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Why was Ollie hooting?

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Wheeky

Wheeky

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I had just put veggies in the cage, and then I heard this really odd noise I've never heard before, like "hoo, hoo, hoo". I traced the sound to Ollie. After a few minutes, he sneezed, and the hooting stopped.

I've heard that hooting is a sign of heart problems, but if he had a heart problem, why would he stop hooting after the sneeze? Could it just be that he "needed to sneeze"?

Thanks. :{
 
Does it sound like this?

http://www.guinealynx.info/records/viewtopic.php?t=42

It can be related to heart problems, but as well as heart pig Gwen who made this sound, I have a couple of "hooters" who as yet show no other signs of heart problems. All my "hooters" including Gwen cleared their grumbly breathing with a cough, never with a sneeze.

It can be related to allergy in some cases, could Ollie have had hay up his nose or maybe some dust bothered him?
 
Does it sound like this?

http://www.guinealynx.info/records/viewtopic.php?t=42

It can be related to heart problems, but as well as heart pig Gwen who made this sound, I have a couple of "hooters" who as yet show no other signs of heart problems. All my "hooters" including Gwen cleared their grumbly breathing with a cough, never with a sneeze.

It can be related to allergy in some cases, could Ollie have had hay up his nose or maybe some dust bothered him?
 
I'm worried now. I don't know whether I'm getting worked up about nothing again or whether I should take him to the vet AGAIN just incase.

I think I have guinea pig hypochondria lol. :red
 
Possible, I get it on occasion too. :))

How old is Ollie? If he's a youngster, especially under 1 year, it is very unlikely that he has a heart problem, especially if he has no other symptoms.
 
Laura-CCC4 said:
Possible, I get it on occasion too. :))

How old is Ollie? If he's a youngster, especially under 1 year, it is very unlikely that he has a heart problem, especially if he has no other symptoms.
Click to expand...

He's around 10/11 months now.
He is very inactive and underweight, but I don't know if those are "symptoms" or not, because he has ALWAYS been like that.
He is also very skittish.
 
Can sometimes be symptoms but he is young. Worth keeping an eye on him but unless there is an audible problem there (arrhythmia, pericarditis) the vet will very likely not really consider it.

Worth getting him examined and ask the vet to listen to his heart to check for any abnormal sounds, it would be a start. You know I am of the school of thought where just because the heart sounds fine, doesn't mean it is, whereas the majority of professionals are not from that school of thought at all, but if the heart sounds strong and regular then it will certainly reassure you somewhat. Gwen's heart was not sounding too strong in recent weeks. Ollie has age on his side and as you say, he's always been a sedentary pig so it may just be his character.

If it is any reassurance, I suspect Gwen has had her problem for a very long time, over a year at the very least, and although she was really not a well pig in recent weeks she's doing very well now. These things are not necessarily an immediate threat to their lives.

The best advice I can give right now is to just monitor him, keep an ear out for the hooting again, it may have just been a one-off, mot likely caused by something environmental e.g. hay up the nose/dust in the air.
 
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