Guinea Pig acting strangely, can't walk really worried.

[Pinkbear154]

I wonder if any one can give me some advice my beautiful boy Fonso a long haired guinea pig is acting strange.

He was fine running around this morning but this afternoon I went to check on guinea pigs and to top up hay. And found him on his side thrashing his legs like he was having a seizure or something.

I started panicking I honestly thought he was dieing. After about 30 seconds he stopped thrashing his legs and got up and tried to walk but he kept falling over.

I picked him up to check him and kept a eye on him.

He has been eating fine nuggets, hay and veg and is still pooping and weeing fine.

I rang vets but the only one near doesn't have much experience with guinea pigs and has no availability to see him until tomorrow. I made a appointment any way for him for tomorrow morning.

I have kept a eye on him all evening and he seems ok but just want to stay in his house, Lying down. It seems like he can't really move much. When he trys to walk it's like he has no feeling in his back legs and kind of pulls him self along and falls over.

He is still eating fine, I was getting concerned that he could not get to water bottle to drink so have started syringe feeding water for now as dont want him to dehydrate. He is taking water fine from syring.

Has any one had anything like this with there guinea pig. Could he have had a stroke. Could his legs be paralysed. When I touch his back legs he doesn't even flinch. If I move his legs nothing, normally he would kick like crazy.

He could not have fallen and hurt him self as guinea pig enclosure is all on one level, no ramps and nothing he could fall off of.

Any thoughts or any suggestions as to what I can do to keep him comfortable over night until can take to vet in morning. Is there anything else I should be doing.

Any advice much appreciated
Thanks in advance

 

[Wheekallweek]

Sorry to hear your piggy isn't well!
I have no advice but to keep his food and water near him overnight until his vet visit tomorrow. It would be worth putting some soft absorbent betting such as vet bed underneath him if he is struggling to move in case he is sitting in his wee.
Best of lick tomorrow, I've heard of many guinea pigs recovering from things like this depending on the cause so fingers crossed!

 

[Pinkbear154]

Thank you, Idid think about that. I have him on soft vet bedding and keep checking regularly last thing I want is him sitting in his wee and getting all wet.
I hope he will be ok

 

[piggieminder]

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...inea-pigs-with-limited-or-no-mobility.171088/

I've linked two threads I hope you will find useful. Good luck at the vets tomorrow. I hope your boy will be okay.

 

[Pinkbear154]

Hi everyone,

Hoping I can get some more advice. Took Fonso to vets, they did blood tests and a x-ray and could not see anything wrong. They are stumped. They suspect he might have had a stroke.

They told me to keep a eye on him and bring him back in a week if he doesn't improve.

It's been 7 days. He is still eating and drinking fine. And seems him self he just won't move his back legs.

They are still splayed out to the sides and I don't know if this makes sense but his lower back, pelvice feels hard like it's seized up/locked.

He is not impacted I'm fairly sure as he is still pooping fine, he is pooping like crazy and it's normal and he is weeing fine

Only other thing I have noticed is that he is farting like crazy and making strange noises from his bottom alot.

I am washing him twice a day as he can't move and don't want to leave him covered in wee.

Any one been though any thing similar. He does some times makes sounds some times like he might be in pain but don't know if this is because he is in pain or if he is just stressed because he can't move his legs. This is only occasionally not all the time.

I mentioned this when went to vet first time as was worried he might be in pain but they would not prescribe any pain medication.

Any one else had anything similar with there guinea pig. What could be causing him to fart like crazy and make strange noises from his bottom.

I'm going to take him back to vets in morning but wonder if any one can offer any advice or suggestions.

Thanks in advance

 

[TillyMint]

Hi everyone,

Hoping I can get some more advice. Took Fonso to vets, they did blood tests and a x-ray and could not see anything wrong. They are stumped. They suspect he might have had a stroke.

They told me to keep a eye on him and bring him back in a week if he doesn't improve.

It's been 7 days. He is still eating and drinking fine. And seems him self he just won't move his back legs.

They are still splayed out to the sides and I don't know if this makes sense but his lower back, pelvice feels hard like it's seized up/locked.

He is not impacted I'm fairly sure as he is still pooping fine, he is pooping like crazy and it's normal and he is weeing fine

Only other thing I have noticed is that he is farting like crazy and making strange noises from his bottom alot.

I am washing him twice a day as he can't move and don't want to leave him covered in wee.

Any one been though any thing similar. He does some times makes sounds some times like he might be in pain but don't know if this is because he is in pain or if he is just stressed because he can't move his legs. This is only occasionally not all the time.

I mentioned this when went to vet first time as was worried he might be in pain but they would not prescribe any pain medication.

Any one else had anything similar with there guinea pig. What could be causing him to fart like crazy and make strange noises from his bottom.

I'm going to take him back to vets in morning but wonder if any one can offer any advice or suggestions.

Thanks in advance

 

[TillyMint]

17th August 2023, just been to the vet with similar problems in my daughters piggy. Your pig should be on pain relief which vets can give you or infant calpol, dose agreed with your vet. The splayed legs are typical of a Vitamin C deficiency, we went to Pets at Home and got Vit C drops which we dripped onto cucumber which she took, think it’s 20 drops 3 times a week. Following day she perked up and walked over to her sleeping place, next day running around the enclosure. It can take time for response but ours was very quick indeed.

 

[TillyMint]

What are the signs of low vitamin C in Guinea Pigs?

