Sick Causes of strange noise [Difficulty breathing or congested?]

[Helena29]

Hi,

I woke up this morning and noticed that one of my guinea pigs is making a strange noise. She makes this sound with pretty much every breathe she takes, it is constant and now I am very concerned. How can I describe this sound? Muffled? Congested? Snorting? She has been making this sound all morning. The sound is fairly loud. I picked her up twice to try to determine where the sound was coming from and she did sneeze while I was holding her (and that muffled sound did go away for a few minutes after that). However, I don't see any liquid near her nose. There is no crust and her eyes are clear too. She only sneezed those two times. In addition, she is eating. But that sound is just not normal. What could it be? I tried to listen to her breathing and I think her breathing is fine. However, I'm concerned about pneumonia only because I did have a guinea pig whose only symptom was making a strange breathing sound only that sound was different than this sound. So confusing!

Extra Info:
1) A few days ago, my other guinea pig had a "sneeze attack". I thought it was just because I had put new alfalfa hay in her cage and it was really dusty. My other guinea pig seems fine.
2) Yesterday, someone used "spray paint" or something that just smelled disgusting on my floor. Could that be the cause of this? The smell was mild to me but still a terrible smell. Like wet paint or nail polish ... Well, worse than nail polish.
3) My apartment got pretty cold last night because the weather is crazy (up, down, up, down, etc.). The temperature is much better now.

Sorry for writing a book. Just trying to give you any and all relevant info. Is a trip to the vet in order?

Helena

 

[Helena29]

PS - If you have ever used a broken headset or dealt with audio issues ... It sounds a lot like that. Staticky? Crackly? Sorry, I don't have anything that can record the audio sound.

 

[bpatters]

Get her to a good exotic vet ASAP. Guinea pigs can go from fine to dead in 24 hours with respiratory infections.

Yes. the smell could have something to do with it. She could have a chemical pneumonia. You should always remove pets from the premises when a volatile chemical is applied in the house.

 

[Helena29]

Thanks Bpatters. Going to the vet tomorrow. She is still eating and no discharge, so hopefully will be OK 'till tomorrow.
I doubt I am dealing with chemical pneumonia. I live in an apartment building, not a house. The smell was strongest near the elevator and I am at the opposite end, near the door. Sorry, what I wrote was misleading. I purchased two guinea pigs on July 7th. They are approx. 4 months old now. I broke quarantine about a month ago. There have been occasional sneezes (5 to 10 a day but not even every day). I thought it was a normal amount. I suspect they have been fighting something since I got them. The sound I am currently hearing is definitely indicative that one of my piggies is sick ... and if one is then the other one is too. I will keep you informed ...

 

[Helena29]

Hi,

This is what she sounds like:

[video=youtube_share;xOUBOqdDnM0]https://youtu.be/xOUBOqdDnM0[/video]

I recorded this so other people will know what sound to watch out for ...
It's gonna be a long night!

- Helena
PS - The sound got louder when I started to pick her up. Not sure why but she definitely sounds worse when she is in a "standing" position. I've only heard approx. 5 sneezes all day, yet most of them have been after I handled her. Strange!

 

[bpatters]

Sounds to me like she's chewing. I'd probably want her teeth looked at.

 

[Helena29]

Hi,

The sound has changed. Now, I hear a mix of the sound she made before and the sound she started making this afternoon. In the first clip I posted, Goldie was making a disconcerting sound constantly. She made it when she was sleeping and she made it when she wasn't eating anything. @bpatters: Was chewing the only sound you heard in that first clip? Are there any other possibilities? After the first 25 seconds, I am able to hear the sound more clearly. I suspect your initial thought was "chewing" simply because the camera was aimed at her mouth.

Anyhow, Goldie is making a new sound. Should I be concerned by this sound?

NEW VIDEO:
[video=youtube_share;Izuz54gpeXU]https://youtu.be/Izuz54gpeXU[/video]


If it were her teeth, would she make the sound constantly? I'm unfamiliar with teeth problems so I was hoping you could tell me more. I thought if she had a problem with her teeth than she would drool when she ate.

What do you think of the sound she is making in the new video that I just posted?

- Helena

 

[Helena29]

Here is a second video of the disconcerting sound she is making:
[video=youtube_share;m4uVyAgdIOY]https://youtu.be/m4uVyAgdIOY[/video]

 

[lisa325]

Did you actually take her to the vet on the 10th like you said? That sound definitely sounds upper respiratory, and is not something you can just let go.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Your pig needs a vet ASAP. That certainly sounds upper respiratory to me, I've had a couple of pigs with the same issue in the past. Please get her in to a good exotic vet as soon as you can. She looks very miserable and ill.

 

[sallyvh]

Definitely see a vet. This almost seems like a hooting type of sound that's associated with heart issues/fluid in the lungs.

 

[Cynthiadennice]

Did you ever figure out what it was? My piggie just started making noises very similar to these I?m really concerned for him