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Snorting Sounds / Nose Clearing?

K

Kymaero

New Born Pup
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Seoul, South Korea
I have 2 guinea pigs, both males, ~3 months old. Starting yesterday (and continuing today), one of them has been making snorting sounds quite frequently (they sound like he's trying to clear his nose). It's almost always in their kitchen, which is pet-specific wood pellets covered in fleece. The piggie in question does seem to like to shove his face into the hay I have in a bowl for them, but I'm not sure if this would account for the frequency (~5 times in the hour I gave them floor time, maybe 3 more in the last 10 minutes). They do have alfalfa hay, since they're younger, and I've heard that's dustier, but again, he only just started making this noise.

I've checked him as best I can (he's little and skittish), but his eyes and nose seemed fine, and he's energetic as he was before.

I did their most recent cage change about half a week ago. Any suggestions what the issue could be? Should I take them to a vet? (Their last visit was about three weeks ago, they had a clean bill of health.)

Note: I'm in South Korea, if that makes any difference as to your recommendations.

Here's the link to a video of him making the sound once. His cagemate is behind the camera, so you might hear both of them.
 
Cute video.

It really does sound like he is just clearing his nose.
As long as he is eating, drinking and active and his weight remains stable (or gradually increasing given he is clearly quite young) then it may just be that batch of hay.
 
I agree with the above. Also just wanted to add (not to do with the sound he makes) are you feeding only alfalfa hay? He should be given timothy/meadow hay as well with the alfalfa just making up a small amount of the total.
 
:agr:
Just two things though. Please put in a lot more hay for them. A bowl is restrictive as to the amount that can be in there. I’d put in a pile of it. Also, if those bowls contain pellets that’s too much. please only give them a tablespoon each per day. Cute pig 😍
 
Yes, I'm only feeding alfalfa hay, as I think that's what my vet told me. I can feed them a mix though - what percentage alfalfa is recommended?

I've been home a lot lately, so I've been topping up the hay bowl 3x a day, with hay twice its height (there's always some left when I do this), but I know they'll eat more as they get bigger, so I can try a different method of giving them hay (I tried a grid rack hung on the wall, but they just pulled it all out and refused to eat it).

I also read that young guinea pigs need unrestricted access to pellets - was that incorrect? I only give them ~2 tablespoons each per day anyway, as that seems to be the amount that they eat.

Thank you for all the advice! The piggie pictured is Pippin, and his cagemate is Merry.
 
When they’re still young and with mum is when they can have unlimited. I think from four months they then need to only have a tablespoon each. I got the boys at...two months old and never gave them alfalfa hay. They were absolutely fine. Several on here have done the same. Just be sure to switch to other hay once they reach four months. And also decrease pellets to one tablespoon each.
 
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