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what's the difference between...

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A cough is a kind of "hack" noise, just one or two little "hacks". I've not heard/seen heaving hiccups before (unless it is when the pig heaves repeatedly and then coughs, usually when eating, in which case a fast series of coughs comes after the heaving).
 
i'm confused, i don't know if chesney is coughing or hiccuping. i tried to explain to the vet when he went but with no obvious other symptoms unless she heard the noise for herself she can't really know which it was.

chesney seems ok, he's happy and everything fine with his eating, drinking and behaviour.

there is no rattling or anything in his breathing or chest etc, but i can't shake off the feeling that something isn't quite right. i am really paranoid so it could just be that i suppose, but because he is my first guinea pig, i don't think i'm properly confident yet and don't want anything to happen to him because i didn't act quickly enough etc.

he's seen the vets and she said he seems fine. but i think he has a slight runny nose in one nostril. his skin is like grey under the nostril, is that normal? the other is pink. could that be from dampness? i can't see anything up his nostrils and he doesn't sneeze or anything, but could he get ill with say a respiratory problem and just have like one symptom, his coughing/hiccups, or would he have more than one obvious symptom?

the vet said i can bring him back next monday when i take the rabbits for their vhd boosters, and she will see if he seems the same as she last saw him, just to reassure me. i feel bad for taking him to the vets again, but he isn't bothered by going at all, and i just have a feeling he could have the very start of a cold or respiratory problem.

 
just thought, could he have hayfever maybe or something like that? or would that just produce sneezing?

also, would a runny nose be an obvious thing? should the nose be completely dry or is there always a little wetness?
 
My piggie sometimes get the heaving hiccups if he gobbles his food down too quickly. The best way to describe it is like a cat trying to bring up a fur ball. It does look quite alarming but after 4 or 5 heaves my piggy just carries on as normal. The first time I saw it I though he was having a fit, but after doing some research I found out what it was. If you are still worried then see the vet again for reassurance..
 
i haven't seen him when he makes the noise! i always seem to be not looking when i hear it! i think it is hiccups though, it sounds like what people have described them as.

ches is very happy today. he seems better than he did the other day. he must have just been having a quiet, tired day i guess.

i am going to take him to the vets on monday when the rabbit go and get him checked again, and if he's ok again then it's obviously me being paranoid over nothing. the other reason i want to take him is to have his feet looked at aswell because they are a bit pink, and hopefully he will be ok and that means we can try and get him a wife from the rescue next week. we want to make sure ches is 100% fit and healthy first.

thanks.
 
If you havent seen him make the noise then it is more likely a cough than the heaving hiccups. The hhs last longer than a cough so I'm sure you would have spotted this. All my piggies occasionaly have coughs. Hope his feet are ok
 
it is more like a short sharp quack noise so probably more a cough noise.

he hasn't coughed today. he did yesterday and has done maybe three times in the last few weeks. would he cough more than this if there was something wrong?
 
All of my piggies have had occasional coughs. IF it is the same piggy that is coughing for more than a few days then he may have an infection. Get the vet to listen to his breathing to rule out respitory conditions. He probably has just got a piggy cold! It is worrying when you hear then cough but it is more than likely nothing to worry about. Dust in woodshavings or hay could maybe cause a coughing fit.
 
the vet said he was fine and i can't hear any clicking in his breathing, it sounds normal. hopefully it's just a bit of dust then that got to him yesterday. he hasn't made the noise today so he's probably ok. like i say, he's at the vets monday anyway so she can double check. :)
 
update

took ches to the vets today when bisc and matt went for their vhd boosters, and he is fine. his chest and breathing is normal, he doesn't have a runny nose or watery eyes etc. she said he's definitely ok but just to keep a very close eye on him incase it was coughing he was doing, although she thinks if it was,, it wasn't enough to be anything wrong. so it looks like he's fine, so i can relax a bit now!

the only thing was he has quite red feet, the front ones more than the back. the vet said to keep an eye on them, as they are quite dry. so he's having extra bedding to make it even softer to walk on, and she also thinks he has had bumblefoot at some point in the past as the skin has thickened and is red, so i'll ask the rescue about that.

but looks like his respiratory side of things os fine so i'm happy. we enquired about a sow from a rescue before so hopefully she will be 'the one' for ches! :)
 
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