nose Thisbe evening though. And what about the slight wheezing? Although it's hard to tell if it's breathing it the heartbeat when I try and listen to his tiny chest. He is still standing on his back legs every morning begging for food and clocking in at 1370g!
 
Pig said:
I keep a pretty clean place and dust a lot. Maybe I use too many cleaning products? I also have an air regulator thing which may not help. He did have a slightly snotty nose Thisbe evening though. And what about the slight wheezing? Although it's hard to tell if it's breathing it the heartbeat when I try and listen to his tiny chest. He is still standing on his back legs every morning begging for food and clocking in at 1370g!
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Guinea pigs have very narrow airways, so every slight obstruction comes out as wheezing or hooting. If the snot is clear and not gunky, then it is from an irritation in the nose like a bit of hay dust or pollen. Dust extracted hay is not completely dust free and it not all that rarely at the bottom of persistent respiratory issues in guinea pigs.

Unfortunately, guinea pigs need unlimited hay; it should make around 80% of the daily food intake. Their digestion and their dental system relies on it. It is actually the silica in hay which is grinding down the molars and premolars.

But that is where I would recommend to start looking at as most likely source of your respiratoy issues.

@helen105281 @Jaycey
 
Thank you so much. It is clear snot. What are the snotty things I should look out for? They don't really get crusty eyes. Just the occasional tiny bit but no weeping etc. And that's more the other pig- who is even chirpier!
 
@Pig I understand your frustration, I had a pig just like this. My current vet treat him with various antibiotics but it didn't help.

As his breathing issues could come and go within hours sometimes she put it down to more of an allergy situation.

As Wiebke says they have small airways, and if they've had a URI in the past it may cause the airways to scar and so causes more of a problem.

I never worked out what caused my boys issues as he would have a sniffly nose the next day after every vet visit and if I had the window open in their room (even on a warm day).

We invested in a nebuliser and an antibacterial solution and used it when he had any sign of breathing problems and it helped resolve them quicker.

Have you tried putting a steaming bowl of water near the cage? Or run a hot shower and put him in on a dry towel after it's turned off? If it helps him at all it mighht be worth speaking to your vet about a nebuliser. It loosens up any problems. Often my boy would sneeze after he came out and then be okay again.
 
Pig said:
Thank you so much. It is clear snot. What are the snotty things I should look out for? They don't really get crusty eyes. Just the occasional tiny bit but no weeping etc. And that's more the other pig- who is even chirpier!
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Sorry, it was very near my bedtime. I meant clear and not gunky snot. Clear points to something irritating the nose. Gunky would be URI, which it clearly isn't.
 
Thank you both for getting back to me. In respect of a nebuliser and anti bac solution what did you use please? Willing to try anything to help him be less bunged up!
 
F10 Antiseptic Solution - from 8.75

This is the antiseptic solution I used in our nebuliser. It's called F10. I bought it from the place in the link as it was just a few mins drive from my work. I got the nebuliser from them too, but there are much cheaper ones available
 
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