Guinea pig snoring?

[Patchthehamster]

I’m hoping you may be able to give me some advice. A couple of weeks ago I heard what sounded like a wheezing sound coming from my guinea pig while he was sleeping. I managed to catch it on video and took him to my local vets (Dragon Vets, Tewkesbury). They gave him a once over, checked his breathing, listened to his heart, weighed him, and found nothing wrong. He’s eating normally, going to the toilet normally, being his normal self. He’d stopped making the noise so they said to keep an eye on him and let them know if it reoccurred. A few days later I noticed it again so they prescribed him a course of Baytril just incase. He completed that course a couple of days ago. I’ve just noticed the noise yet again. It sounds very much like snoring. As soon as he’s up and about he doesn’t make it.

Has anyone come across anything like this? Should I be concerned? He’s going to be 4 years old in May and has never made this noise before the past 2-3 weeks to my knowledge. My other guinea pig of the same age isn’t making the noise at all. And the pig in question literally only makes the noise while sleeping.

 

[Wiebke]

I’m hoping you may be able to give me some advice. A couple of weeks ago I heard what sounded like a wheezing sound coming from my guinea pig while he was sleeping. I managed to catch it on video and took him to my local vets (Dragon Vets, Tewkesbury). They gave him a once over, checked his breathing, listened to his heart, weighed him, and found nothing wrong. He’s eating normally, going to the toilet normally, being his normal self. He’d stopped making the noise so they said to keep an eye on him and let them know if it reoccurred. A few days later I noticed it again so they prescribed him a course of Baytril just incase. He completed that course a couple of days ago. I’ve just noticed the noise yet again. It sounds very much like snoring. As soon as he’s up and about he doesn’t make it.

Has anyone come across anything like this? Should I be concerned? He’s going to be 4 years old in May and has never made this noise before the past 2-3 weeks to my knowledge. My other guinea pig of the same age isn’t making the noise at all. And the pig in question literally only makes the noise while sleeping.

Hi and welcome

Some piggies can develop more flaccid airways as they get older and they can snore when sleeping.

See whether a bowl of steaming water next to the cage helps a little. If yes, look into humidifying the room more.

 

[Patchthehamster]

Thank you so much! That makes a lot of sense. I was worried it could be a URI but he’s shown no other symptoms and had the course of antibiotics, just incase. I’ll try the steaming water next time he is doing it.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much! That makes a lot of sense. I was worried it could be a URI but he’s shown no other symptoms and had the course of antibiotics, just incase. I’ll try the steaming water next time he is doing it.

The bowl of steaming water is a good way of testing whether dry indoors air is contributing to the sleeping noises or not without you going to unnecessary expenses first. It has in some cases helped with piggies of mine.