Strange Sound While Breathing

[Palila]

My two girls have been making a strange noise almost everyday for 5 months now, it starts like wheezing, or like hooting, and then it sounds like in the video below. I took them twice to the vet, and she doesn't find anything wrong with them, but i don't think it's normal at all. I can't even sleep in my room anymore because they make the sound every night and it can last for an hour or more and it stops when they sneeze. They don't show any more symptoms, even while they're making that sound they act just normal, but it stills concerns me. I use fleece in their cage, and i use to wash it with detergent, i read that is not good for them because it can cause allergies, so I started to wash it with sodium bicarbonate hoping it could help, but it still the same. I am so worried, please help me !

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome!

I don't know what climate you are living in; if both guinea pigs are making the same sounds off and on, then there is a likelihood that it is rather environmental.

I know from members in the Southwest US that a dry desert climate can cause breathing difficulties, as can air conditioning. Have you tried whether higher air humidity can make a difference? Just see whether a bowl of steaming water, which you keep renewing can help ease the breathing. Dust and pollen can be another avenue to pursue. How old are your guinea pigs? Have you tried to work out whether the issue is mostly located in the nose, the throat or furteher down in the lungs?

Guinea pigs can't breathe through their mouths, so every small obstruction is very audible. It can be very frustrating to get to the bottom of off-on breathing issues, as I know myself. It took me two years to get to the bottom of my elderly Ffraid's off and on crackly breathing. I know from her previous owner that she'd had URI when younger, but she had the bad habit of holding her breath and breathe very cleanly whenever examined by a vet, so a number of visits were spectacularly unsuccessful. In the end, she was diagnosed with lung disease and narrowed airways by a very experienced guinea pig vet with a very good stethoscope. She lived to 7 years old and died from another cause, by the way.

Since we have members from all over the world, we find it very helpful if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details, so we can take your climate, vet access and available brands into consideration straight away. You can do this by clicking on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. Thank you!

 

[Palila]

Hello and thanks for the answer i also thought about the air humidity, but i live in the south of Chile and it rains a lot here, so i don't think that's the problem, i'll try that anyways. And i'll start cleaning more often my room to see if it's because of the dust
My girls are 1 year old, and i'm not sure where the sound comes from, i think it sounds like it's from the nose.

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks for adding your location. If you have frequent rains, then dryness of air is likely not an issue.
What kind of hay are using? Dusty hay can cause breathing issues in the nose and throat.

 

[Palila]

I give them "ballica" hay, i don't know it's name in english sorry. That's the only hay available here besides alfalfa. Sometimes i feel like it's a little dusty and i shake it to take off the dust, but maybe it's no enough

 

[Veggies Galore]

am I right in assuming ballica is Spanish for ryegrass?

 

[Palila]

Hum yes, i think it's the same