Wheezing Crackling noise, no other symptoms?

[livvyluvsu]

Hey everyone, I'm new to this forum and have read many posts about a similar issue people have had but a lot of them were left without updates so I decided to post my own.

My guinea pig Yoshi is 5 years old. For almost 5 months now she has been making crackling noises. They are loud enough to hear from the other side of the room. However, she was only making them at night and only a couple times a week, if that. I thought it strange but wanted to wait to see other symptoms - she is eating and pooping normally. No other symptoms occurred but I decided to take her to a vet anyway back in July to ease my worries. She was of course not making the sound at the time so I showed the vet a video of another piggie making a similar sound. He listened to her heart and breathing and said that she sounded normal but I believe also said that her lungs could have more "clarity"? Basically he didn't notice any major symptoms but based on me coming and paying for the appointment, and the video I showed, he prescribed her Baytril for 2 weeks, 1.5 mg a day.
During the treatment I think I heard the noise once and then didn't hear it again for a couple weeks. It was intermittent and without other symptoms so I decided to let it play out. However, the past 3 days the crackling noise has been more prominent - she is doing it the majority of the day. I have some left over antibiotics and have been giving them to her. I figured if she didn't seem to get any better over the weekend that I would take her back to the vet.
I have another piggie who is about 3 and is perfectly normal. I'm not sure what to make of everything because I find it odd that Yoshi could have possibly had a URI for so long without showing any other symptoms, and without the other piggie contracting it. I told myself that maybe it could be allergies but I'm not sure. I'm trying to play it conservative because there is only one exotic vet in my area therefore their prices are high - 50 just for the appointment, hundreds for xrays. I'm a broke college student which is why I've been waiting for other symptoms to occur.

To put things into perspective, I use fleece bedding and kaytee hay and pellets. I heard kaytee can be dusty but I've never had an issue from my piggies until recently and have always used it. I give them lettuce, carrots and peppers daily. ALSO, Yoshi has also on occasion made hooting noises- these are distinctly different from the crackling and again has only happened at night. I've read that hooting can be heart problems or allergies.

so based on all this what do you guys think? thanks in advance!

 

[livvyluvsu]

Hello? Anyone???

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

I'm not sure about the cracking noises, but I know that my boar, Sly, who has malocclusion issues, makes cracking noises when his teeth are due to be planed. Has your vet checked her teeth? Taking her back and having them checked may not be a bad idea. See if you can get a video of HER doing it, to show the vet.

Hooting can be, but not necessarily be heart issues. There could be other reasons for it. My Sly is ALSO a hooter, and it happens when he gets food caught in his throat. Sometimes he hoots, and other times he sounds so wet and congested that I swear he has terminal pneumonia. Then, one good loud ACK! cough, sometimes two, and he clears it.

As a matter of course, Kaytee anything is definitely not good quality hay. Depending on where you're located, there are much better (and cheaper) options.

 

[livvyluvsu]

Thanks for the reply. When I took her to the vet he said her teeth were also fine. I have a video of her doing the noise but I'm not sure how to attach it on here without first uploading it to YouTube. I will say the crackling has reduced since I started her on more antibiotics.

 

[livvyluvsu]

Also there is only kaytee hay in my area

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

I don't think you can attach a video here without linking it from Youtube, but I'm not certain of that.

Where in the world are you located? We don't need your precise address, just your locale. Someone here may be able to help you find better quality hay. Online is also an option.

 

[livvyluvsu]

I live in Wilmington, NC. It's a college beach town so it's not like it's rural or anything. All the persmarts and petcos only sell kaytee hay, as well as Wal-Mart. It sucks because I have noticed there are a lot of long, hard pieces in there that they never eat.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

I don't know for sure but I know there are members in your general area. Better options, like Small Pet Select or KMS, are definitely available for you. I live in Canada, so my options are much more limited than yours.

Any members here that can give some advice on the best way for this member to get hay?

 

[livvyluvsu]

I checked the smallpets select website. How big are the bags? 30 dollars is quite expensive but worth it if it's a large portion. I wouldn't mind ordering online.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

It appears that the price is for a 5lb box. I could be wrong. It's far better quality hay than what you're getting from Kaytee. I find that a 5lb bag of Oxbow last me 2-3 weeks for 3 pigs.

I know there are members here that use small pet select and can definitely better educate you on the sizes/prices/usage than I can. I just know that Kaytee hay is substandard. Kaytee is also available here where I live, and is substantially cheaper but I won't use it due to the quality.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Check out this website:

https://kms-hayloft.myshopify.com/


Hay quality is very high, a lot of members here swear by KMS. Prices seem to be much more in line with what I've experienced.

 

[bpatters]

Check that price again for Small Pet Select. I order 40-50 pounds at a time for $60-$70, which is a far cry for 5 pounds for $30.

ETA: I just checked, and the current price is $80 for 60 pounds, which is way cheaper per pound than anything I can buy locally at a pet store or Walmart.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Check that price again for Small Pet Select. I order 40-50 pounds at a time for $60-$70, which is a far cry for 5 pounds for $30.

I did try, and couldn't figure out what, if anything, I was doing wrong. That was the default price when it came up. It sure seemed extremely high to me as well. That's more like what we pay for a 5lb bag of Oxbow in Canada.

 

[livvyluvsu]

I don't have the space to buy 40 to 50 pounds at a time. Is there not a smaller amount??

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

I don't have the space to buy 40 to 50 pounds at a time. Is there not a smaller amount??

Absolutely, there is. That's just the most cost effective solution for a lot of people.

For comparison, KMS' website shows that a 5lb box is $8.00 plus shipping.

 

[bpatters]

It's not a huge box, about 2.5 x 2.5 feet. I store mine in the garage.

 

[livvyluvsu]

Can you link me where I can get the bag for 8 bucks? That would work well for me. I don't have the space to store hay in bulk, I live in a 2 bedroom apartment.
Thanks for all the help with the hay everyone, but any ideas on the crackling?

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

If you can get a video of the noise you're talking about, we may be able to give you a much better idea of what you're facing. Even if you post it to youtube and then link it here, that would certainly be acceptable. It'll help everyone here try and help you.

 

[livvyluvsu]

[video=youtube;GFk477Gk2xE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFk477Gk2xE[/video]


Above is a link of another piggie making a similar sound. This is the same video I showed to the vet. It's pretty close to what Yoshi is making although I would say she is not breathing as fast as the pig in the video. It's been about a week and a half since I started her back on more antibiotics (some leftover Baytril I had, giving her the same dosage as I did when the vet originally prescribed then) and I hadn't been hearing the noise except tonight. There's probably a couple days left of antibiotics and then I'll be out.

 

[livvyluvsu]

[video=youtube;FsIoXg19Exs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsIoXg19Exs[/video] the noise is kind of an in between of the first video and this one. it's not quite as loud as this one but similar.