wheezing

[bonnie.]

my piggy is nearly a year old and she’s been to the vet around a month ago due to her wheezing

i’m not sure weather it is wheezing but it sound like it but its very quiet. i could hear it while others in my family can’t.

the vet could not find anything wrong, or hear anything wrong in her chest, but i managed to film her making the sounds and i sent them the video.

they prescribed her “baytril”, i was meant to give her 0.38mls twice a day and it ended up working, but recently she’s been doing the sound again.
i dont know whether it’s the hay possibly? i clean her cage once a week and make sure her hay isn’t dusty but she still makes the sound

 

[Claire W]

Hi, I would have her seen by the vet again as she may need a longer course of the baytril or a different antibiotic altogether

 

[Free Ranger]

What a lovely girl!

Baytril is an antibiotic and these normally take between 1 and 3 days to kick in but the course can be anything from 5 days to 3 weeks (or even longer!) If the antibiotic 'worked' and she stopped wheezing while she was taking it this is a good indicator that the symptoms were caused by bacterial infection. If they came back a few days/a week after the course finished then the antibiotics didn't fully clear it and the vet might just need to prescribe a longer course or a different one like Claire W said. You can normally tell dusty hay by how dusty it is for us - and antibiotics would not have made a difference to any hay allergy. Also is she an indoor or an outdoor piggy because the weather is getting cold and this can make chest infections worse. We call them URI for Upper Respiratory tract Infections sometimes. If any of my piggies have had URI the others haven't caught it so I don't worry about that but it's always good to check that companion pigs are breathing normally. They comfort each other when they feel poorly

 

[bonnie.]

What a lovely girl!

Baytril is an antibiotic and these normally take between 1 and 3 days to kick in but the course can be anything from 5 days to 3 weeks (or even longer!) If the antibiotic 'worked' and she stopped wheezing while she was taking it this is a good indicator that the symptoms were caused by bacterial infection. If they came back a few days/a week after the course finished then the antibiotics didn't fully clear it and the vet might just need to prescribe a longer course or a different one like Claire W said. You can normally tell dusty hay by how dusty it is for us - and antibiotics would not have made a difference to any hay allergy. Also is she an indoor or an outdoor piggy because the weather is getting cold and this can make chest infections worse. We call them URI for Upper Respiratory tract Infections sometimes. If any of my piggies have had URI the others haven't caught it so I don't worry about that but it's always good to check that companion pigs are breathing normally. They comfort each other when they feel poorly

she’s an indoor piggy and it’s nice and warm in my bedroom! i’ll book another visit with my vet, and hopefully they figure out what’s going on! thanks for your help

 

[Wiebke]

my piggy is nearly a year old and she’s been to the vet around a month ago due to her wheezing

i’m not sure weather it is wheezing but it sound like it but its very quiet. i could hear it while others in my family can’t.

the vet could not find anything wrong, or hear anything wrong in her chest, but i managed to film her making the sounds and i sent them the video.

they prescribed her “baytril”, i was meant to give her 0.38mls twice a day and it ended up working, but recently she’s been doing the sound again.
i dont know whether it’s the hay possibly? i clean her cage once a week and make sure her hay isn’t dusty but she still makes the sound

Hi

Please check your environmental factors, like heating/dry air (see whether a bowl of steaming water next to the cage can ease symptoms as a good practical tester), hay and house dust (try a different hay brand and see whether that makes a difference) , air fresheners and other perfumed products etc.
Some piggies can be much more sensitive than others. Irritants to Avoid Around Guinea Pigs

Antibiotics can suppress any symptoms temporarily but if it the cause is not a bacterial respiratory tract infection, then symptoms will return. Keep in mind that guinea pig airways are very narrow and small and that they are not good mouth breathers. This means that even the tiniest obstruction is always much more audible compared to a human.

 

[bonnie.]

