Unexplained symptoms?

[danuutka]

I will preface this by saying that Ozzie has been seen multiple times by our exotic, cavy savvy vet, and nothing about his health has ever been brought up. He had an x-ray about a year ago to check for bladder stones (Hebrew didn’t have any, and everything looked perfect). His breathing also gets checked every time, and it’s always been great.

But he has some weird unexplained symptoms and behaviours that I just can’t understand - and doctor Google has pointed towards potential heart issues? Honestly, I’m not sure hence why I’m reaching out in case these things are very normal and I’m just being an over sensitive piggy parent

Ozzie chokes/coughs every day, multiple times a day. It’s the exact same sound and body movement as when the other piggies choke, but his is never in relation to food. He’ll just be walking around or asleep and all of a sudden cough a few times, rumble and go back to sleep. He always does two of these “chokes” in a row.

Ozzie also has a VERY wheezy/airy wheek - not like anything I’ve ever heard before. Ever since he was little, it’s like his voice breaks mid way through the wheek and pure air comes out. His nose has always popped whilst breathing - we’ve seen different vets and none of them have ever suspected a URI, and hasn’t even noted the popping sound as “odd”.

There’s also been a couple of times where Ozzie has decided to drag his back feet whilst he army crawls all over the place. It’s so bizarre, because his feet are fine, he’s not scent marking, it just looks like he still laid down to sleep and starts army crawling. One time this ended with what looked like airy “chirping”. It’s very odd, but he literally goes back to normal within minutes.

I don’t know if these are at all interlinked, or if it’s just one of the many “variations” of guinea pig behaviour and noises. I’m just concerned because I’m very much considering having him neutered (long story), but is be scared to put him under GA if he has a potential underlying health condition. Just wanted some thoughts!

 

[piggieminder]

This post has dropped down a few pages so bumping it up. Hopefully a health and illness expert will be along soon to give you an answer.

 

[danuutka]

This post has dropped down a few pages so bumping it up. Hopefully a health and illness expert will be along soon to give you an answer.

Thank you!

 

[Siikibam]

@PigglePuggle @Piggies&buns @Wiebke

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

If there is persistent coughing/choking without any link to greedy eating then it is definitely worth having him checked over. However as I know from my own experiences, diagnosing heart piggies is anything but easy or straight forward. I have had several checked that have displayed at least three possible heart piggy symptoms (not the same as yours); they have been put on a trial week of heart meds but none ever responded to them. If there had been a heart piggy, you would generally either see an instant response or none at all.

Is the wheezing coming from the nose or from the lungs? Has he been checked for potential oral thrush (a candida infection in the mouth), which can cause swallowing problems. And have you checked whether the problem could stem from messy drinking with water going down the wrong way, into the lungs (coughing) and the nose (wheezing) because there is something that is making normal swallowing more difficult?

 

[danuutka]

Hi!

If there is persistent coughing/choking without any link to greedy eating then it is definitely worth having him checked over. However as I know from my own experiences, diagnosing heart piggies is anything but easy or straight forward. I have had several checked that have displayed at least three possible heart piggy symptoms (not the same as yours); they have been put on a trial week of heart meds but none ever responded to them. If there had been a heart piggy, you would generally either see an instant response or none at all.

Is the wheezing coming from the nose or from the lungs? Has he been checked for potential oral thrush (a candida infection in the mouth), which can cause swallowing problems. And have you checked whether the problem could stem from messy drinking with water going down the wrong way, into the lungs (coughing) and the nose (wheezing) because there is something that is making normal swallowing more difficult?

Tha k you for your response Wiebke! It’s very bizarre, because his coughing/choking doesn’t seem at all related to food or water. Like hell just be rumble strutting about and then go into a cough/choke, or when he’s asleep, or just when he’s existing. It doesn’t seem to be at all related to him eating or drinking I’ve definitely worried about heart issues with him before (no specific reason, just seemed to pop up repeatedly when I’ve searched his odd behaviour).

In terms of the wheezing, it’s not something that he does all the time, but rather when he wheeks and makes noise. The only way I can describe it, is like a teenage boys who’s voice breaks when he talks - it’s that sort of gasps/raspy sound when he wheeks. It’s unlike any other wheek I’ve heard! And he’s done it since he was a baby.

I don’t know if he’s ever specifically been tested for oral thrush, or anything like that - but he has had general check ups of his well-being with our exotic vets and none of them have ever picked up anything. Because he’s been like this since he was a baby, it does make me wonder if it is a chronic illness, or if it’s just another variation of normal

He also seems to drink very nicely, I’ve never noticed him seeming to drink messily.

 

[Wiebke]

Tha k you for your response Wiebke! It’s very bizarre, because his coughing/choking doesn’t seem at all related to food or water. Like hell just be rumble strutting about and then go into a cough/choke, or when he’s asleep, or just when he’s existing. It doesn’t seem to be at all related to him eating or drinking I’ve definitely worried about heart issues with him before (no specific reason, just seemed to pop up repeatedly when I’ve searched his odd behaviour).

In terms of the wheezing, it’s not something that he does all the time, but rather when he wheeks and makes noise. The only way I can describe it, is like a teenage boys who’s voice breaks when he talks - it’s that sort of gasps/raspy sound when he wheeks. It’s unlike any other wheek I’ve heard! And he’s done it since he was a baby.

I don’t know if he’s ever specifically been tested for oral thrush, or anything like that - but he has had general check ups of his well-being with our exotic vets and none of them have ever picked up anything. Because he’s been like this since he was a baby, it does make me wonder if it is a chronic illness, or if it’s just another variation of normal

He also seems to drink very nicely, I’ve never noticed him seeming to drink messily.

Some piggies do lose their big wheek and just a have hoarse whisper instead for the rest of their lives. Without hearing/seeing it I can unfortunately not comment.