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Should I be worried?

GuineaGirl2011

GuineaGirl2011

New Born Pup
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I was just about to change out their hay box, when I heard a noise that sounded kind of lIke teeth grinding together. I was confused on why Luna was doing that, because she wasn’t eating anything. But when I took a closer look, I realized that it was actually a stuffy nose. Should I be worried? Is there anything I should do?
 
Do you mean that she was breathing noisily? Or is her nose wet?
Guinea pigs sometimes get hay dust into their noses. So a one time snuffle usually is just that. But it can also be the first sign of an URI which needs to be treated by a vet asap.
When you're worried it's always good to have a piggy checked by a vet.
 
GuineaGirl2011 said:
I was just about to change out their hay box, when I heard a noise that sounded kind of lIke teeth grinding together. I was confused on why Luna was doing that, because she wasn’t eating anything. But when I took a closer look, I realized that it was actually a stuffy nose. Should I be worried? Is there anything I should do?
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Hi

Please see a vet if the nose is not clearing (often with a big sneeze) within a few hours and especially if you notice any rasping, wheezing, crackling (bacterial respiratory infection/URI symptoms) or any clicking from the lungs/heaving sides breathing (potential pneumonia).

Guinea pig airways are very narrow and small for their body size. They are also not great mouth breathers. This means any little obstruction in the nose tends to sound rather alarming.
Any regularly repeated grinding from the mouth area could be an indication of toothache/overgrowing teeth.

The change from summery to autumnal weather and the onset of the heating/stopping of the aircon with a change in the humidity in the room can cause non-infectious respiratory symptoms as can a fresh bag of hay or a happy dive into a heap of soft hay. Older piggies with more flaccid airways can become more sensitive to changes in humidity.

See whether a bowl of steaming water right next to the is bringing a little relief. The problem will hopefully sort itself out soon, though.
 
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