'coughing' When Picked Up

[biscandmatt]

i read that some piggies sneeze when nervous, which eddie used to do when i lifted him out of the carrier and onto the settee. sometimes he still sneezes, but then sometimes he coughs. or makes a choke noise. like when they eat too quickly, that type of sound.

any idea why? he isn't nervous anymore, and i hold him firmly but not too tighly. same as i always have, and the same as i have held all my piggies.

he occasionally chokes when eating too quickly. he didn't do it once when alone, but has with both maisie and now with mollie. he has a small mouth and rushes his food sometimes.

but this thing when we pick him up is a bit worrying to me. i don't understand why he does it.

 

[Jerrybelly]

Have you had him checked by a vet to rule out respiratory issues?

 

[biscandmatt]

Have you had him checked be a vet to rule out respiratory issues?

not specifically for this but he has been checked over everytime we had to take maisie in, and he is always fine and well. just got a bit too chubby at one stage but has since come back down in weight and stayed stable. other than that, nothing else obvious with him.

 

[Jerrybelly]

Some piggies do eat their food very quickly, and will occasionally cough a little as a result. My Frankie sneezes frequently, but this is because his nasal passages are not formed properly, so he gets dust trapped in them. This was only discovered after a very thorough vet check. I haven't heard of piggies sneezing when nervous.

If he does seem to be coughing and sneezing a lot then I would certainly get him looked at, even if only for your own piece of mind. URIs can develop quickly. If all is okay, then it may possibly be an allergy of some kind.

These piggies certainly like to keep us on our toes!

 

[biscandmatt]

thanks. it's only occasionally he coughs when eating, and then this strange noise is when i lift him from the carrier. the rest of the time he's fine. vets always check his breathing etc and it's always fine.

 

[biscandmatt]

do you think i could be lifting him incorrectly?