Hi

Please check your environmental factors, like heating/dry air (see whether a bowl of steaming water next to the cage can ease symptoms as a good practical tester), hay and house dust (try a different hay brand and see whether that makes a difference) , air fresheners and other perfumed products etc.
Some piggies can be much more sensitive than others. Irritants to Avoid Around Guinea Pigs

Antibiotics can suppress any symptoms temporarily but if it the cause is not a bacterial respiratory tract infection, then symptoms will return. Keep in mind that guinea pig airways are very narrow and small and that they are not good mouth breathers. This means that even the tiniest obstruction is always much more audible compared to a human.

maybe it’s from the radiators being on? if so then how do i find out that it is definitely the radiators causing this?

 

[Wiebke]

maybe it’s from the radiators being on? if so then how do i find out that it is definitely the radiators causing this?

Try the bowl of steaming water next to the cage trick, as mentioned in my previous post. If that brings a noticeable improvement, then a humidifier is the way forward.

 

[bonnie.]

Try the bowl of steaming water next to the cage trick, as mentioned in my previous. If that brings a noticeable improvement, then a humidifier is the way forward.

i’ll try that! but should i only do that when she makes the wheezing sound? the sound doesn’t happen all the time

 

[Wiebke]

i’ll try that! but should i only do that when she makes the wheezing sound? the sound doesn’t happen all the time

You can try it now and keep it going. See whether it means that there are no more wheezing episodes or much less.

 

[WobblyPiggy]

Hi, one of my piggies before he passed used to wheeze...we took out all sawdust and changed hay to a dust extracted as well as shaking all the dust to the bottom of a bag before putting it in...he was on Baytril on repeat for the majority of the time we had him...it seemed to help but as soon as he was off it it came back (his repeat was for a different issue) its a hassle sometimes but it helped us was looking for long stem hay instead of short to minimise dust, shaking it out in a bag to allow dust and small bits to fall to the bottom, same with any pellets if you give them any...I used to wash his nose with just a wet cloth every few days and keeping him warm...then cleaning around him every day...not a full clean just making sure the floor was swept areas he may be going were wiped down and having separate areas for his bed and hay...we also did try the steam next to his cage and it made him sneeze up some of the dust that was stuck in his nose...and top up cleans during the week (changing hay to clean and excess poops and soggy bedding taken away) if you're still worried though keep taking her back maybe request an xray or ultrasound to see if they can see anything...hopefully you will get to the bottom of it...

 

[bonnie.]

Hi, one of my piggies before he passed used to wheeze...we took out all sawdust and changed hay to a dust extracted as well as shaking all the dust to the bottom of a bag before putting it in...he was on Baytril on repeat for the majority of the time we had him...it seemed to help but as soon as he was off it it came back (his repeat was for a different issue) its a hassle sometimes but it helped us was looking for long stem hay instead of short to minimise dust, shaking it out in a bag to allow dust and small bits to fall to the bottom, same with any pellets if you give them any...I used to wash his nose with just a wet cloth every few days and keeping him warm...then cleaning around him every day...not a full clean just making sure the floor was swept areas he may be going were wiped down and having separate areas for his bed and hay...we also did try the steam next to his cage and it made him sneeze up some of the dust that was stuck in his nose...and top up cleans during the week (changing hay to clean and excess poops and soggy bedding taken away) if you're still worried though keep taking her back maybe request an xray or ultrasound to see if they can see anything...hopefully you will get to the bottom of it...

it’s happening a lot less now, i’m not sure why but i also give her long stem hay and make sure to clean all her poops every day and make sure her cage is clean. whenever it comes back i give her Baytril and it also helps!

 

[WobblyPiggy]

Did you ever request any x-rays or ultrasounds done? It could be as simple as environmental dust to a medical issue...hopefully your piggy will continue to be well and any issues will be solved...Baytril helped our boy too but as soon as he came off it within a few weeks it came back...I think after the second time of it happening and changing symptoms it was enough for me to request further investigation...

 

[bonnie.]

Did you ever request any x-rays or ultrasounds done? It could be as simple as environmental dust to a medical issue...hopefully your piggy will continue to be well and any issues will be solved...Baytril helped our boy too but as soon as he came off it within a few weeks it came back...I think after the second time of it happening and changing symptoms it was enough for me to request further investigation...

no i didn’t get her a x-ray but i did start giving her less dusty hay like you also said and i’m pretty sure that must have been the problem