Corneal lipidosis and thyroid problem.

[Ponicus]

Hello!
I have a question regarding my 4 year old guinea pig named Gizmo. He has a light case of corneal lipidosis in one eye (this was his only symptom) we took him to the vet and after the blood tests the vet concluded that he had hypothyroidism and he was treated with levothyroxine, however, he stopped treatment after 10 days as he became very anxious and started loosing weight, after that he never fully became himself again, he did not recover the weight he loss, he seems tired all the time and is not as happy, playful or interested in food. He stopped the medication about 3 months ago.
I live in Gran Canaria and i take my guinea pigs to a veterinary clinic for exotic animals, normally I am happy with my vet but I feel he isnt sure what to do in this case. Unfortunately, this is the only exotic clinic in the island. I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice or something I could suggest my vet to do to help Gizmo. I'm starting to think this medication messed up his hormones and that he maybe didn't need it in the first place.

Thank you all for your help.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi

I am ever so sorry.

I have no experience with hypothyroidism and its treatment in guinea pigs, so I cannot really help you. As far as I know, this is the first time it's come up on this forum. Normally posts and treatment is for hyperthyroidism and it can be rather tricky to get right as there are often fluctuations in the thyroid output, as you have witnessed yourself - the agitation/edginess is characteristic for piggies with hyperthyroidism but the apathy points towards your boy being hypo again.
If your piggy hasn't picked up since the medication was stopped, please have him seen again and discuss with your vet the possibility of adjusting his medication whenever there are fluctuations.

Corneal lipidosis (fatty deposits in the cornea) in guinea pigs is also extremely rare.

Hopefully a member with a medical background knows more.

 

[VickiA]

I’m sorry I’ve no experience of hypothyroidism but if he stopped the medication some time ago and hasn’t picked up since I think he needs a further review.

 

[Ponicus]

Thank you both for you replies.
Doing some research I did find both conditions are rare, thats why I started wondering if the diagnosis perhaps wasnt right... He concluded it was corneal lipidosis because he said his bloodwork showed his cholesterol was a little high, which according to him is also a sign of hypothyroidism. Could someone tell me what are white deposits in the eye normally due to in guinea pigs?
I did talk to my vet again recently, he said that Gizmo might be acting differently because these last 3 months we have had really hot weather and that we should wait and see how he feels when temperature drops a little. Right now we are actually in the middle of a heatwave and we are doing the best we can to keep their room cool.
Can anyone tell me if its common for guinea pigs to act this way in this weather conditions? Could his behaviour be related to the heat?

 

[VickiA]

I’m not sure I can answer about the eyes. But when the weather is very hot many older or long haired piggies do struggle. My own pigs become less active and often lose a bit of weight.

 

[VickiA]

Have you read our helpful guide about helping pigs to cope in hot weather? Hot And Cold Weather Care Guide

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you both for you replies.
Doing some research I did find both conditions are rare, thats why I started wondering if the diagnosis perhaps wasnt right... He concluded it was corneal lipidosis because he said his bloodwork showed his cholesterol was a little high, which according to him is also a sign of hypothyroidism. Could someone tell me what are white deposits in the eye normally due to in guinea pigs?
I did talk to my vet again recently, he said that Gizmo might be acting differently because these last 3 months we have had really hot weather and that we should wait and see how he feels when temperature drops a little. Right now we are actually in the middle of a heatwave and we are doing the best we can to keep their room cool.
Can anyone tell me if its common for guinea pigs to act this way in this weather conditions? Could his behaviour be related to the heat?

Apathy can be a sign of overheating or it can be a mix of both. The guide contains symptoms of heat exhaustion.
Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike

Could your vet have mistaken an osseous choristoma (bony tissue replacing normal eye tissue for a corneal lipidosis?
Fatty deposits in or on the cornea we have seen about a handful in 15 years but they can happen; most seem to just settle down and not cause any infections in the eye, thankfully. Osseous choristoma we see cases of on an annual basis, i.e. it is still comparatively rare but not as rare as any fatty deposits.
Guinea Lynx :: Eyes

 

[Ponicus]

I haven't read it, I will do that right now. If anyone else can give me further advice i would really appreciate it. I'm very worried about him. Thank you again.

 

[Bertie & Jelly]

Sorry I cannot help with the thyroid diagnosis but I did have a piggie diagnosed with corneal lipidosis when his eyes went cloudy. The exotic vet didn’t do any blood work though nor did they link it to anything else like thyroid problems. I was told to keep an eye out for discharge, redness or signs of squinting and they would administer anti inflammatories but it seemed to settle on its own although his eyes were never clear again. He was 3.5 when diagnosed. As others have said I’d go back to the vet and have Gizmo checked over again.

 

[Wiebke]

Here are links to more information that will hopefully explain better the thought process of your vet; there is not a lot that comes up when you google.
Corneal Lipidosis | VCA Animal Hospitals
Hypothyroidism in Guinea Pigs | Vetlexicon
Guinea Pigs with an Overactive Thyroid Gland (hyperthyroidism symptoms and treatment)

Please accept that this is one of the many areas that is hardly researched when it comes to guinea pigs, as is hypothyroidism. Halfway reliable treatment for hyperthyroidism in guinea pigs has been available only for a very few years (it remains difficult to treat with the fluctuations) and ten years ago hyperthyroidism in guinea pigs was just about starting to be mentioned. Nobody had even the faintest idea of appropriate treatment and dosages. Hypothyroidism is not even on the radar for most research into thyroid issues in guinea pigs... All any vet can do in these kinds of situations is to extrapolate from other species (usually rabbits) and try their best.

I hope that this helps you a little bit more?

 

[Ponicus]

Those links were very helpful. I talked to my vet again today and he did tell me that metabolic disorders in guinea pigs were hard to manage and that the dose of levothyroxine he gave Gizmo for his hypothyroidism was probably too high and he is showing some long lasting hormone disregulation, probably worsen by the intense heat we are having in Gran Canaria. He told me the best was to wait until next week when the temperatures drop and see if his metabolism regulates and if not he will do some more blood work.

Thank you all for your help, I will keep Gizmo's progress updated as there isnt many information on hypothyroidism and maybe this could help someone in the future.