Paralysis, stroke -- or what? Young mother with severe issues.

[Theremin]

First things first: I have kept guinea pigs since the 1980s, and have consulted a vet.
In early October 2021, I rescued, literally, an approx. 2 month old guinea pig that had been let loose with two others on a dry ditch near my home. I was unfortunately unable to catch the others and they disappeared. I kept the captured pig in her own habitat so she could gain some weight and condition and maybe would join my "herd" of females later. She was checked by a vet early on. By late November, I realized she was a little wobbly on her feet AND was getting very fat, although she was quite small. She gave birth to two healthy pups December 10. Her weight dropped back down to her initial "full" weight, about 650 g.
Subsequently, she began having real issues walking, and has a bit of a body tilt and weakness. She seems to wear out even more at night, and falls. We're topping her up with critical care and she eats, slowly on her own, and seems to be getting enough water -- we top her up with that as well. She's gained about 75g since the birth. We adopted out the male guinea pig (to a great home) and kept the female with her. We took her back to the vet, and as he advised, started calcium supplement, with no results. She's getting less able, and seems to be losing ground. She's no longer nursing, and we're making sure she's kept warm, watered, fed and safe on a soft surface, but don't know quite what to do. The exotic vet consulted recommended a 14 day course of meloxicam (I think it's called metacam in EU) to treat possible inflammation, possibly pregnancy linked, but I think we're kind of shooting in the dark here. I'm starting to suspect a stroke.
Any experiences or insight would be welcome. She's a valiant little girl, and with such a rough start we're trying to do the best we can for her.

 

[Siikibam]

I’m sorry that your girl seems unwell. I’ve no experience but didn’t want your thread to go unnoticed. I’ll tag @Wiebke @PigglePuggle @Piggies&buns

 

[Wiebke]

First things first: I have kept guinea pigs since the 1980s, and have consulted a vet.
In early October 2021, I rescued, literally, an approx. 2 month old guinea pig that had been let loose with two others on a dry ditch near my home. I was unfortunately unable to catch the others and they disappeared. I kept the captured pig in her own habitat so she could gain some weight and condition and maybe would join my "herd" of females later. She was checked by a vet early on. By late November, I realized she was a little wobbly on her feet AND was getting very fat, although she was quite small. She gave birth to two healthy pups December 10. Her weight dropped back down to her initial "full" weight, about 650 g.
Subsequently, she began having real issues walking, and has a bit of a body tilt and weakness. She seems to wear out even more at night, and falls. We're topping her up with critical care and she eats, slowly on her own, and seems to be getting enough water -- we top her up with that as well. She's gained about 75g since the birth. We adopted out the male guinea pig (to a great home) and kept the female with her. We took her back to the vet, and as he advised, started calcium supplement, with no results. She's getting less able, and seems to be losing ground. She's no longer nursing, and we're making sure she's kept warm, watered, fed and safe on a soft surface, but don't know quite what to do. The exotic vet consulted recommended a 14 day course of meloxicam (I think it's called metacam in EU) to treat possible inflammation, possibly pregnancy linked, but I think we're kind of shooting in the dark here. I'm starting to suspect a stroke.
Any experiences or insight would be welcome. She's a valiant little girl, and with such a rough start we're trying to do the best we can for her.

Hi

It could be a very newly discovered syndrome by Saskia from Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue in conjunction with her exotics vet, called CBS (calcified bulla syndrome) where the middle ear capsule is walled off by un- or undertreated bacteria; often URI but it can be a range. This causes intense vertigo but can affect balance/walking and other neurological issues like paralysis, cause sudden or gradual blindness, affect the jaw and hence the eating/eventual dental overgrowth etc.

The combination of symptoms and the speed with which they develop can vary massively; but you are describing several and also the progression. For a diagnosis you will need an x-ray of the head from the top. In healthy guinea pigs the two bullas at the back of the head appear as rings but in ill guinea pigs they show as large white blobs. Once you know what to look for, it is quite striking.

Unfortunately, large scale commercial breeding and sales practices at especially chain pet shops in the USA and Canada mean that lots of baby piggies are exposed to URI bacteria; many just present with sneezing/runny nose or are not seen by a vet even with stronger URI symptoms and treated with a thorough course of antibiotics, which allows the bacteria to build up and migrate into the bulla where it is near impossible to reach them.

Sadly by the time you are confronted with acute symptoms of a walled-in bulla, there is not a lot you can treat with as most piggies won't react to antibiotics. The condition is progressive.

I would recommend that you join Saskia's Wheekers! group where members can give you the best support as I have only become aware of the full extent of this a couple of months ago when I edited Saskia's article about CBS for Guinea Pig Magazine (which has just come out) as we don't have the kind of URI epidemic in the ideal pet shop/commercial mass breeding environment anymore after the main UK pet shop chain changed suppliers and obviously started up with new stock. We have been 'blessed' with lots of ringworm cases in newly bought pet shop babies instead during the pandemic over here...
Here is the link to the group: Wheekers! Guinea Pig Group Saskia, volunteers and Friends of LAGPR

It is the only thing that I know of that seems to fit with the symptoms and progression of them that I know of. It is most definitely not the news I would like to give but an x-ray may hopefully at least give you an answer, whether that is positive or negative.

