Guinea Pig Sneezing?

Question

My Guinea pig, Bubba is almost 4 months old. He has been sneezing for the past two days. He sneezes about every ten minutes. I am very worried if he will be okay. Other than taking him to the vet, is there anything else i can do? Please tell...

Also, he has been eating and drinking right. He's also been leaving right droppings. Nothing seems to be the problem other than his sneezing. He doesnt have any crusts on his eyes. He has been running around the house lately, under the furniture where it is dusty. And it cant be his bedding because hes used Carefresh since he was born and never had a problem with it. He has been eating Alfalfa hay for a while now, but I will be changing his diet into Timothy Hay since he is becoming a big boy. Please, Please give me an answer of how to treat him, OTHER THAN the vet...

Thank you!

=)

Answer 1

Is anything stressing him out at all? Try to eliminate any reason for Bubba to be stressed, and introduce his new food slowly.

Answer 2

Sneezing occasionally is normal for a GP.  If your guy is sneezing excessively, there can be a couple of reasons why.

If your GP is wiping its nose or has a runny nose, chances are it's a respiratory or sinus infection.  If this is the case, you would need to go to the vet to get your GP some antibiotics.

Another reason might be due to allergies.  GPs can sneeze if their bedding is bothering them or if the hay is bothering them.  If you are using a soft wood bedding (cedar, pine), you might want to try something different.  CareFresh or Yesterday's News are good beddings to try that aren't dusty and probably won't cause allergic reactions.  You might want to change the type of hay you are using as well.  First scrub down the cage and then change the bedding to see if that helps.  If your GP is healthy (eating normally, pooping normally, not overly lethargic, etc) then I'd try that first.

You can always call up your local vet or animal shelter to see if they can provide you advice over the phone without having to go in.  If the sneezing doesn't stop, or his symptoms get worse (major signs: loss of appetite and lethargy) go to your local vet.

You can also check out this site for more information on GP illnesses:

http://www.aracnet.com/~seagull/Guineas/...

Hope that helps!

Answer 3

Sneezing that much isn't a good sign.  It is usually the first sign of many complications including a respiratory infection.  Make sure no cold air is getting to your piggy and make sure you are cleaning it's cage weekly (maybe more often until he gets better).  I know you don't want to take him to a vet, but if you notice anything else or if the sneezing doesn't improve soon you really should take him to a vet.  Hope he feels better.

Answer 4

Sneezing is the body's response to an irritant in the nasal passages. So its either dust or the beginning of a respiratory issue.

The very first sign of illness in a guinea pig is usually weight loss. For this reason, it is a very good idea to begin weighing your piggie weekly and keep a written record of the weight. A change of 3 or more ounces in one week is a big red flag that something is wrong. If you catch illnesses early, the piggie has a better chance at survival.

You can buy a cheap digital kitchen scale at a discount store for $15-$20. You'll need one that weighs in pounds & ounces.

If you had already been weighing your pig, you could check his weight right now & determine if the sneezing is dust related or illness related.

Since you say that the piggie has no other outward symptoms of illness, I would watch very carefully for the next few days. If any of the symptoms of URI become present, your piggie should see the vet immediately for a round of antibiotics. Guinea pigs go downhill very quickly once they're ill.

Answer 5

Hmmmm, sneezing no good, It might be the beggining of upper respritory

First of all, try to get the dust out, it may be what started the sneezing,

and the first day use half and half (alfalfa/timothy) and start adding more and more timothy hay and less and less of the alfalfa hay.