Sneezing Sneezing out of one nostril

[Rynn21]

Hi. I got my two male guinea pigs about four months ago, off of Craigslist. The owners told me the pair are a little over a year old, and they originally bought them from a pet store. I went to both Saskia at the LAGPR and my vet, because one of the two always has sneezed out of his left nostril. A little bit of snot comes out and he wipes it off. Saskia said that's a sign of an URI, so I went to my vet who also treats exotics like reptiles and guinea pigs. I've been going to her for years, and I mostly trust her judgment. Just like Saskia, my vet, and I heard, his breathing sounds great. It's just the sneezing out of one nostril that is always happening throughout the day. My vet didn't recommend antibiotics, since he sounds otherwise healthy and it doesn't sound like an URI, but an allergy, but she gave me an antibiotic anyways. I followed the instructions and even after a few months there's been no change in the sneezing. I even tried to switch from kiln dried aspen to fleece, and I just kept hearing him sneeze. He sneezes and sniffles all day. I went so far as to try to flush out his sinuses with a neti pot, another suggestion from my vet. No change. Anyone else experience this? His breathing still sounds the same as my non-allergic piggie. He still has a healthy appetite and energy. I give them veggies, hay, and pellets daily. Is it at all possible he's ironically allergic to the thing piggies need the most, the hay? Hay can be a little dusty out of the bag.

 

[spy9doc]

Is it at all possible he's ironically allergic to the thing piggies need the most, the hay? Hay can be a little dusty out of the bag.

I don't know why not.....anything is possible. Even though I've never heard of cavies being allergic to hay, I suspect that may be a factor. Timothy hay is a potent allergen for many humans.....especially my husband. The fact that the hay you feed is dusty makes me think that it would be worth switching the type of hay and the source where you purchase it.

First of all I absolutely would NOT buy hay in small quantities from a pet store or the like! That hay is invariably old, dry, and yes, dusty. Plus the fact that it is the most expensive way to buy it. Buy it in bulk from someplace like SPS or KMS Hayloft. You don't have to buy 40# boxes, but can buy it in smaller quantities if you wish.........just buy it in bulk.

I recently switched to KMS Bluegrass hay plus their pellets. My little boys are absolutely mad for the hay! And, I too have a sneezer. Since I switched hay, his sneezing has been markedly reduced although I have no way of knowing if the hay was indeed a culprit.

I think that it is definitely worth considering and doesn't require a major change on your part. Keep us posted!

 

[Rynn21]

Hi. Yes, I get the kaytee $10-$20 bags. Each $10 lasts like two weeks, $20 a month, but that was also with 3. I've heard of oxbow, but have seen mixed reviews on the quality.
Which of the two places (SPS/KMS) do you prefer, which hay do you buy, and how much? I have four piggies now. I just don't want shipping to be crazy on top of it. Anything to reduce cost AND save my piggies from a sneezing fit I'm all for.

 

[bpatters]

Shipping costs FAR less than you're paying for small bags of Kaytee. You have to figure the cost of hay by the pound, shipping included, because even if you buy it at a store you're paying shipping. It's just included in the price.

The cheapest hay, by far, is that from a local grower. A bale is less than $20, so even if you wind up throwing bunches of it away, using it for mulch, or sharing it with another owner or a rescue, you're way ahead. Next cheapest is buying in bulk online. Most expensive, at least double the online price and maybe more than that, is small bags of hay from a local store. It's also usually the stalest and most dusty.

SPS has good quality hay. I always used it and was very satisfied. I bought the largest boxes, even when I only had two pigs. A box would last at least five or six months, maybe longer.

 

[Rynn21]

Small Pet Select? Which hay do you recommend I get? There's so many options.

 

[bpatters]

I used second cut timothy.

 

[Rynn21]

Ok, thank you. Hopefully that will be less dusty. Kaytee always has a bunch of wasted hay at the bottom of each bag that I have to throw out each time due to it being mostly dust.

 

[spy9doc]

Because we cannot have timothy in the house, I used orchard grass from SPS with no problem. The only supplier of Bluegrass hay that I know of is KMS. Again, I encourage you NOT to buy timothy until you try a different type for a while just in case he could be allergic to it.

I formerly bought the Bluegrass from KMS until I had a couple of bad experiences with the former owner (may she rest in peace). That's when I switched to orchard grass for about 3-4 years. Recently, KMS has different owners and no longer charges usery shipping rates.I bought both Bluegrass and their pellets. My boys adore both the hay and pellets so that's my mainstay these days.

 

[Rynn21]

Oof, the price of bluegrass hay. If I don't use timothy hay, I'd go with orchard, cause bluegrass is too pricey for me.