Wishing you and little mother all the best. Please consider euthanasia if her quality of life is getting even less. It is horrible to watch and be totally helpless, as I know from my own experiences.

HUGS

 

[Theremin]

Hi

It could be a very newly discovered syndrome by Saskia from Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue in conjunction with her exotics vet, called CBS (calcified bulla syndrome) where the middle ear capsule is walled off by un- or undertreated bacteria; often URI but it can be a range. This causes intense vertigo but can affect balance/walking and other neurological issues like paralysis, cause sudden or gradual blindness, affect the jaw and hence the eating/eventual dental overgrowth etc.

The combination of symptoms and the speed with which they develop can vary massively; but you are describing several and also the progression. For a diagnosis you will need an x-ray of the head from the top. In healthy guinea pigs the two bullas at the back of the head appear as rings but in ill guinea pigs they show as large white blobs. Once you know what to look for, it is quite striking.

Unfortunately, large scale commercial breeding and sales practices at especially chain pet shops in the USA and Canada mean that lots of baby piggies are exposed to URI bacteria; many just present with sneezing/runny nose or are not seen by a vet even with stronger URI symptoms and treated with a thorough course of antibiotics, which allows the bacteria to build up and migrate into the bulla where it is near impossible to reach them.

Sadly by the time you are confronted with acute symptoms of a walled-in bulla, there is not a lot you can treat with as most piggies won't react to antibiotics. The condition is progressive.

I would recommend that you join Saskia's Wheekers! group where members can give you the best support as I have only become aware of the full extent of this a couple of months ago when I edited Saskia's article about CBS for Guinea Pig Magazine (which has just come out) as we don't have the kind of URI epidemic in the ideal pet shop/commercial mass breeding environment anymore after the main UK pet shop chain changed suppliers and obviously started up with new stock. We have been 'blessed' with lots of ringworm cases in newly bought pet shop babies instead during the pandemic over here...
Here is the link to the group: Wheekers! Guinea Pig Group Saskia, volunteers and Friends of LAGPR

It is the only thing that I know of that seems to fit with the symptoms and progression of them that I know of. It is most definitely not the news I would like to give but an x-ray may hopefully at least give you an answer, whether that is positive or negative.

Wishing you and little mother all the best. Please consider euthanasia if her quality of life is getting even less. It is horrible to watch and be totally helpless, as I know from my own experiences.

HUGS

That's really quite helpful. It sounds very much like what might be going on, unfortunately. I'll pass this along to my vet.

 

[Theremin]

Months later to follow up with this thread.
After a few tries at treatment, we decided the best thing to do for Vampira was euthanasia, which we followed through with in late January. She was a valiant little soul, and I feel terrible every time I think about her because she was abandoned in a ditch, was pregnant, and tried so hard to raise her babies despite her catastrophic illness. Curse whoever abandoned her and her fellows (who I wasn't able to capture). At least I was able to give her a safe place to have her babies and took care of her.
I kept her female baby, and have successfully integrated her into my crew of 3 other female guinea pigs. Buffalo is doing great -- no signs of illness or any other issues, so it seems whatever was wrong with her mother has not been passed on. She's really a big pig for 7 months -- 950 g or so -- and is on the same diet as my other girls at this point so not being overfed. One of my girls, Bergmann, is a nearly 2 year old abandoned orphan that I raised from a baby who is a perfect 1000 g but the other two, Pippa and Delia, who are sisters, are massive -- not just fat, but big -- and are in the 1400-1500 range. I predict Buffalo will be very big too, although she doesn't seem to have the large bone structure of the big sisters. We'll see.

 

[Wiebke]

Months later to follow up with this thread.
After a few tries at treatment, we decided the best thing to do for Vampira was euthanasia, which we followed through with in late January. She was a valiant little soul, and I feel terrible every time I think about her because she was abandoned in a ditch, was pregnant, and tried so hard to raise her babies despite her catastrophic illness. Curse whoever abandoned her and her fellows (who I wasn't able to capture). At least I was able to give her a safe place to have her babies and took care of her.
I kept her female baby, and have successfully integrated her into my crew of 3 other female guinea pigs. Buffalo is doing great -- no signs of illness or any other issues, so it seems whatever was wrong with her mother has not been passed on. She's really a big pig for 7 months -- 950 g or so -- and is on the same diet as my other girls at this point so not being overfed. One of my girls, Bergmann, is a nearly 2 year old abandoned orphan that I raised from a baby who is a perfect 1000 g but the other two, Pippa and Delia, who are sisters, are massive -- not just fat, but big -- and are in the 1400-1500 range. I predict Buffalo will be very big too, although she doesn't seem to have the large bone structure of the big sisters. We'll see.

I am very sorry that it was too late to help Vampira but glad that her pup is thriving.

Thank you for the update.