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wheezing

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sarahp

sarahp

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Sorry, I haven't been on here for a while but things have been v busy :( I don't want to be someone who only comes here for advice...! I plan to get the internet at home soon so I should get more time on here.

My rescued pig Colin is about a year and a half. I've had him since November. Some evenings I hear him breathing loudly, like a wheezing noise. It gets quite loud, although he is perfectly happy and eating well. I'm not sure whether to take him to the vets or not - the problem being that he doesn't do it all the time. Currently I hear him do it about once or twice a week for about half an hour each time.

He has always been on woodshavings, even before he came to me, so I don't think it can't be related to that. At the moment I use a layer of newspaper, a layer of shavings and a layer of shredded paper on top.

Any ideas?

Sarah x
 
I can only give you my experiences sorry, but i also asked my vet not long ago and he said quite often it can be allergy related or even a blocked nasal problem if it's not a cold. Our boy has def been better since not living on hay so maybe what i was buying was not good for him :-\
If in doubt i'd go see the vets, i ask him all sorts of questions each time i go, you're better to be safe and ask O0
Give Colin a big hug and piggie kisses from us :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
Piggies can have an allergy just as quick as humans. Why not just leave off the savings for a few days then see if there's any difference?
 
Last year Squeak was out in her run a lot in the lovely weather and we moved it under one of the trees as there was longer grass there - checked on her about 10 minutes later and i could hear her wheezing a little and what sounded like snoring as she lay down? kept an eye on her and spoke to my vet and found out it was like piggie hay fever - the tree (OR something around the tree) may have started her off... moved the run to the other side of the garden and she was fine after that... ?

Bless I never realised they could get anything like that until then :-\
 
In my opinion like others had said he sounds as is he has an allergy to something, probably the wood shavings. I would get him to the vets though just to be on the safe side that it is nothing else. Keep us updated. :)
 
I am so relieved to see others have had this!

My boy Davey has displayed this funny little noise too and I took him to the vets on the first occasion it happended. The vet said nothing was wrong, despite me trying to describe the wheezy, snoring noise. He has it at the moment but seems in no distress and is popcorning and eating everything in sight.

It really is a most alarming noise isn't it? Snoring is a good description! THat is exactly what he sounds like!

And yes, it is gone the next day. Comes back every now and then. I was advised to give him a 2ml dose of either Tixylics (kids' chesty cough medicine) or children's Sudafed to clear the airways. I have done this on several occasions and yes, it seems to clear it up and makes his breathing easier. He doesn't mind it either. However I do get worried that he may have something dreadful like pneumonia and all he gets is cough mixture! However, the vet informed me that his breathing and lungs were fine.

I thought it was just me who had this funny little wheezy pig!
 
well i too am relieved to hear it. colin hasn't done it since i wrote my first message so i'm not going to worry too much. i shall try and take him off the wood shavings to see if it makes a difference.

fingers crossed he won't need a trip to the vets. he is very friendly but he is a bit of a biter when he doesn't get his own way.

lots of kisses to all the wheezy pigs out there :D
 
I was advised to place a few drops of Olbas Oil (children's version) onto his vet bed so that he can breathe in the vapours to clear his nose.

Haven't tried this yet but I have already bought my supply.
 
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