Hello all, I am new to this forum and this is my first time posting on it. My 3 year old boar is wheezing, and I can sometimes hear it from across the room. It is becoming worse but at times I can't hear it at all. I suspected it was a URI, but he doesn't line up with some of the other symptoms. He sneezes occasionally but they are light and he has had them for a while. He is not lethargic, his eyes are bright and clear and he is eating and pooping normally. However, he is only 860g, but he has been under 1000g for his whole life. Is it worth taking him to the vet? If not is there anything I can do at home to help? Thank you, all answers will be appreciated.
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Guinea pig wheezing
- Thread starter elle2505
- Start date
Please do take him to the vet.
All you can do at home yourself is to check that your hay and bedding isn’t dusty and to check that there are no irritants in the room (candles, perfumes, plug ins, air fresheners). Piggies have narrow airways and any obstruction in their nasal passages will be heard.
It would also be worth switching to daily weight checks just to ne sure he definitely is eating enough.
All you can do at home yourself is to check that your hay and bedding isn’t dusty and to check that there are no irritants in the room (candles, perfumes, plug ins, air fresheners). Piggies have narrow airways and any obstruction in their nasal passages will be heard.
It would also be worth switching to daily weight checks just to ne sure he definitely is eating enough.
Hi and welcome
If the wheezing is ongoing or frequently recurring, then please have your pigy vet checked in th coming week. Before you look at any other causes, you always need to exclude an infection because of the long term problems that can arise even from an un- or undertreated low load of respiratory bacteria.
You might try and see whether a bowl of steaming water next to the cage can ease the symptoms a little. If there is a marked improvement, then I would look at humidification.
Hello, thank you all so much for your help! I put some hot water next to his cage and he sounds a lot better. However, when the water goes cold it starts up again - now I have to replace it every 15 minutes!
Hi, an update with Jack (guinea pig). The hot water did not help as much as expected, but we have started to increase the amount of food he is eating. He now weighs 930g, which is a big improvement. His breathing sounds a bit better, but you can still tell. He is still very active and ran around a lot during floor time today. I haven't ruled out the possibility of an infection yet, but can I delay the vet check up and see how he gets on? I don't want to leave it too long in case it gets to his lungs, but I also don't want to go along and find out he has no problems. Thank you!
I’d definitely get him checked over at the vets. Then you will either be reassured or if there’s a problem it can get sorted out quickly. They can go downhill very quickly.