Neurological symptoms 4 year old sow

[dessertpigs]

Hi Everyone,

Long-time lurker. First time poster.

We've had our now appoximately 4 year old sows from a rescue since January this year- Tiramisu/Misu and Affogato/Gato. A few months after a stay in a local pet boarding I noticed hay mites on the pigs, and took to the exotic vets (in the recommended vet list on the forum, and recommended by the rescue) to check and for a general check-up end of August. They confirmed the diagnosis and gave ivermectin, this has now cleared up.

On the first appointment, Gato was diagnosed with likely ovarian cysts. Ultrasound showed 20mm cyst one side, 17mm the other. Bloods showed anaemia of chronic disease, and a slightly elevated liver function (can't remember if ALT or ALP).

While waiting for surgery (delay on our end due to work commitments/wanting enough time to monitor recovery), in September Gato developed ataxia. On a Monday, she couldn't move her back legs for around an hour. No fitting. No head tilt. Consious. Distressed at not being able to move properly, but still eating. Husband took to the vets, where she was prescribed meloxicam.
Following Monday, back to the vets as she had signs of distress. Seemed very twitchy, not acting herself. Twitching her head, and then running away to another spot. Vets reviewed, she was prescribed gabapentin along with the meloxicam.
Next Monday, cage mate Misu is feeling left out. Taken to the vets with squeaky weeing, admitted- urinary sludge and cystitis, not stones. Head exotic vet reviews Gato and Misu. She advised that Gato's symptoms are likely neurological (previously we were advised possibly pain caused by ovarian cysts pressing on the nerve causing pain by intern exotic vet).

For about a month, Gato was happier Gabapentin and Meloxicam, but occasionally (about twice) she has been puffed up wanting to hide and not wanted her veggies. This week she again had an episode of not walking for about 15mins, again on a Monday. Tuesday another episode of twitching at veg time- slow to eat veg, but did eat. Between these episodes she's very happy and chutting about.
Saw vets for an appointment this Wednesday (we're now only seeing the permanent exotic team, not interns for continuity of care). Next week we are repeating bloods, along with bloods for E. cuniculi. We're also doing an Xray. We've been offered the option of a CT but have been advised that we may not see anything at all, or anything that can be acted on. The CT is £1000.

Does anyone have experience of a CT being beneficial in a similar scenario? Did it change how your piggie was treated? If Gato has a brain tumour, treatment would be for symptoms, such as pain. If it's spinal, we might see something on an Xray such as arthritis, but maybe not explain her other symptoms. If it's E. cuniculi hopefully this would be picked up by the test

 

[Wiebke]

Hi

HUGS

I am ever so sorry. Neurological issues are not nice, not easy to diagnose and there is hardly any research into them for guinea pigs. But it looks like your vet is doing everything they can. I do not have any experience with CT in this context, sorry.

Your symptoms don't unfortunately sound like any of the more standard issues that we come across on here; there's no bell going off in my head. A blood clot in an arterial vessel would be more in the way of a one-off intense pain event and not something happening in the kind of intervals you are dealing with.
My Carwyn died from a brain tumour but the only warning was a one-off bloody sneeze from one nostril two months earlier and then very generalised symptoms of him not being well in the two weeks before he suddenly started to haemorrhage heavily down his nose and the back of throat. However, symptoms depend on the location of the tumour.

Here is what little there is but it includes e.cuniculi. It is definitely not a walled-off middle ear infection (CBS); that presents in various forms but none of them are consistent with your presentation.
CBS (Calcified Bulla Syndrome) and Neurological Problems - Symptoms and Care

 

[dessertpigs]

Thank you Wiebke for your kind words and advice.

We'll see how things are at the vets next week. Currently she's happy most of the time, with the occasional half hour every 2 weeks that we can observe where she seems uncomfortable or distressed. Fortunately, she's a happy chutting exploring pig, so when she's quiet and still we can tell somethings not right. Much harder to tell something's up with Misu, who is always quiet and prefers her favourite spot.

 

[dessertpigs]

I thought I'd provide an update on my piggie Gato, who was put to sleep this week due to seizures caused by what was highly likely a brain tumour.

Last Saturday she had another episode of fits- first disoriented, twitching in response to sound and touch, gradually becoming more floppy, not able to use her back legs, to gradually no muscle tone except her head occasionally twitching. On the way to the vet she fitted, twisting on her back with limbs twitching, lasting about 30secs. She was then able to move, but not fully alert. 20mins later at the vet she was normal. Unfortunately no exotic cover, but the vet did increase her Gabapentin to three times daily.
Next few days she was mostly fine, no fitting, but she was withdrawn and not herself Tuesday morning. By Tuesday afternoon she was happy, chitting and exploring the spare room with Misu.

She went into the vets Wednesday for bloods and the CT. Unfortunately she started to have seizures at the vets before any anaesthetic. Head exotic vet saw this and called us, at this point Gato had repeated seizures for 30 to 45 minutes. She explained that based on the seizures it was likely a central space occupying lesion- i.e. brain tumour. Trying anti seizure meds along with pain relief is a difficult balancing act with piggies, and her experiences have found that it doesn't work. We made the tough decision to put our piggie to sleep.

We miss her so much, but are focussing our attentions on Misu. Misu has a follow up appointment Tuesday. She has previously been treated for cystitis and bladder sludge, and we are getting a health check before introducing a new piggie or piggies.
I've contacted two local rescues, and will consider further afield if no response.

Gato was in our lives for 10 months, with 2months of care with the vets. I've like to thank everyone on the forum for the care and advice pages. We found the recommended vets on this forum and with advice from our rescue. We also had taken our piggies for a check up at 4 years before any of this had happened, so they were already known before she had any symptoms. Thank you for all your advice here.

Photo of our gorgeous piggie in her run earlier this year.

 

[Pound Shilling & Pig]

I am so sorry you have had to let beautiful Gato go, it is never an easy decision.

 

[dessertpigs]

I am so sorry you have had to let beautiful Gato go, it is never an easy decision.

Thank you for your kind words.