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Experiences with epileptic guinea pig?

moodysuzy

moodysuzy

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hello,

My boy, Prawn, has been dealing with seizures for a couple of years and officially received his epilepsy diagnosis a year ago.

Until recently he had seizures quite infrequently - I observed them once every month or two.

Over Christmas he had a few big ones quite close together and one of them left him very wobbly. It was like he couldn’t quite control his back legs properly.

He’s mostly recovered his mobility, except after we’ve had him out on the sofa - he naps for pretty much the whole time we have him out - and everytime we put him back afterwards his wobbliness comes back and he stumbles around (while still trying his best to rumble at his brother lol), but gradually recovers his mobility again.

Apart from the wobbliness he seems happy enough perhaps a bit more subdued than usual, he spends most of the day splatted out in his hay munching! His bum is nice and clean so he’s not sitting in his own waste anymore than what is normal for a guinea pig haha.

We’re going to our vet tomorrow for a check-up, but I don’t think there’s a whole lot they can do for him. It’s about his quality of life now.

Has anyone got any experience with epilepsy in guinea pigs? I gather it’s quite rare and I feel like we’re flying blind atm.
 
Out of interest is he on any medicine for the seizures? My sow had them (so scary!) and I was given medicine (can’t remember the name now but i think I made a post here about it?) it had to go in her bum which wasn’t so nice but it was effective.
I was also told to take a video of the seizure, it seems horrible but it can really help the vet decide what the best way to treat it is!
After my sow had her seizure she was also very subdued, I made sure to leave lots of hay for easy reach and also gave her cucumber so she didn’t have to bother with the water bottle.
 
Suki&Indie said:
Out of interest is he on any medicine for the seizures? My sow had them (so scary!) and I was given medicine (can’t remember the name now but i think I made a post here about it?) it had to go in her bum which wasn’t so nice but it was effective.
I was also told to take a video of the seizure, it seems horrible but it can really help the vet decide what the best way to treat it is!
After my sow had her seizure she was also very subdued, I made sure to leave lots of hay for easy reach and also gave her cucumber so she didn’t have to bother with the water bottle.
Click to expand...
No no medication yet, they were infrequent and only ever last less than a minute so we decided not to medicate.

The vet today said to monitor for a bit longer to see if they settle down. If not they will knock him out and do blood tests and X-rays to make sure we’ve got a good idea of his general health before trying medication.

I have so many videos of Prawn’s seizures, they’re pretty horrifying!
 
The x-ray today showed a few things. The one my vet and I are most concerned about/interested in is that she detected thickening in the middle ear (in the bullae?). She said it was quite significant to be picked up so clearly on the x-ray and she’s unsure of the cause.

The middle ear issue is on the same side as his injured eye (he was bitten by his brother) which he is blind in.

She did suggest a CT scan. But Prawn is old and delicate and I think we’ve reached the limit of what tests I’m willing to put him through.

If anyone has any advice about it - much appreciated.
 
The cost of these tests was also extortionate - £750 in total. £300 of that was for the anaesthetic (under for <60mins)

I checked my receipts and my last guinea pig that had anaesthetic at a different vet cost £13 (thirteen!) for 30mins of sedation.

We go to this particular vet as they have small animal specialists so I expect to pay more, but wow, I hope they were using anaesthetic laced with gold or something 😂😭
 
Just as an update, Prawn’s blood tests looked ok but he had some infection markers. Our vet’s hypothesis is that the infection is linked to the thickening of the bulla in his ear.

We’re going to trial an antibiotic but without repeating the tests or doing a CT we won’t know if they’d helped except if his seizures improve. I’m not willing to put him through more testing, he’s nearly 5 and it’s not fair on him.

In good (and typical) news though, since the tests last Tuesday he hasn’t had any more seizures, he’s put some weight on and he’s fully back to his happy, fluffy self - so who knows 😂
 
I was wondering if I could get some advice. I’m going to leave a message with my vet in a moment as well.

Prawn is on 0.7ml of 2.5% Baytril twice a day. He’s a small pig of ~900g. Our vet (one of the ones recommended on here and one that I trust) prescribed a very high dose to try and combat the middle ear infection. He’s on it for 7 days.

We started the antibiotic yesterday and I have noticed some concerning behavioural changes since then, namely very extreme nervousness. Last night he launched himself out of my arms and nearly flew down the stairs. Yesterday and today he’s had these episodes where he’s seemingly sitting quietly in his cage but then he bolts in a fashion I’ve never seen before, smashing into the walls of his cage before settling with the biggest scared cow eyes I’ve ever seen while growling constantly. It looks like pure terror. I’m very familiar with his various seizures and I’m confident that these are not seizures.

Are these sorts of reactions to Baytril even possible?

Thanks in advance, like I said I’m going to phone his vet in a moment as well
 
My piggie Gato had similar nervous bolting separate, but at the same period she was having her seizures. She was on metacam and gabapentin for pain relief and to help with the seizures. She wasn't diagnosed with epilepsy, but likely brain tumour based on clinical presentation (vet witnessed her seizure, we didn't get a CT to confirm diagnosis as her condition worsened, so was PTS).
Her skittish-episodes were more easily observed at veg time, where she would dart about, but not with excitement, and would panic run half way through eating her favourite veg. It would normally settle after 30 to 45minutes, where she'd then act normally.

I'm sorry your piggie is going through this. I don't know if it is related to Baytril. For Gato, the bolting may have been directly related to her brain tumour causing a behaviour change, or she may have been reacting to odd sensations or pain.

I hope Prawn's vet was able to give some help and advice.
 
dessertpigs said:
My piggie Gato had similar nervous bolting separate, but at the same period she was having her seizures. She was on metacam and gabapentin for pain relief and to help with the seizures. She wasn't diagnosed with epilepsy, but likely brain tumour based on clinical presentation (vet witnessed her seizure, we didn't get a CT to confirm diagnosis as her condition worsened, so was PTS).
Her skittish-episodes were more easily observed at veg time, where she would dart about, but not with excitement, and would panic run half way through eating her favourite veg. It would normally settle after 30 to 45minutes, where she'd then act normally.

I'm sorry your piggie is going through this. I don't know if it is related to Baytril. For Gato, the bolting may have been directly related to her brain tumour causing a behaviour change, or she may have been reacting to odd sensations or pain.

I hope Prawn's vet was able to give some help and advice.
Click to expand...

Poor Gato - did the Gabapentin help? I think that’s our next option if the seizures don’t ease up.

Prawn’s nervousness and bolting has improved daily and we persisted with the antibiotics. He’s having far fewer seizures than before, but still multiple a week (almost all smaller, focal seizures though thank god). He’s much happier in himself and has started putting weight back on so fingers crossed we’re back in a stable place!

I felt so bad for him, the Baytril clearly tastes horrendously bad!
 
Yes, the Gabapentin did help. She had about 2 months painfree without seizures before she had a quick decline over a week. The gabapentin and meloxicam meant she was a happy piggie and with us for a little longer. She never liked the gabapentin (at least it was a small dose), but did learn to love the meloxicam.

Glad to hear that Prawn is doing better and is happier in himself. Hope he keeps improving.
 
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