When Is A Sneezing Guinea Pig Something To Worry About?

In the comments section of an earlier post, Elise asked about a pet guinea pig that seems to be sneezing a lot.

Without any other information to go by, it's difficult to know if her pig's sneezing is worrisome or not. At its worst, sneezing could be indicative of an upper respiratory infection (URI) if it's accompanied by any of the symptoms listed on this GuineaLynx reference page. 

At its simplest, a pig's sneezing could be due to dusty bedding, which happens frequently with pine bedding and sometimes with aspen or wood pulp products (like Kaytee Total Comfort).

Slightly more complex, but still solvable with some diligent observation and detective work, is the possibility that a pig's sneezing is due to an allergy or sensitivity to any of the following:

• pine or aspen bedding
• laundry detergent and/or fabric softener being used for washing cozy cups, cozy sacks, fabric tunnels/tents/hideaways, towels or blankets used in the play area, towels or blankets used to cover the cage at night
• air freshener products used in the home (including the low-intensity plug-in fresheners)
• carpet cleaning or deodorizing products (which leave strong odors)
• household cleaners (which leave strong odors)
• perfumes, colognes, after-shave products, and other scented body care products

If your pig isn't showing any other signs of a URI (and continues not to), and the bedding you use isn't dusty, you will want to start working through the above list of allergens. It will be an ongoing process of elimination for a few weeks, but if allergies/sensitivities are the culprit, your hard work will pay off.

Comments

[Josie Bliss]

My guinea pig is sneezing a lot from when I got her (2 weeks ago)! She is also making weird noises and I'm getting really freaked out! I'm a beginner with this so I don't know D:

[Patches]

My guinea pig patches has been sneezing since I think like after a week after I bought him I have had him to the vet they gave some meds and I gave them all to him but he is still sneezing. I use that paper kind bedding that is like toliet paper for them and I clean their cage every other three to four days and clean their blankets and stuff that I have in their cage. But he seems to be sneezing I have a female but she doesn't sneeze she sometimes coughs or chokes but that's it but I was just wondering if there was something over the counter that I could give to them?

[Kim x]

My guinea pig has been sneezing for 3 days and watery eyes she has been ill for 12 months with UTI (urine track infection) she is prone to them now she has arthritic but Lot worse then what it is, she has been given a week to improve so they are seeying her next Monday they wanted to put her to sleep Tuesday but the vet was ill and I can't see her go :( she is 6 been through everything with me from being put into care to coming on holidays with me, sleeps on my room I really don't wanna loose her but its not looking hopeful :( hope you can help me I love her to bits <3

[Angie]

my guinea pig has been sneezing since i got him (2 or 3 months ago). i just got another piggy (2 weeks ago). he is sneezing too. i did a test on them. i put one guinea pig in my mom's room and let the other one in my room for 2 days. they piggy in my mom's room wasnt sneezing anymore. think they are alergic to me. i dont where perfume or anything. what do you think?

[Sarah Higgins]

My guinea pig is almost 2 years old and I have raised him from birth, the last week or so I have noticed he has been sneezing HEAPS! and with lots of mucus, however he doesn't have any of the symptoms of URI and I have not changed his bedding,Blankets etc. I own four piggies (2 girls and 2 boys kept in separate cages) and none of the other he this problem. Help! I am worried about his safety, does he need a vet?
Thanks ^__^

[PiggyMan899]

My Piggy named Pan has been sneezing lately.
We have him in wood chips for the past few weeks but hes only started today.

we dont know if he has a cold.....hopefully not D: