• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Guniea pig shake head frequent

Paopao

Paopao

New Born Pup
Joined
Jul 27, 2024
Messages
16
Reaction score
4
Points
55
Location
London
Hi there, I hope to seek an advice as I recently noticed my pig shake her head frequently (every few seconds )before she sleep. I dont know if that is normal or not. Please see the recording in this link: (it start from 0:10 of that video )
It lasting almost one minute each time. I checked online and some people said that might be parasites but she done faeces test twice last week and both shows clear. So I'm worried about if she have coccidosis or something else that can"t be test from poop.
I don't think she have eat problem as she just done physical check last week.
She just recovered from UTI on 8th July and then start soft poop until now so she only had hay, water ,oxbow critical care and probiotic this month.
 
Paopao said:
Hi there, I hope to seek an advice as I recently noticed my pig shake her head frequently (every few seconds )before she sleep. I dont know if that is normal or not. Please see the recording in this link: (it start from 0:10 of that video )
It lasting almost one minute each time. I checked online and some people said that might be parasites but she done faeces test twice last week and both shows clear. So I'm worried about if she have coccidosis or something else that can"t be test from poop.
I don't think she have eat problem as she just done physical check last week.
She just recovered from UTI on 8th July and then start soft poop until now so she only had hay, water ,oxbow critical care and probiotic this month.
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome

Please see a vet. It could point to an irritation/pain in the outer er canal, whether that is some stuck, a build up of ear wax or - if you also have rabbits - rabbit er mites.

Please never just pour something down the ear on spec. It could turn the issue from painful to agonising.
 
Wiebke said:
Hi and welcome

Please see a vet. It could point to an irritation/pain in the outer er canal, whether that is some stuck, a build up of ear wax or - if you also have rabbits - rabbit er mites.

Please never just pour something down the ear on spec. It could turn the issue from painful to agonising.
Click to expand...
The vet from RVC checked her ear last Monday but didn't comment anything about her ear. Should I book another appointment now?
 
Paopao said:
The vet from RVC checked her ear last Monday but didn't comment anything about her ear. Should I book another appointment now?
Click to expand...

Yes, since the problem is ongoing. Did the vet look at the ear specifically?

There is clearly something in there that is irritating your piggy even if the ear is not necessarily blocked. They do not shake their heads for fun.
 
Wiebke said:
Yes, since the problem is ongoing. Did the vet look at the ear specifically?

There is clearly something in there that is irritating your piggy even if the ear is not necessarily blocked. They do not shake their heads for fun.
Click to expand...
I just booked an appointment on this Friday, should I make it earlier cuz I'm not sure if that is emergency. I can call them later to see if there is earlier slot?
 
Paopao said:
I just booked an appointment on this Friday, should I make it earlier cuz I'm not sure if that is emergency. I can call them later to see if there is earlier slot?
Click to expand...

Hi

Unless your piggy is developing a head tilt (i.e. the balance organ in the inner ear is affected as well) or your piggy is at it all the time, it doesn't count as an emergency.
 
Yes..I found she definitely have some problem with her right ear! When I touched her right ear she will jump and escape but chilled when check left one.
 
Paopao said:
Yes..I found she definitely have some problem with her right ear! When I touched her right ear she will jump and escape but chilled when check left one.
Click to expand...

All the best!
 
I went to vet this afternoon as she barely poop last night and this morning. The vet checked her ear and clean the wax. She was screaming when clean right ear but vet said inside seems clean... so don't really know why she feels pain? Might be too much wax, so only gave her painkiller. Vet also checked her belly and said couldn't feel any poop inside which is why she is not pooping...
After came back she sleep most of the time and only have small amount of hay. Everthing was so strange these days. She ate a lot in the past 3 days but weight is dropping since 5 days ago. I thought that might because I stopped critical care and pure hay diet these 3 days? But her poop was just back to normal shape yesterday. Then suddenly she barely eats today... her weight is 10 grams less than yesterday.

