Guinea Pig cough

[MrsKrisS126]

Hello fellow piggie lovers,
My Guinea pig just now is getting over a long recovery of bloat and GI Stasis. I took her to the vet 4 weeks ago and she now is looking better. She is acting normal, more energy, thinner, and all around much better. Pooping regularly. However, I’ve noticed the last couple days she’s coughed a few more times than I’d like. It’s been 2-3 times each day. And tonight (it is 6:19 am here) I’ve heard her cough multiple times. I keep checking on her and she seems fine. She’s always breathed kind of heavy which the vet said nothing about her respiratory. He said her breathing funny is due to bloat. She is the dominant piggie. And the biggest. Is this coughing concerning? I will take her to the vet, but I just need to know so I can sleep better until her vet is open on Monday. I keep waking up at any little peep I hear. And I’ll go sit with her in her cage for 10–15 min until I feel like she’s ok for me to go back to bed. Is it normal for a piggie to cough a couple of times a day? The other piggies are not coughing and she is around 6 others. Thanks for the help! She’s my baby so I just need some peace of mind until I can talk to her vet. The closest Guinea pig ER open 24/7 is about 1.5 hours away. Thanks everyone!

 

[MrsKrisS126]

Also, I have been sick myself. Not contagious sick. Dr thinks I may have been chemically poisoned and I am dizzy and short of breath for also 4 weeks now so it is really hard for me to drive. ESP 1.5 hours away to the nearest vet open on weekends. I don’t want to put myself or my piggie in danger if I have to drive to the vet, so I don’t know what I should do. But, if it came down to it, I would drive if it means a chance to save her in a life threatening situation. Absolutely. Is this something I can wait over the weekend for?

 

[Wiebke]

Hello fellow piggie lovers,
My Guinea pig just now is getting over a long recovery of bloat and GI Stasis. I took her to the vet 4 weeks ago and she now is looking better. She is acting normal, more energy, thinner, and all around much better. Pooping regularly. However, I’ve noticed the last couple days she’s coughed a few more times than I’d like. It’s been 2-3 times each day. And tonight (it is 6:19 am here) I’ve heard her cough multiple times. I keep checking on her and she seems fine. She’s always breathed kind of heavy which the vet said nothing about her respiratory. He said her breathing funny is due to bloat. She is the dominant piggie. And the biggest. Is this coughing concerning? I will take her to the vet, but I just need to know so I can sleep better until her vet is open on Monday. I keep waking up at any little peep I hear. And I’ll go sit with her in her cage for 10–15 min until I feel like she’s ok for me to go back to bed. Is it normal for a piggie to cough a couple of times a day? The other piggies are not coughing and she is around 6 others. Thanks for the help! She’s my baby so I just need some peace of mind until I can talk to her vet. The closest Guinea pig ER open 24/7 is about 1.5 hours away. Thanks everyone!

Hi and welcome
I am very sorry. These things have a nasty tendency of happening at the most incenvient of times.

Please accept that our forum is UK based so we are quite a bit out of tilt in terms of time zones.

I would recommend to book an appointment at your vets for as soon as you can get an appointment. As long as she is eating normally and holding her weight, it is not an emergency and would be better seen by your regular vet who is familiar with her story and with guinea pigs.
How Soon Should My Guinea Pig See A Vet? - A Quick Guide

Has your vet checked for a potential unlying issue that could push on the heart and cause the gassing and coughing? It can be masked by the gassing or a potential fluid build-up. Or is the coughing happening during or soon after her eating her veg rather greedily?

 

[MrsKrisS126]

Hi and welcome
I am very sorry. These things have a nasty tendency of happening at the most incenvient of times.

Please accept that our forum is UK based so we are quite a bit out of tilt in terms of time zones.

I would recommend to book an appointment at your vets for as soon as you can get an appointment. As long as she is eating normally and holding her weight, it is not an emergency and would be better seen by your regular vet who is familiar with her story and with guinea pigs.
How Soon Should My Guinea Pig See A Vet? - A Quick Guide

Has your vet checked for a potential unlying issue that could push on the heart and cause the gassing and coughing? It can be masked by the gassing or a potential fluid build-up. Or is the coughing happening during or soon after her eating her veg rather greedily?

Thank you so much. I did make her an appt for Monday morning. There is no available times I can take her today or tomorrow (Sunday). I will drive there and drop her off if it’s life threatening for sure, and I doubt they would push her away and not help her. But I’m hoping Monday will be ok.
She has lost some weight. I believe it is bc I let her eat mostly hay and her hard food and I only give her red or green leaf lettuce every other to every 2 days to keep her from gas and bloat. I’ve been monitoring her water intake and it’s good now. She has been drinking a lot more water than she used to as well. She’s also eating more variety of hay. She would only eat fresh out of the box hay I could only get from Amazon. But bc she needed lots of fiber and quick, I gave her cardboard box with no ink or glue or tape. Just plain cardboard and I gave her a paper bag. And then I gave her orchard grass Hay. Along with her Timothy Hay. She never ate anything except Timothy grass hay until she got sick. So I heard the orchard grass hay had most fiber so I now give her a mixture. I give all my piggies a mixture now. She is very picky but I am trying to change that. Letting her eat hay that is older than 8 hours out of the box and her pellets. I feed her the oxbow essential pellets for adults. As well as all my piggies. I attached a video so you can hear her breathing while she is eating hay. It’s very loud. I can hear her from my room and she is in her bedroom across the hall. The vet said she didn’t have respiratory issues but said that she is breathing this way due to bloating. Which I don’t truly understand. She also has been breathing this way since I adopted her from a neglect home about 8-10 months ago. And she’s always breathed this way. I thought maybe bc she is overweight bc she was still eating and drinking up until I had to take her 4 weeks ago to her vet. Also, she never spoke at all. She never squealed or anything. It was weird. But now that she has been on metoclopromide for a few weeks and is getting smaller, she is squeaking now and purring and rumbling when she is comfy! Also when she knows she is getting food or hay she will sometimes do the loud squeal yell! I am very happy to hear her talk! All in all she seems a lot better however the breathing and coughing and her poops are still a cause for concern. Just to be safe. And I know she is 100% not in pain and healthy and happy. That goes for all of my piggies.

