Possible illness in guinea pig?

Question
A week ago I purchased an obviously malnourished, dehydrated junior boar. He was at a pet store in an environment with two already dead pigs and it was one of those situations that I just had to get him out. I took him home and gave him a nice, warm place to bed down and fresh food and water. I was nervous about him living out the night. He was very quiet, calm and, for someone who's has several rather high strung pigs, strangely docile.

I took him to the vet maybe a day or two later to get him looked over, and other than what I already figured he was in good health. About a day or two after that his energy levels picked up considerably from when I first purchased him and he began to chew on his chewable toys, which I took as a good sign.

However, three days ago he started making weird, choking/coughing sounds and sneezing a little. I removed the chewable wood toys from his environment and removed a large majority of the Timothy Hay. I completely cleaned his cage and changed his food and water. He is still making the noise.

I've looked it up and most people say their piggies make this noise from time to time, but I'm concerned that with his previous health issues and age there is something worse I'm not seeing. I can still feel his ribs, pelvic bones and just about every other bone, although he is continuing to eat and drink just fine, and his energy levels continue to rise.

Answer
I applaud your kind heart and intentions, but you took a huge risk (and had to pay cash for it too) by purchasing a sick animal from anyone. That was a real leap of faith on your part. Unfortunately by purchasing from a store that would treat their animals that way you're supporting them by doing business with them at all.

I know it's hard to walk away, but allowing them the opportunity to make money from that kind of inhumane treatment only perpetuates the same behavior over again.

That being said, what's done is done and your new baby is the issue at hand. Guinea pigs frequently make that little sound that almost (but not quite) sounds like they're choking and coughing at the same time. I've heard many of mine do that a number of times. It's just a type of throat clearing that is harmless in itself and not a sign of illness.

Respiratory illnesses in cavies usually manifest themselves by nasal discharge, lack of interest in food or water, fluffing up and staying in the corner, a dull look to the eyes and poor coat condition. They are very difficult to treat at best, mostly due to the fact that those little guys don't generally show any sign of illness until they're very sick.

If he's eating and drinking you've got him on the road to good health again. The appetite is the best indicator of how they're doing. Let's hope this difficult start in life doesn't have any permanent or lasting effect on him.

(and for the record, I've done the same thing myself! It's hard to turn your back on an animal in need of help)