Potential URI?

[miloandhugo]

Hi everyone,
My 11 month old boar went to the vets yesterday because after coming back from my summer holiday I noticed his breathing sounded a bit louder. The vet said his right lung was slightly crackly so we’ve been given 5 days of baytril.

All throughout he has been eating normally, maybe drinking a bit less but he is his usual happy self! I am still noticing a strange noise when he breathes and eats (like a deeper snort, sounds like he has a blocked nose) and he seems to be trying to sneeze to clear his airways. I am wondering whether there is something stuck in his nose? Shall I take him back to the vet?

 

[miloandhugo]

Hi everyone,
My 11 month old boar went to the vets yesterday because after coming back from my summer holiday I noticed his breathing sounded a bit louder. The vet said his right lung was slightly crackly so we’ve been given 5 days of baytril.

All throughout he has been eating normally, maybe drinking a bit less but he is his usual happy self! I am still noticing a strange noise when he breathes and eats (like a deeper snort, sounds like he has a blocked nose) and he seems to be trying to sneeze to clear his airways. I am wondering whether there is something stuck in his nose? Shall I take him back to the vet?

The noise is kind of like a slight honk? Particularly when he sniffs or eats

 

[miloandhugo]

He just did a sneeze/kind of choke cough fit, he must have something stuck? Sounds better now to be honest. His usual vet isn’t open and I don’t want to take him back to the out of hours vets because it’s half an hour away and the car journey is quite stressful for him.

 

[Wiebke]

He just did a sneeze/kind of choke cough fit, he must have something stuck? Sounds better now to be honest. His usual vet isn’t open and I don’t want to take him back to the out of hours vets because it’s half an hour away and the car journey is quite stressful for him.

Hi

Guinea pig airways are very small and they not much in the way of mouth breathers so the least obstruction in the sinuses can sound pretty alarming. Nothing to worry about if it disappears within a few hours; usually with an almighty sneeze or two. It is likely just some hay dust or a little piece of hay stuck in there.

The noises you need to be aware of crackling and rasping from the throat and chest. Any clicking from the lungs/chest should be seen very promptly since it could indicate pneumonia.

 

[miloandhugo]

Hi

Guinea pig airways are very small and they not much in the way of mouth breathers so the least obstruction in the sinuses can sound pretty alarming. Nothing to worry about if it disappears within a few hours; usually with an almighty sneeze or two. It is likely just some hay dust or a little piece of hay stuck in there.

The noises you need to be aware of crackling and rasping from the throat and chest. Any clicking from the lungs/chest should be seen very promptly since t could indicate pneumonia.

Thank you! It isn’t coming from the chest and since his little sneeze/cough fit he hasn’t had the strange noise from his nose again. Will take him to my usual vet tomorrow morning for a second opinion because I don’t want to give him antibiotics that aren’t necessary.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you! It isn’t coming from the chest and since his little sneeze/cough fit he hasn’t had the strange noise from his nose again. Will take him to my usual vet tomorrow morning for a second opinion because I don’t want to give him antibiotics that aren’t necessary.

Hi

You can usually work out whether the problem is sitting in the nose, the throat (bronchia) or the chest (lungs) by hlding your ear against those areas. As a quick evaluation - even if it cannot replace a stethoscope - it can help you assess how serious an issue is and how soon you need to see a vet (or not) so you can keep your own panic to when you are really dealing with an emergency.

With the nose, you only need to see a vet if the problem doesn't clear within a few hours or if it recurs and if a piggy is sneezing more than 5 times per hour for hours on end. This is not an emergency, though unless your piggy is struggling to breathe.

Otherwise the two symptoms mentioned are the classic give-aways for a bacterial URI (or a strong sensitivity to hay dust/pollen), or if they come from the chest, pneumonia/a build up of fluid in the lungs.

Any laboured breathing/heaving sides or gasping for air (respiratory distress) is a life or death emergency.

 

[miloandhugo]

Thank you that is reassuring. It’s hard not to panic when they make such dramatic sounds

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you that is reassuring. It’s hard not to panic when they make such dramatic sounds

I know. Ownership is a constant learning curve but these simple rules can hopefully help you; especially on evenings, weekends and or bank holidays when you tend to be that bit more apprehensive.