They are all super intelligent! They know when I say “Drink your water”, and “it’s ok. Are you ok?” And “eat your food” and “it’s coming”(when I am cleaning food bowls and water bowls or feeding them and they don’t want to wait!), and they know “do you want to go play?” And “let’s go home”. They know few more phrases, but I’d just thought I’d share they are amazing creatures and I respect you all for what you do on here. Really brings us piggie lovers comfort when a vet isn’t available or just any other questions and concerns. Thank you so much for developing a great place to come to for peace of mind and great tips and advice
Also, I believe UK is 6-8 hours ahead. Right now is 5:20 pm eastern standard time in the USA. I’m in NC. Thank you all so much for your time, patience, and care!

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much. I did make her an appt for Monday morning. There is no available times I can take her today or tomorrow (Sunday). I will drive there and drop her off if it’s life threatening for sure, and I doubt they would push her away and not help her. But I’m hoping Monday will be ok.
She has lost some weight. I believe it is bc I let her eat mostly hay and her hard food and I only give her red or green leaf lettuce every other to every 2 days to keep her from gas and bloat. I’ve been monitoring her water intake and it’s good now. She has been drinking a lot more water than she used to as well. She’s also eating more variety of hay. She would only eat fresh out of the box hay I could only get from Amazon. But bc she needed lots of fiber and quick, I gave her cardboard box with no ink or glue or tape. Just plain cardboard and I gave her a paper bag. And then I gave her orchard grass Hay. Along with her Timothy Hay. She never ate anything except Timothy grass hay until she got sick. So I heard the orchard grass hay had most fiber so I now give her a mixture. I give all my piggies a mixture now. She is very picky but I am trying to change that. Letting her eat hay that is older than 8 hours out of the box and her pellets. I feed her the oxbow essential pellets for adults. As well as all my piggies. I attached a video so you can hear her breathing while she is eating hay. It’s very loud. I can hear her from my room and she is in her bedroom across the hall. The vet said she didn’t have respiratory issues but said that she is breathing this way due to bloating. Which I don’t truly understand. She also has been breathing this way since I adopted her from a neglect home about 8-10 months ago. And she’s always breathed this way. I thought maybe bc she is overweight bc she was still eating and drinking up until I had to take her 4 weeks ago to her vet. Also, she never spoke at all. She never squealed or anything. It was weird. But now that she has been on metoclopromide for a few weeks and is getting smaller, she is squeaking now and purring and rumbling when she is comfy! Also when she knows she is getting food or hay she will sometimes do the loud squeal yell! I am very happy to hear her talk! All in all she seems a lot better however the breathing and coughing and her poops are still a cause for concern. Just to be safe. And I know she is 100% not in pain and healthy and happy. That goes for all of my piggies.

They are all super intelligent! They know when I say “Drink your water”, and “it’s ok. Are you ok?” And “eat your food” and “it’s coming”(when I am cleaning food bowls and water bowls or feeding them and they don’t want to wait!), and they know “do you want to go play?” And “let’s go home”. They know few more phrases, but I’d just thought I’d share they are amazing creatures and I respect you all for what you do on here. Really brings us piggie lovers comfort when a vet isn’t available or just any other questions and concerns. Thank you so much for developing a great place to come to for peace of mind and great tips and advice
Also, I believe UK is 6-8 hours ahead. Right now is 5:20 pm eastern standard time in the USA. I’m in NC. Thank you all so much for your time, patience, and care!

It sounds like you are a very caring owner. Perhaps your girl has some permanent damage from an untreated previous respiratory infection which she has survived - but that is something you can only ever speculate about.

If she needs added calories but is still eating hay, then a bowl of mushed pellets soaked in some warm water is good way of improvising some top up.

I also have some phrases, each with its own melody. One of my piggies favourites is 'Are you going back home now?' which covers everything from the cuddle being over to the end of free roaming time during a cage clean to the new that the vet examination is over... While 'doctor' (medicine time) very much depends on the flavour.
I was actually able to direct a blind guinea pig of mine that was free roaming on the lawn to go back into their run a few yards away simply by standing next to the entrance flap and giving her nonstop vocal feedback with 'come on, come' (you are on track) and 'oh, oh, oh' (you have taken the wrong turn). With a little luck she would reorient herself and start again. Stupid they aren't. It was also interesting to watch Mischief working out a new mental map of her favourite board based on scent spoors, sound and touch after she lost her sight rather quickly.

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