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Guinea pig post stroke

Cowboycat

Cowboycat

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Hello!
This morning my guinea pig had a stroke. I took her to the vet immediately and they let me know it was from itchiness (lice). Turns out she got it from boarding at our local guinea pig rescue 😞. The vet stabilized her, medicated her, and kept her for the day to ensure there were no more strokes before being sent home. I was sent home with quite a bit of medicine for pain relief and to reduce itchiness. I also have her quarantined from the herd for the time being in a dark and warm room. She has an appetite, and has none of the overt indicators of a stroke that she had this morning (unable to stand up straight, bulged eyes, and convulsions). My only concern is that she is still a bit wobbly. Is that normal post stroke/during recovery? Is there something more I should be doing?

Thank you in advance!
 
I’m sorry to hear this.

We advise that you switch to daily weight checks so you can monitor her hay intake more closely.

Lice (small pale creatures which are visible to the human eye) feed from blood and will weaken guinea pigs.
We would recommend a short (two week) course of supplementary vitamin c to help boost her immune system. Supplementary vit c should not be given long term - it can cause issues.

Wiebke

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Cowboycat said:
Hello!
This morning my guinea pig had a stroke. I took her to the vet immediately and they let me know it was from itchiness (lice). Turns out she got it from boarding at our local guinea pig rescue 😞. The vet stabilized her, medicated her, and kept her for the day to ensure there were no more strokes before being sent home. I was sent home with quite a bit of medicine for pain relief and to reduce itchiness. I also have her quarantined from the herd for the time being in a dark and warm room. She has an appetite, and has none of the overt indicators of a stroke that she had this morning (unable to stand up straight, bulged eyes, and convulsions). My only concern is that she is still a bit wobbly. Is that normal post stroke/during recovery? Is there something more I should be doing?

Thank you in advance!
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome

Please keep her quiet and give her time to recover. Whether there is a direct link between lice and seizures/stroke may not be quite clear. It is the first time I am hearing this in nearly 20 years of forum existence.
There is a link between between seizures and advanced mange mites infestations who burrow their eggs into the increasingly painfully inflamed skin but that is not what lice do.

All the best with the vet grade treatment, which must be a full course and not just a one off. You will also need to treat to all piggies in direct contact.

I am very sorry that strict hygiene and quarantine is not observed at your local rescue.

Here is our guide to neurological events, including care tips which you may find helpful and informative (what little is actually there):
Wiebke

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All the best!
 
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