My guinea pig breathes fast when sleeping, but is fine awake. Why?

I am sorry to hear about Pea. If she is consistently having heavy breathing with noticable body movement likely due to the effort I would recommend bringing her in to see the vet. She could have something like a respiratory infection that requires treatment, and with respiratory difficulty the sooner we address the problem the better the chance of a fast and full recovery!

This sign might be compatible with a chronic respiratory tract inflammation/infection, even though is quite vague at this stage. My suggestion would be to just monitor him in case you notice any other sign (lethargy, inappetence, coughing, sneezing, any evident discharge from nose and so on). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

If the cough is just very occasional and Daisy is otherwise acting normally I would not be too concerned at this time. If however, the cough is increasing in frequency (more than a couple times a day), if Daisy is not eating well, and/or if she has eye or nasal discharge I would recommend taking her to the vet to be examined. Guinea pigs are prone to getting upper respiratory infections that can lead to pneumonia so if the problem progresses you should have her checked out. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Rocky. The described noise is likely a respiratory infection and he is feeling poor enough to stop eating. He needs to see a veterinarian to aid in diagnosis and treatment of the problem. Antibiotics are probably needed at the minimum. As this sounds serious, the sooner the better chance for recovery. Good luck.

Flash is probably suffering from an upper respiratory infection, it is very common in guinea pigs. you will need to take him to the vet in order to get a course of antibiotics, this should resolve the problem within 1-2 weeks.

He may have a respiratory infection. This will need to be confirmed by your veterinarian after a physical exam. If necessary, the vet can dispense antibiotics. In the meantime, keep Carl warm and as stress free as possible. Keep the cage clean and limit dust and dander as much as possible.

Thanks for arching out about Hoke. These signs are general of pain. Possibilities include fractured limb, but also a urinary calculi/obstruction. A visit to a veterinarian today is highly recommended. Radiographs will probably be needed. This does appear to be serious. Good luck.