Sneezing and coughing

[Beccalee0]

Hi.
My guinea pig Florrie started sneezing and coughing quite a bit last night. Originally I thought she was choking on a bit of food but she did this a few times when she wasn’t even eating. I was going to bring her to the vets this morning but she has since stopped sneezing or coughing. The vet told me just to monitor her due to the stress of bringing a small animal into the vets. I am worried that she has an URI but the vet has told me if it had stopped then should be alright.

Is it okay to keep her at home and monitor her or should I take her into the vets just in case. I’m really not sure what to do as I don’t want to cause unecessary stress.

 

[Siikibam]

Sometimes they do it to clear their airways. Keep an eye on her and if she sneezes more than the norm then do get her seen.

 

[Wiebke]

It may just something gone down the wrong way and up in the nose. A one-off sneezing or coughing fit is usually just that and nothing to worry about.

Please keep in mind that URI is a bacterial respiratory infection and not a viral human cold. The symptoms are not the same; raspy or crackly breathing, loss of a appetite and apathy/struggling to breathe with green/yellow/orange gunky eyes a sign of a settled in and un- or undertreated upper respiratory infection the most common in order of severity and where they come in the development. Constant and persistent coughing and sneezing several times an hour for hours can be a symptom of URI but only in this forum, with the coughing and sneezing being generally more a symptom of a secondary bacterial infection than the primary one.

Piggies can sneeze to clear the nose at the end of a piggy wash (about 5 times a day) and some greedy eaters will cough after gobbling down their veg dinner too fast.

I hope that this helps you?

Here is more information: New piggy problems: URI - ringworm - skin parasites