8 year old guinea pig with a URI

[rosequartz]

Hi

That doesn't sound worrying; things often echo down from the throat when you are holding your ear against the chest. Crackling/rasping in the throat and clicking from lungs (chest - indicates pneumonia) are the key sounds to listen out for an acute respiratory both upper and lower.

Thank you. He just sneezed today, but it sounded like he was nose diving into his hay lol so it easily could have been some hay dust. I will obviously still keep an eye on things, but thankfully I did not hear any crackling or rasping noises. I listened with a stethoscope.

 

[rosequartz]

The stethoscope is from when I was in nursing school, I think it's fairly good, so it's not like one of the cheap Walmart ones or anything.

My vet does not like to give guinea pigs injections or at least, take blood. She once told me that in order to get blood work, she'd have to put him under anesthesia and I am not comfortable with that at his age. But maybe an injection of an antibiotic would be different, I could at least ask when we see her on Thursday. I don't want him to get it if he doesn't need it but I'll definitely have his lungs x-rayed. I think he's okay, but I'm watching carefully.

 

[Wiebke]

The stethoscope is from when I was in nursing school, I think it's fairly good, so it's not like one of the cheap Walmart ones or anything.

My vet does not like to give guinea pigs injections or at least, take blood. She once told me that in order to get blood work, she'd have to put him under anesthesia and I am not comfortable with that at his age. But maybe an injection of an antibiotic would be different, I could at least ask when we see her on Thursday. I don't want him to get it if he doesn't need it but I'll definitely have his lungs x-rayed. I think he's okay, but I'm watching carefully.

Sub-q injections are easier (although guinea pig skin is surprisingly tough but blood work takes experience as guinea pigs are very tricky in that respect.

Just a one-off nose clearing sneeze is not a problem at all - that is absolutely normal.

It is the none stop sneezing ever few minutes for hours on end that can indicate an infection or irritation in the nose. Plus the sounds described in my last post.