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Advice please - snorting/nasaly piggie

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Piggiewinkles

Piggiewinkles

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Hi,
My baby piggie Stanley (10 weeks) who i've had for a week appears to be making a sort of snort/grunting noise. The best way I can describe it is he sounds a bit nasaly. I just had him on my shoulder and could hear this sound. I can't figure out if he's doing it as he's breathing in and out or if he's just making a kind of grumbling sound. It's a quiet sound and he is squeaking, eating, drinking, popcorning and appears healthy in every other way. Is this something I should be worrying about? Do you think it would be worth getting him checked by a vet?
I have looked up the signs for URI's and he doesn't seem to have any of those symptoms.
Thanks
 
Hi Piggiewinkles,

Which part sounds congested - when you listen to his lungs on both sides, is there any crackling or clicking sound there, or does it seem to be from his nose? Was Stanley living indoors or outdoors before you got him, and where is he living now? I ask because you have only had him for a week and the change in temperature can still be enough to "trigger" a respiratory infection, so if he lives outdoors but is now inside, or vice versa, it may be the very start of an infection.

A few more questions that might help get to the bottom of his congestion - what is he bedded on? Did he start making the congested sound soon after you topped up the hay or refreshed the bedding? Could it be something environmental - a fragrance in the air for example? Maybe some hay stuck up his nose?

As AP likes to point out, it is the season for hayfever/allergies to start up, but I do think a respiratory infection should be ruled out first - with a course of antibiotics in many cases, and/or by intensive consideration of the environment and monitoring of the pig! - before considering allergy.

Lots of things to think about! :)
 
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It sounds very similar to the nasaly noises Willow made when she was a similar age to your Stanley. She was diagonsed with a chest infection and given a short dose of anti-biotics by our vet which cleared up the infection in no time.

Worth a quick trip to the vet, if only to put your mind at rest ;)

Hope Stanley gets well soon x
 
Thanks for the quick reply.
I have just held him up close to me and it sounds like it's his nose, but then if I hold his chest close to my ears it does sound like it could be a bit chesty too. He did just sneeze slightly as well. The noise in his chest doesn't sound like a crackle or clicking sound, more like a grumble.
I bought him from a pet store where he was indoors, and he is indoors at home too. I use standard hay as his bedding, then he has bio-organic hay hanging in these sort of wire balls which he eats from.
He lives with one of my other piggies, Monty, after a successful introduction on Saturday. They seem to be getting on great and Monty isn't showing any signs of illness.
I recently lost Monty's brother (only 5 months) to a stomach infection, and another piggie of mine died young from bloat about 18 months ago.
I'm so worried of something happening to the others as I couldn't bear to lose another one so young, but I also don't want to be a paranoid neurotic mummy to them! :) however if you think it would be best to take him to the vet then I will do. My 2 piggies that died went downhill so quickly with their illnesses and died within 12 hours of first showing signs, so I know some things have to be treated very very quickly. I wouldn't be able to get to the vets until tomorrow afternoon so does it sound like it's anything that could be fatal? (sorry probably being paranoid again)
Thanks
 
I think you should be OK with having him seen within a day of noticing.

You can try a tiny dab of vicks to help with his congestion.
 
Given that he is otherwise well, he should be just fine until tomorrow afternoon. It would be a whole other story if he was hunched up or not eating, but his only symptom is the slight congestion; it is reasonably unlikely that he will go drastically downhill before tomorrow afternoon.
 
Thanks, i'll get him down there tomorrow as soon as I get in from work.
Better to be safe than sorry.
Are chest infections contagious? Just thinking whether it should take Monty down there with him to have him checked too as he's done the odd sneeze. Plus they seem to be inseparable at the moment. When I was holding Stanley to listen to his breathing Monty was running about on the floor and when he couldn't find Stanley he squeaked so loudly, with Stanley responding just as loud! They only stopped when they were next to each other again! :)
 
It's not contagious if it's a respiratory infection, as far as my experience goes. I had 2 guinea pigs, one has had about 6 infections but the other not one and they have always been together. Some piggies can just be more susceptible unfortunately. Take them both to the vet together tomorrow, it will not hurt to have the other checked while you are there, and it really helps to prevent stress keeping them together, especially so for the sick one. Sweet little things do use each other for support at times like these. Good luck!:)
 
I always take another piggy with me whenever possible for "paw holding". The piggies are a lot less distressed if they are not separated.
 
Thank you all for your responses and advice.
Will let you know how we get on at the vets tomorrow x
 
Just a quick update...I made an appointment at the vets yesterday evening, and the evening when I originally posted the thread I cleaned out the cage and took out the hay they had as bedding and used shredded paper instead in case that was affecting him. In the morning Stanley didn't sound nearly so bad, then when i got back from work there wasn't any nasaly type sounds coming from his nose at all and his chest sounded clear. So I cancelled the vet appointment.....then a couple of hours later his nasaly nose started again!
So took him to the vets tonight (with Monty for company) and they said his chest did sound a bit snuffly and congested so he's been given anti-biotics, and i'm to syringe baytril to him (0.1ml) twice a day for the next 7 days. I've also been given some critical care just in case he goes off his food. But at the moment he seems. Better to be safe than sorry :)
Thanks again for all your advice, much appreciated.
 
Good to hear he is on the right track now and has some meds to clear up/rule out a respiratory infection, the dose of Baytril sounds right for a 10 week old. Fingers crossed the congestion clears up!
 
Thanks...yes fingers crossed it won't now turn into anything serious. Really glad I went down the vets in the end, it's been taking me ages to get to sleep at night worrying about him! The vet gave me some really good advice, and she has a guinea pig of her own, so feel like I can trust her :)
 
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