Ask Dr Claire

Why is my Guinea pig sneezing?

Sneezing is really just a symptom and can be the result of many underlying causes.

In this case, we really need to find the cause of the sneezing so that we can treat your guinea pig’s problem (not just the symptom). This will help us reach the best treatment plan too.

Some of the underlying causes of sneezing in a g.pig might be:

• Infectious disease (bacteria, viruses)
• A poor diet – pigs need a quality diet high in hay (80%) and remainder dark leafy green and veggies high in vitamin C
• Environmental allergens
• Insufficient bed changing – pigs need their bedding changed every day, the strong smell of ammonia can be a respiratory irritant in itself
• Foreign body in the nose (this is a source of infection)

A hands-on examination from your local vet would be a great place to start. It’s not safe to assume sneezing is from an environmental allergen and it’s safest to do radiographs to assess the chest and head as well.

If you’d like to chat in person, you can get a vet on a live video call or start a chat to discuss in more detail now.

We’re here to help!

Chat soon,

Dr Claire