Inner ear infection.

[Lovelypigys]

My baby boy Chandler has been having some problems for about two weeks now. He was having trouble walking, lost quite a bit of weight, dazed, lethargic, and wobbly. We took him into the vets today and she's thinking it's an inner ear infection. Sadly there isn’t many treatment options for this and usually the pigs end up being put to rest as this can be very painful. We are unable to afford the X-ray right now so it’s just a guess, but if the X-ray did show that it was an inner ear infection the vet said the only thing they could really do would be to euthanize him. She’s hoping that her diagnosis is wrong as it’s almost impossible to cure. She’s prescribed oral antibiotics and pain meds for now to see if there’s any improvement. Has anyone else gone through this? What where your treatment methods, did your piggy make it? I wish I caught this sooner.

 

[Lovelypigys]

How do I help him gain his weight back? He now weighs 1.6lbs when last March he was at 2.2lbs.

 

[Wiebke]

How do I help him gain his weight back? He now weighs 1.6lbs when last March he was at 2.2lbs.

Hi

I am very sorry.

Your first priority during an illness and any medical treatment is to stabilise the weight or at least slow down any weight loss. Ear infections are very painful and radiate into the jaw (as I know myself only too well), which makes chewing very uncomfortable - especially the silica rich hay/grass fibre that makes over three quarters of the daily food intake and that is needed to keep the crucial backteeth ground down.

Hopefully your piggy will get their appetite back in the degree that the medication is kicking in (antibiotics take about 5 days to build up to full effect) and the ear ache is becoming less. Only after a full recovery will the weight eventually come back - sooner after a mild issue, often much later after a serious illness or operation recovery. Older guinea pigs may never fully regain any lost weight and overweight piggies frankly shouldn't.

In the meantime you need to replace the reduced hay/grass fibre intake - which is crucial for the microbiome in the gut - by support feeding with ideally hay based recovery formula. You control how much and how often to feed by weighing daily on your kitchen scales first thing in the morning for best day-to-day comparison. The feeding guide also contains a chapter on how to improvise in a pinch:
Here is our very detailed and comprehensive support feeding guide with all the little how-to tips and tricks, which you ahould find very helpful: All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Weight - Monitoring and Management

All the best! Be patient and concentrate on getting your piggy through the rough bit first.

 

[piggieminder]

Brillo had a respiratory infection with an inner ear infection last year. He was on ABs for 2 months (Baytril), during this time he needed syringe feeding top ups to maintain his weight at an acceptable level. He has only very partial hearing if any now and has not regained all his weight but at 4.5 years that's not unexpected. He is a happy active piggy again, it is possible to sometimes bring them through these illnesses with the help of a supportive vet. Sending you and your piggy my very best wishes whatever you and your vet decide to do.

 

[Lovelypigys]

The vet has him on enrofloxacin to treat the infection and metacam for pain.

 

[Piggies&buns]

The vet has him on enrofloxacin to treat the infection and metacam for pain.

That’s good

Enrofloxacin is baytril.

Keep up with the weight checks and plenty of syringe feeding.

Is he getting a good amount of pain relief twice a day?

 

[Bertie & Jelly]

My piggie had an ear infection confirmed by a CT scan last summer when he was about 3.5 yrs. He was on 2 antibiotics marbofloxacin and metronizadole and Metacam for about 7 weeks if I recall although the antibiotics kicked in after only a few days and he was much more comfortable. I supplemented with critical care and grass and gradually he got back to eating hay. He dropped from 1250g to 1105g but now hovers around 1200g.

 

[Lovelypigys]

That’s good

Enrofloxacin is baytril.

Keep up with the weight checks and plenty of syringe feeding.

Is he getting a good amount of pain relief twice a day?

He gets his pain meds every 24hrs. He seems to be doing a lot better then he was last week.

 

[Piggies&buns]

He gets his pain meds every 24hrs. He seems to be doing a lot better than he was last week.

I’m glad he seems better.
Do note piggies metabolise their pain meds in 12 hours so need it twice a day for it to be fully effective. Is it cat or dog metacam? What dosage?

 

[Lovelypigys]

I’m glad he seems better.
Do note piggies metabolise their pain meds in 12 hours so need it twice a day for it to be fully effective. Is it cat or dog metacam? What dosage?

I’m not sure if it’s for cats or dogs, it doesn’t say. I’m to give him 0.15cc. I’ll ask about doing it twice a day.

 

[Lovelypigys]

I’ve started journaling their weights and it seems that he’s gained a gram so far. Chandler was at 1.6 yesterday

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m not sure if it’s for cats or dogs, it doesn’t say. I’m to give him 0.15cc. I’ll ask about doing it twice a day.

it will say - it will either be in a concentration of 0.15mg/ml which is cat or it will be 1.5mg/ml which is dog. So that makes cat version three times weaker than dog version

I’ve started journaling their weights and it seems that he’s gained a gram so far. Chandler was at 1.6 yesterday

He hasn’t gained a gram if you are measuring in lbs and oz (as your chart states) - you may mean he has gained an oz which is 28g.

We use grams on the forum (and in the UK - many people (including myself) were never taught the imperial systems of measurements in school) -

1.6lbs presumably you mean 1lb 6oz which is 623g.
If today he weights 1.7lbs meaning 1lb 7oz then today he weighs 652g