Could anyone give me any suggestions.
Feeling so worried and anxious now.
she have been ill for more than a month....I don't know what should I gave her now cuz her digestive system is still not stabled and i feels like she developed new symptoms everyday........
 
I hope someone more experienced shows up soon. Maybe start the critical care again if she is not eating enough. My Milo was on critical care for more than a month. Various amounts, because he was getting better and then less poops and not eating much again. Stopping the critical care was a gradual process.His overall problem was different though.Maybe try a different vet if you think that one is missing something, for second opinion 🤔 I hope everything goes well. Is she still shaking her head?

Sending you and your piggy healing vibes ❤️
 
MnJ said:
I hope someone more experienced shows up soon. Maybe start the critical care again if she is not eating enough. My Milo was on critical care for more than a month. Various amounts, because he was getting better and then less poops and not eating much again. Stopping the critical care was a gradual process.His overall problem was different though.Maybe try a different vet if you think that one is missing something, for second opinion 🤔 I hope everything goes well. Is she still shaking her head?

Sending you and your piggy healing vibes ❤️
Click to expand...
Thank you😭
She is still shaking head before sleeping and after remove the wax, still react big when touching her right ear.....that's the third vet I went and I feels like this one have more small animals medicine than my before ones....really don't know which vet I should change next.
 
  • cry
Reactions: MnJ
I am sorry to hear that 😔 I was in a similar situation too, so I feel you. Went to 5 vets for Mylo. The last was at vets4pets in a pets at homes shop. I am still currently with him. The forum has a vet list, you can check it if you want too.

Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

Hopefully the pain meds will help her.
 
MnJ said:
I am sorry to hear that 😔 I was in a similar situation too, so I feel you. Went to 5 vets for Mylo. The last was at vets4pets in a pets at homes shop. I am still currently with him. The forum has a vet list, you can check it if you want too.

Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

Hopefully the pain meds will help her.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much! I will have a look
 
Feels like i'm a bit too anxious these days...those might be over observed but...

I find that she was scratching more frequently tonight. In the afternoon, the vet said I could use the anti-parasite treatment again (the last time I gave her was mid-June).
After applying that, she started scratching even more frequently by feet and mouth on back and belly area (not the part I applied anti-parasite thing). She also wouldn't let me touch her left ear now, and she also shake head if I touched the hair behind her ears.
like this:

The vet used otoscope checked her ear and said it seems clean today, but I'm still confused about the cause of these problems as the symptoms are not gone and seems even worse. She took painkiller at the hospital, butl keeps shaking her head after came back before sleep and she sleep a lot today.
She still has appetite, but she spends much less time eating hay compared to the past few days, only eating for about 2,3 leaves every time then going back to sleep. Before sleeping, she scratches herself crazily, shakes her head, and whole body now.

Oh you also...I noticed the closest veterinary clinic to me recommended on forum is Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital, but they only accept referrals. Other clinics on the list are about two hours away. May i ask is other practices of the Goddard Veterinary Group are also recommend? but I couldn't see any information on their website mentions they accept exotic pets tho.....
 

Attachments

  • 20240802_062337.webp
    20240802_062337.webp
    67.2 KB · Views: 1
It getting more and more difficult to syringe feed her. She used to really love critical care even yesterday she willing to eat it by herself. But today I have to hold her head and put tube into her mouth and she keep avoid eating it. It took 30 mins to feed 8ml and she was making whining sound while eating....really don't know what I should do now. She hide most of time so can't really monitor her now.
(Her weight is 10grams less than yesterday. I have syringe feed her every 4 hours)
 
I’m sorry to hear this.

If she is only taking small amounts, then you need more often than every four hours. The less they take per sitting the more sittings are needed. You need to get a minimum of 40ml but as close to 60ml as possible per day into her.

What dosage of pain medication is she on and is she getting pain meds twice a day?
 
Piggies&buns said:
I’m sorry to hear this.

If she is only taking small amounts, then you need more often than every four hours. The less they take per sitting the more sittings are needed. You need to get a minimum of 40ml but as close to 60ml as possible per day into her.

What dosage of pain medication is she on and is she getting pain meds twice a day?
Click to expand...
She is taking Metacam and 0.15ml once a day. May I ask is the 40ml included water? How much powder should I mixed with water. (I usually do 3g with 20ml water but not sure if that's good)
 
Paopao said:
She is taking Metacam and 0.15ml once a day. May I ask is the 40ml included water? How much powder should I mixed with water. (I usually do 3g with 20ml water but not sure if that's good)
Click to expand...

Is that dog or cat metacam?
If it’s cat then the dose is so low it probably isn’t doing anything for the pain. And a piggy in pain won’t want to eat as the ear pain affects them wanting to chew.
Piggies need pain meds twice a day as they metabolise them in around 12 hours.
I really think you need to find another vet.

You should be adding just enough water to make it a mix that will go through a syringe. I have never measured it out and instead do it by checking consistency
But it’s 40-60ml minimum (they may take anything up to 100ml per day but a very poorly piggy needs a minimum of 40ml).
l the mix so make the mix up and then use a 1ml syringe to feed her and keep a log of how much has been given.

The guide below explains further

All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
 
Piggies&buns said:
Is that dog or cat metacam?
If it’s cat then the dose is so low it probably isn’t doing anything for the pain. And a piggy in pain won’t want to eat as the ear pain affects them wanting to chew.
Piggies need pain meds twice a day as they metabolise them in around 12 hours.
I really think you need to find another vet.

You should be adding just enough water to make it a mix that will go through a syringe. I have never measured it out and instead do it by checking consistency
But it’s 40-60ml minimum (they may take anything up to 100ml per day but a very poorly piggy needs a minimum of 40ml).
l the mix so make the mix up and then use a 1ml syringe to feed her and keep a log of how much has been given.

The guide below explains further

All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
Click to expand...
it's the cat and guniea pig one.
I really don't know which vet I should go now around central London. Cuz I don't drive , its a bit hard for me to go to far ones😭
 
Paopao said:
it's the cat and guniea pig one.
I really don't know which vet I should go now around central London. Cuz I don't drive , its a bit hard for me to go to far ones😭
Click to expand...

Dosages are based on their weight and clinical but even so they can take considerably higher doses per kg of body weight than you would expect. 0.15 of cat once a day is probably not doing much at all. You will see from forum searches that a lot of us are prescribed considerably higher and even then given it twice a day. Or given the stronger dog metacam - it is three times stronger than cat and we are still given higher doses and given it twice a day.

Is there a friend Or family who could take you to a vet further afield?
If you can’t, then I would get back in touch with the vet you are most comfortable with and continue to press her condition with them
 
Piggies&buns said:
Dosages are based on their weight and clinical but even so they can take considerably higher doses per kg of body weight than you would expect. 0.15 of cat once a day is probably not doing much at all. You will see from forum searches that a lot of us are prescribed considerably higher and even then given it twice a day. Or given the stronger dog metacam - it is three times stronger than cat and we are still given higher doses and given it twice a day.

Is there a friend Or family who could take you to a vet further afield?
If you can’t, then I would get back in touch with the vet you are most comfortable with and continue to press her condition with them
Click to expand...
She is 700g today😭
I'm international student here alone so....

That vet I went is a new one as my previous vet can't do feace test so I changed to this one and he also seems not really knowledgeable about guniea pig....
 
New update
Paopao done her X Ray, blood test and another feace test today. X Ray shows no infection in her ear...so maybe just because of wax build up.
But there are some coccidias found from her poop.....but vet said thats normal ? And start that treatment today.
And she chattering her teeth a lot after back home.. is that normal after anastasia or that's something I need to worried 😟
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top