8 Week Old Boar Sneezing

[Seona Adam]

Hi! I am a new piggy owner and I'm obsessed with them already! One of our piggies Winston was at the vet last week with a sore eye, for which we were given drops and he seems to have recovered from that. However I have noticed today that he is sneezing, I've heard it maybe 10 times today. I was just wondering if anyone had any advice on anything I can do to help him- I have read articles/watched videos about respiratory diseases in piggies and pneumonia and they're making me worried! We've only had them for 2 weeks and I feel like I'm being a bad owner if Winston is going to have to go to the vet again Other than the sneezing he seems okay, eating and drinking and running about. Just wanted to know if I am being an overly anxious new owner and I should wait and see how he is or whether I should be really worried and get him to the vet tomorrow. Thank you in advance!

 

[Jesse's pigs]

Hi! I am a new piggy owner and I'm obsessed with them already! One of our piggies Winston was at the vet last week with a sore eye, for which we were given drops and he seems to have recovered from that. However I have noticed today that he is sneezing, I've heard it maybe 10 times today. I was just wondering if anyone had any advice on anything I can do to help him- I have read articles/watched videos about respiratory diseases in piggies and pneumonia and they're making me worried! We've only had them for 2 weeks and I feel like I'm being a bad owner if Winston is going to have to go to the vet again Other than the sneezing he seems okay, eating and drinking and running about. Just wanted to know if I am being an overly anxious new owner and I should wait and see how he is or whether I should be really worried and get him to the vet tomorrow. Thank you in advance!

Sneezing can be a symptom of a URI, but could also be as simple as the hay being too dusty or the bedding (if he is on sawdust or a substrate similar). Of course, a checkup and confirmation from a vet is not a bad idea as URIs can come on quite quickly and can go from minor to something life threatening quicker then anticipated.

I had this same problem and took mine for a check up where I was given a course of antibiotics as a precaution (in consult seemed fine but the vet didn’t want to chance it). Turns out the hay he was on was the cause so I simply changed it and immediately noticed a difference- not saying this is going to be the case for you but just an example

 

[Seona Adam]

Sneezing can be a symptom of a URI, but could also be as simple as the hay being too dusty or the bedding (if he is on sawdust or a substrate similar). Of course, a checkup and confirmation from a vet is not a bad idea as URIs can come on quite quickly and can go from minor to something life threatening quicker then anticipated.

I had this same problem and took mine for a check up where I was given a course of antibiotics as a precaution (in consult seemed fine but the vet didn’t want to chance it). Turns out the hay he was on was the cause so I simply changed it and immediately noticed a difference- not saying this is going to be the case for you but just an example

Thank you for your reply! They have fleece lining in their pen so no sawdust, I may try changing the hay first and see if he is still sneezing, but yeah I'm just worried that it could go downhill quickly so may go to the vet tomorrow!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! I am a new piggy owner and I'm obsessed with them already! One of our piggies Winston was at the vet last week with a sore eye, for which we were given drops and he seems to have recovered from that. However I have noticed today that he is sneezing, I've heard it maybe 10 times today. I was just wondering if anyone had any advice on anything I can do to help him- I have read articles/watched videos about respiratory diseases in piggies and pneumonia and they're making me worried! We've only had them for 2 weeks and I feel like I'm being a bad owner if Winston is going to have to go to the vet again Other than the sneezing he seems okay, eating and drinking and running about. Just wanted to know if I am being an overly anxious new owner and I should wait and see how he is or whether I should be really worried and get him to the vet tomorrow. Thank you in advance!

Hi

Please have any piggy vet checked if in any doubt.

Young pet shop guinea pigs come from a rather sterile environment at the breeders and the shop into a home that is full of irritants; that can cause sneezing. Bedding or hay dust can also cause it. In most cases the sneezing will settle gradually down as the small and very delicate airways of the piggies adjust to their much more complex new environment. However this latter can only be persued if the URI link has been eliminated.

Please be aware that guinea pigs may also sneeze deliberately after a 'piggy wash' (which they do several times a day) in order to clear their nose.

New guinea pigs: Sexing, vet checks&customer rights, URI, ringworm and parasites
Irritants to Avoid Around Guinea Pigs

These guides are part of our new owners very helpful information collection, which you may want to bookmark and use as a resource. Unlike a book, we can update and extend our guides. And unlike many books, we also specifically address all the little and large issues that new owners are most likely to have questions or concerns about.
Here is the link: Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides