Mocha’s been coughing(?) infrequently. I think I’m going to take her to the vet tomorrow but wanted to hear if anyone else has had this issue. More info in the comments.
v.redd.it/7jy0k4vcq3p71
v.redd.itPosted Sep 22, 2021, 6:56 PM UTC
36636
v.redd.itMocha’s six months old, and occasionally coughs as you can hear in the video. Usually it’s once or twice a day max, but days go past without her coughing at all. I did some searching on Reddit/Google and others mentioned food getting stuck in their throats which sounds likely (I’ve seen our other piggie Mojya do the same once and spit out some food onto my lap) and tried listening for dry/raspy breathing which she doesn’t seem to have. Her weight good, increasing steadily and she eats well too. Today she coughed 4 times while we were playing with her and Mojya so I started filming her by chance and caught another two coughs. She hasn’t since and seems fine. Any advice would be appreciated.
29
We have two piggies... One of which had a raspatory infection that was very similar to what you posted. Doc gave us meds and she's fine now. I hope everything is OK when you see the vet tomorrow.
Good Luck!
17
That’s what I’m afraid of, will take her tomorrow. Hopefully everything goes okay, thanks for commenting!
9
It looks a lot like a respiratory infection of some kind, or possibly exposure to smoke or another irritant. Glad to hear you can get to the vet tomorrow. Good luck!
5
That’s a cough? I wouldn’t wait until tomorrow. Take it from me: I lost my baby girl a week ago yesterday with no visible signs. Woke up and she was on her side not moving/still breathing though. When I picked her up and was looking for a vet she was having seizures. I knew it was too late and I am really heart broken because she was my favorite. Please do not wait
16
I just lost my guinea pig two days ago. He sounded a bit congested but since it had cleared up before I thought it would be ok. I found him the next day dead in the cage. They are very fragile animals especially when it comes to respiratory issues. I wish I could go back and fix my mistake. Take your piggie to the vet if you can.
6
I wish I could go back as well. I had to put one of my boys down in April due to an inoperable bladder stone. I have two remaining boys and I am taking them in for X-rays and blood work to be safe
4
Thanks for the advice and I'm really sorry to hear you both lost piggies recently. I've just posted an update, but at the moment it looks like she's going to be okay. We'll keep a close eye on her and take her back at the first sign of trouble.
2
Glad she is going to be fine
3
I’m so glad she is doing well!
2
One of my piggies sometimes gets choked up on water, but if she's coughing and it isn't after a big sip of water, I'd definitely take her to the vet. Even if it's infrequent, you never know. Better safe than sorry.
11
Even if she seems better in the morning, bring this video to the vet so they can see that unusual behavior after the cough.
A cough now and then on its own isn’t a big deal, but with that behavior afterward I’m more worried. Try to notice the frequency of coughing and write down any changes, and bring that information with you to the vet too. Hoping for the best for her!
9
Yeah I agree, it’s the behaviour in between that’s concerning, she seems uncomfortable and giittery and those noises in between worry me xxx best of luck, anything caught early usually can be treated ❤️
3
Pick her up. Put her belly next to your ear. Do you hear any popping or crackling? Does it sound wet? The former indicates an URI, the latter indicates pneumonia. Both require a vet intervention.
How is her weight? Any weight loss? Weight loss typically is the first sign something is amiss.
Would you please keep us apprised as to how she is faring?
7
Thanks for commenting, I think my initial explanation got buried in the comments but no - no noises that would concern me. Similarly her weight is fine and she's eating well. The vet checked everything and as of now thinks we should be okay. Going to keep a close eye on her for the next few days and feed her plenty of treats.
3
Thank you for taking such good care of her! And, thanks for the update. I hope no other issues arise.
2
I'd call your local 24/7 vet clinic(s) and have them point you to a clinic that can take your piggy in than wait till tomorrow
4
Update! Sorry I can't seem to edit the video description. Thanks for everyone's kind words and advice - we took her to the vet this morning and showed her the video. Her breathing is totally fine, no wet/dry sounds and she isn't short of breath. There aren't any other signs of a URI (discharge, hair loss, lack of apetite) so at the moment we're just going to keep an eye on her. If the coughing worsens the vet may offer a course of antibiotics but would rather not give them out if it's not needed which I totally agree with. In the meantime Mocha will get plenty of love and treats and hopefully it'll pass!
4
I've seen a couple of our guinea pigs do this and it does indeed seem to be choking. Check Mocha's food... Is the kibble dusty because you're at the bottom of the bag/container? Are there seeds or other small hard objects in her kibble or snacks that might be getting caught in her throat? Are there foxtails in the hay? (not the fluffy seedheads that are usually in timothy hay, but sharp, pointy things)
We got a batch of hay in the late spring which had a bunch of foxtails in it. I tried to pick out as many as we could but one of our littles suddenly stopped eating and it took two vet visits and three different meds over a week and a half to get her back on track again. (Also had a heck of a time getting the foxtails out of my fleece! lol)
2
That poor thing. She looks like she is trying to throw something up. Do post updates.
!remindme 3 days
3
Thanks for commenting, the vet agreed it looks like she might have got something stuck. I've just posted an update as a seperate comment, but as of now we're just going to keep an eye on her.
2
I will be messaging you in 3 days on 2021-09-26 00:09:47 UTC to remind you of this link
CLICK THIS LINK to send a PM to also be reminded and to reduce spam.
^(Parent commenter can ) ^(delete this message to hide from others.)
| ^(Info) | ^(Custom) | ^(Your Reminders) | ^(Feedback) |
|---|
1
The breathing sounds pretty labored, definitely vet time. My pig sounded like that when he got pneumonia. Every breath moved his whole little body
3
OURS HAS THE SAME NAME
2
Perfect name for a perfect piggie <3
1
I hope Mocha feels better! You’re being a good pet parent by noticing something’s and by taking her to the vet. 💖
2
ANY breathing or respiratory issues need to be addressed immediately. Too many of us on here have waited an extra day to go to the vet and death happens. Their nose is 90% of airway, so if it's clogged, you are done. Go in the morning as soon as you can. Make sure the vet you are planning to call is an actual exotic vet. Some only do cats or dogs and you will get pissed looking for one while your pig is sick.
2
Yes, this is not normal
2
I posted this same kind of video of my guinea pig coughing two weeks ago I thought it was the hiccups🥲 but after everyone scared the shit out of me in the comments I took her to the vet and she got meds and hasn’t coughed since but just started sneezing 🤦🏻♀️
2
Ours sneeze every now and then, which the vet confirmed is normal. If they're sneezing a lot or after you add hay, it may be that the hay is too dusty.
2
its not good for piggies to cough but like when they cough it sounds like they have little voices lol
2
Deffo vets.
One of My Guineas was doing something similar at went down hill fast. Now every time my other guinea makes a weird noise I’m on edge and watching hun like a hawk xx
Good luck and keep us updated ❤️
2
Mocha may have a piece of hay or something wedged in their throat or nose
2
[removed]
1
Yeah, sounds like Mocha has something going on, especially coughing that much. One of my pigs constantly had respiratory issues but antibiotics always cleared it up! Good luck, hopefully it’s just that and Mocha is a ok!
Thanks for replying, fingers crossed!!