• Flaky, rough coat.
• Painful swollen joints.
• Lameness, decreased mobility.
• Teeth grinding, vocalising from pain.
• Delayed wound healing.
• Secondary bacterial infections.
• Anorexia or difficulty eating.
• Gastrointestinal stasis.

 

[Betsy]

17th August 2023, just been to the vet with similar problems in my daughters piggy. Your pig should be on pain relief which vets can give you or infant calpol, dose agreed with your vet. The splayed legs are typical of a Vitamin C deficiency, we went to Pets at Home and got Vit C drops which we dripped onto cucumber which she took, think it’s 20 drops 3 times a week. Following day she perked up and walked over to her sleeping place, next day running around the enclosure. It can take time for response but ours was very quick indeed.

I appreciate you are trying to help and it's good that your piggy recovered well on the Vitamin C drops. Lots of symptoms can be the same so just because this happened to your piggy doesn't necessarily mean that the same will happen with Fonso. The vet has done lots of tests and nothing could be found. I agree that at the least, if Fonso is in pain, he should be on pain medication.

Years ago, my Rainbow Piggy Christian had back leg paralysis and it turned out that he had arthritis in his spine and with the help of a very hefty dose of Metacam was able to walk again after a while. He was dragging his legs behind him too but it wasn't lack of vitamin C it was spinal arthritis.

 

[TillyMint]

I appreciate you are trying to help and it's good that your piggy recovered well on the Vitamin C drops. Lots of symptoms can be the same so just because this happened to your piggy doesn't necessarily mean that the same will happen with Fonso. The vet has done lots of tests and nothing could be found. I agree that at the least, if Fonso is in pain, he should be on pain medication.

Years ago, my Rainbow Piggy Christian had back leg paralysis and it turned out that he had arthritis in his spine and with the help of a very hefty dose of Metacam was able to walk again after a while. He was dragging his legs behind him too but it wasn't lack of vitamin C it was spinal arthritis.

Fair point however, fonso does not appear to be getting any positive help from the vet ie pain relief! Just go away and see how he is in a week……..the vet has not mentioned Vit C deficiency symptoms which is very common. Surely you would try anything that COULD help a suffering piggy?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Fair point however, fonso does not appear to be getting any positive help from the vet ie pain relief! Just go away and see how he is in a week……..the vet has not mentioned Vit C deficiency symptoms which is very common. Surely you would try anything that COULD help a suffering piggy?

Overdoing vitamin c in an otherwise healthy piggy can cause health problems (a sudden drop after supplementation can cause scurvy) so we never recommend supplementation for anything other than a short course of no more than two weeks to boost the immune system.
Vit c deficiency is not common in piggies with a healthy diet. We see 1-2 cases a year on the forum and those are mostly in piggies rescued from poor care or caused by owners routinely supplementing and then suddenly stopping the supplementation. A piggy with a healthy balanced diet should never need routine supplementation.

Vets would not routine prescribe calpol. Metacam (or other brands names for the same product meloxicom, loxicom) is the normal pain relief prescribed by vets

 

[TillyMint]

Overdoing vitamin c in an otherwise healthy piggy can cause health problems (a sudden drop after supplementation can cause scurvy) so we never recommend supplementation for anything other than a short course of no more than two weeks to boost the immune system.
Vit c deficiency is not common in piggies with a healthy diet. We see 1-2 cases a year on the forum and those are mostly in piggies rescued from poor care or caused by owners routinely supplementing and then suddenly stopping the supplementation. A piggy with a healthy balanced diet should never need routine supplementation.

Vets would not routine prescribe calpol. Metacam (or other brands names for the same product meloxicom, loxicom) is the normal pain relief prescribed by vets

Fair enough, the lady asked for comments, ‘has anyone experienced anything similar’ at least I gave a suggestion which was a positive. At least she could go back to the vets with the suggestion! Will not be providing any further responses to anything on here. Perhaps you should make it clear that no suggestions should be posted to try and help? Strange our vet said Vit C deficiency is quite common in guinea pigs, how would he know he is only a accredited vet!

 

[Pinkbear154]

I appologise I didn't start this post to cause a argument I just wanted some advice that's all. I'm sorry if I ended up causing a argument that was not my intention.

Any way Fonso is doing better. He is still eating and drinking fine and weeing and pooping fine. He is starting to move around abit now and is very very slowly regaining the use of his legs.

He has seen vets again since my last post, but vet still wasn't keen to prescribe pain medication. We have been doing hydrotherapy under the guidance of the vet and the vet physiotherapist. Which seems to be helping alot.

I think it's just going to take time for him to recover. Vet still thinks he had a stroke. He has a good diet full of veg High in Vitamin C, ( he loves bell pepper )and good quality pellets with vitamin C along with unlimited hay. So I don't think it could be a Vitamin C deficiency.

Thanks for your replies

 

[Piggies&buns]

No argument at all. The symptoms for your piggy were highly unlikely to be vit c deficiency - it isn’t a common thing but also because it came on so suddenly (scurvy is a longer process). Sudden paralysis (‘overnight paralysis’) caused by a sudden calcium drop can be one cause (which usually corrects itself often within a matter of hours) or a neurological event such as a stroke or sudden injury.

I’m glad he is doing better.

 

[Bradshaw Piggies]

Just catching up with this thread. Glad to hear that Fonso is doing better

 

[Wheekallweek]

So glad Fonso is doing better!