Strange breathing/chest movement

[Calbearspiggies]

Hello! I would be glad of your thoughts regarding my darling rescue boar - Charles. He had a horrible start in life and was rescued covered in bites and missing his fur etc from a hoarding situation. I’ve had him for about a year. For all of that time he has had rather pronounced/obvious breathing movements - it’s like his tummy/lungs suck the air in and out in an exaggerated way. It’s quite different from my other pigs. I’ve had him checked before and there were no issues but I get the sense it’s maybe getting more of an “issue” - has anyone here experienced something similar? I am taking him to the vet for a checkup asap, but the more info the better please. My understanding is that piggies can have somewhat over exaggerated breathing when they have heart problems - but Charles seems to have no issue eating (he loves his food!) and doing mega popcorns when he sees any food or hears any food. He’s also his usual grumpy self (he’s allowed to be as spicy as he wants given what he’s been through!) he also drinks well as his toilet stuff is fine.

He does have far more noticeable whitr cleaning fluid discharge from his eyes than any other pig I’ve had - but he is also differently coated (he’s a white pig, with grey eyes - so not a Himalayan), and a smoothish coat.

I wondered for a time whether maybe he had something blocking his nostrils or something similar but he doesn’t paw at them or otherwise seem particularly bothered. That said I don’t want to fail to treat something that could be fixed and make his life happier - so if anyone has any specific experience of this kind of thing I’d be glad of the info (again, he is going to the vet so I’ve got that covered already). He doesn’t sneeze and doesn’t seem any more sleepy or skinny than usual.

Cheers! (My other boar is a big fluffy butt Abby piggie / he has no similar issues so I assume it isn’t anything contagious or environmental).

 

[currynugget]

Hello, I had a piggy that also had respiratory problem. You can see by the way their breathing, like my piggy, her head never stayed still, it always moved everything she breathed, while my other piggy's head always stays still every time she breathes. Also you can see that their chest are moving very fast.

Did your piggy make any hooting noise?

If your vet said there was no problem then hopefully it really stays that way because your vet can check with their stethoscope and listen to their chest.

 

[Calbearspiggies]

Hiya, thank you so much for your message and for replying - that’s very kind of you!

I just checked Charles - his head is absolutely still and he seems content (he doesn’t hoot or make any sounds though I think his nose might not have quite as big nostrils as my other pig) it’s literally like he has a mechanical breathing thing in his tummy - it’s a very pronounced intake of breath - his little tummy moves a lot when he breaths.

He’s otherwise perfectly fine. He just popcorned like crazy when I rustled the hay bin for him (you’ve never seen a pig popcorn like he does just for hay - he goes crazy! I think because he was starving at the horrible hoarder who had him before I rescued him - poor baby!) he can also do giant jumps (he refuses to use his little ramps) and eats and drinks fine… I just worry there is something odd and wondered if someone else had seen that before.

 

[weepweeps]

Hello and welcome to the forum. If you think it’s gotten worse since the last time the vet saw him I’d take him back for a recheck just to put your mind at rest.

 

[currynugget]

Hiya, thank you so much for your message and for replying - that’s very kind of you!

I just checked Charles - his head is absolutely still and he seems content (he doesn’t hoot or make any sounds though I think his nose might not have quite as big nostrils as my other pig) it’s literally like he has a mechanical breathing thing in his tummy - it’s a very pronounced intake of breath - his little tummy moves a lot when he breaths.

He’s otherwise perfectly fine. He just popcorned like crazy when I rustled the hay bin for him (you’ve never seen a pig popcorn like he does just for hay - he goes crazy! I think because he was starving at the horrible hoarder who had him before I rescued him - poor baby!) he can also do giant jumps (he refuses to use his little ramps) and eats and drinks fine… I just worry there is something odd and wondered if someone else had seen that before.

I think if he still wants to eat and drink, then it'd should be fine. It could be just hay stuck in his nose. Just keep checking on him tho and bring him to the vet it you concern!

All the best!