Nobody can diagnose my guinea pig..

[Little_piggies]

This started around a week and a half ago. I noticed my guinea pig Eris who is 4 and a half years old having some white in his eye. I didn't think much of it, but the next day he was all scuffed up and looked I'll. We mediately started giving him critical care and keeping a close wach. He was eating but not drinking anymore. A day later nothing was looking better so we called the vet. The next day the vet checked him out and couldn't quite understand what's wrong, she thought it was an infection in the lungs because he wasn't breathing well. She gave him some antibiotics and asked us to come again tomorrow. ( BTW I live in a small country so there is barely any specific vets for guinea pigs, and they are all far from us). The next day she said the breathing was getting better so we thought that that was the problem. The next day we started noticing that he was leaning on the right side. He also had lost some weight and eating less. The doctor gave him some medicine again and told us to give him some water thru a syringe. She didnt mention the breething anymore (i dont think it is the problem because hes breathing pretty well now). At this point it had been like 5 days he was very weak and uncoordinated and his head was basically by his hips it was that bad... also we started noticing his eyes constatlntley going to the right direction. He was eating a little bit by himself tho. Finally a different doctor said it could be something in his brain, but he said there is nothing he can really do. But he also gave some anti worm medicine just in case that's the problem.
So right now he really wants to be active but he is very uncoordinated, when we offer any vedgtable he really wants it and takes a bite but then mediately releases it as if he is too tired. We mashed up some pumpkin for him and he devoured it. We still have to gim him water thru a syringe tho. But he does drink it quite well. The doctor gave us 2 more syringes of medicine for the worms, and said to come again on Tuesday. The doctor really is no help right now and so I'm asking here for advice, as a very worried piggy mom. Here is definitely more skilled doctors who are specified for guinea pigs then where I live.

If there is anything else I need to mention ask me, as this is a very long message and I probably forgot to mention something.

Also sorry for my English

 

[Ramia]

I'm afraid I don't have any advice but just wanted to offer support and let you know your English is great!

 

[piggieminder]

I am sorry you don't have access to better guinea pig vets. Poor little piggy and poor you having to go through this. I hope one of the health and illness experts will be along for you soon.

 

[MnJ]

I am sorry for your situation. I understand your difficulty to find good vet. Hopefully someone experienced will reply soon. I hope he gets better

 

[Wiebke]

Hi

HUGS

I am very sorry. Please accept that we can only comment through the filter of your own perception.
Medication names would help so we can get a better idea of what your vet is thinking of if they haven't told you directly what they suspect.

From what I can tell and from the development of symptoms your vet suspects a neurological problem, which is a bit of a black hole when it comes to guinea pig research. There is close to nothing.
Your vet is specifically focussing on e.cuniculi (encephalitozoon cuniculi), a tiny rabbit parasite that can transmit to other species via urine and that particularly affects the brain (hence the name), the spine and kidneys (hence the urine transmission angle).

E.cuniculi can often look at first like a respiratory infection that quickly goes into the head and then spine. It can then cause balance issues etc. The correct treatment is in fact with panacur/fenbendazole, which is much better known and more commonly used as a worming medication.

I fully endorse your vet's decision to treat for e. cuniculi as the pretty much only option and that the symptoms you are reporting fit with that diagnosis. The treatment you have been prescribed is the correct one. Unfortunately, success with an an advanced case is not guaranteed. E. cuniculi can be difficult to diagnose because it can be initially easily mistaken for other health problems.

All you can do right now is to keep feeding and watering and hope that the treatment works. I wish I had better news but please don't blame your vet. They have good instincts and are not any slower than a UK vet. If the diagnosis is the right one - and I would personally also have suggested that your vet take it into their consideration if they quite obviously were already doing it -, you are unfortunately up against one of the nastier things that guinea pigs can contract and one that is not at all easy to diagnose because the symptoms often point in other directions, especially at first.

There is a bit more information on e.cuniculi in chapter 2 of this guide, which contains just about all the scant information that is available on neurological problems in guinea pigs.

Thread 'CBS (Calcified Bulla Syndrome) and Neurological Problems - Symptoms and Care'

Feb 12, 2022

Introduction
1 General information and practical advice on CBS
- What is the difference between a syndrome and a symptom?
- What is CBS (calcified bulla syndrome)?
- How can CBS be diagnosed?
- What is causing CBS and how can I minimise the risk?
- Vet care and customer rights with newly bought guinea pigs
- Support and care information resources
- Leaflet with list of CBS symptoms and comparison x-ray pictures
2 Other common neurological problems...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 3
• Forum: Wiebke's Home Care Support Guides

• 

Fingers very firmly crossed. I truly wish I had better news and more tips but you are already doing what little can be done.


PS: I am moving your thread from the Chat section to our specially monitored Health/Illness Care section in order for your post to be seen by the people you are looking for answers from. The Chat section doesn't generate alerts for those of us monitoring the Care sections which are there for any questions and advice.
Our forum is too lively for us to read all threads all the time, especially seeing that we are all doing this for free in our own free time whenever we have it.

 

[Little_piggies]

We were actually talking about this dessese with our vet as we do have a rabbit! So I think it's quite possible. But our rabbit isn't showing any symptoms. Should we take him to the vet aswell? Give him the medicine aswell? We have 2 other guinea pigs and I'm worried they are gona get the same dessese. Also I don't know any names for the medicine as it is given to us in douses.

 

[Wiebke]

We were actually talking about this dessese with our vet as we do have a rabbit! So I think it's quite possible. But our rabbit isn't showing any symptoms. Should we take him to the vet aswell? Give him the medicine aswell? We have 2 other guinea pigs and I'm worried they are gona get the same dessese. Also I don't know any names for the medicine as it is given to us in douses.

Many rabbits can be carriers of e.cuniculi without showing any symptoms at all while it can be deadly for other rabbits. It is even deadlier for guinea pigs if not treated.

It is one of the reasons why rabbits and guinea pigs should be kept separately and why you always need to feed, handle and clean out guinea pigs before rabbits so that they don't come into contact with rabbit urine. You will also have to wash your hands thoroughly after each time you have handled your rabbits and any of their stuff and best wash your hands thoroughly before you handle guinea pigs or an of their food or stuff.

One of our members accidentally transmitted e.cuniculi by food particles falling from stacked used rabbit dishes into guinea pig dishes ready for feeding.

If you have both rabbits and guinea pigs, then e.cuniculi is definitely something that is on the cards. I assume that your vet knows that as they are treating for it?

 

[Merab]

Just want to offer support