Hi dear forum!
I have been reading a lot of good advice here while googling guinea pig stuff, so now I registered in hope of maybe receiving some hints or help with my guinea pig’s health issue
Toblerone is an agouti abyssinian 3.5 years old. Earlier he was diagnosed with spondylosis so he was taking Gabapentin daily for around 6 months.
In the end of May we woke up to him laying on his left side with the eyes wide open and not able to stay upright. He was trying to crawl when disturbed by us, and the whole body was curling into a spiral with a tilted head. He did not feel tense to the touch, on the contrary – weak, and started biting to inform us he was very uncomfortable. The episode lasted around 10 minutes, afterwards he was fully recovered.
The bloodwork showed signs of infection and renal deficiency, as well as tiny increase in “one of the two toxoplasmosis antibodies levels” (one of the two exotic vets we were seeing says it is of no relevance).
Two weeks of antibiotics (baytril) later, the kidneys are fully recovered, the blood is back to normal, the vet cleared Toblerone as healthy. We stopped gabapentin for some time, the whole waiting for blood test results and the treatment took around a month. Later, we started gabapentin again.
On the 2nd of June he had a similar episode, but it looked milder, he was found on his left side again, but quickly recovered. The vets were closed for the weekend, so we booked an appointment for Tuesday.
On Tuesday morning he had a new episode, which I saw developing and could actually count the time. Before the episode, Toblerone ate well, had his gabapentin dose and then was sitting in a hidey, when I noticed his right eye slowly twitching to the side and back. After five minutes he was laying on his right (!) side, weak in the paws, head tilting. The episode lasted for around 15 minutes.
By the time we came to the vets, he was upright, but the vet still noticed a mild twitching of eyes. After Toblerone was taken for blood test and an X-ray, he went into the episode again, head tilting and only being able to crawl on his right side – and he stayed this way until the evening, for several hours. However, his appetite is very good, he drinks water, begs for veggies and produces healthy poops even in this state.
We received blood work results today, and kidneys are fine, however, white blood cells are up again, and the vet said he sees lower red blood cells level. During this week, Toblerone was receiving gabapentin and additional Axilur. He did not have any episode, sleeps a bit more then his usual, but sometimes looks a bit wobbly after deep sleep. Otherwise cheerful and more or less normal guinea pig.
His blood showed negative results for E.cuniculi, the vets did not see any calcification on the inner ear and head X-ray, nothing suspicious on whole body X-ray, it is most probably not epilepsy because gabapentin is anti-epileptic.
Please share your thoughts if any of you has some similar experience with your guinea pigs or maybe faced toxoplasmosis with GPs?
I know the vets we are seeing specialize on guinea pigs and rabbits, but even they are confused.
Toblerone is not super young anymore, and he also is anxious and tends to spiral down after any invasive procedure/anything that requires general anesthesia, so I am trying to avoid CT or MRI scans as long as possible not to trigger him.
He is my best friend, and I am very worried for him
Thank you for your attention to anyone who reads this through!
I have been reading a lot of good advice here while googling guinea pig stuff, so now I registered in hope of maybe receiving some hints or help with my guinea pig’s health issue
Toblerone is an agouti abyssinian 3.5 years old. Earlier he was diagnosed with spondylosis so he was taking Gabapentin daily for around 6 months.
In the end of May we woke up to him laying on his left side with the eyes wide open and not able to stay upright. He was trying to crawl when disturbed by us, and the whole body was curling into a spiral with a tilted head. He did not feel tense to the touch, on the contrary – weak, and started biting to inform us he was very uncomfortable. The episode lasted around 10 minutes, afterwards he was fully recovered.
The bloodwork showed signs of infection and renal deficiency, as well as tiny increase in “one of the two toxoplasmosis antibodies levels” (one of the two exotic vets we were seeing says it is of no relevance).
Two weeks of antibiotics (baytril) later, the kidneys are fully recovered, the blood is back to normal, the vet cleared Toblerone as healthy. We stopped gabapentin for some time, the whole waiting for blood test results and the treatment took around a month. Later, we started gabapentin again.
On the 2nd of June he had a similar episode, but it looked milder, he was found on his left side again, but quickly recovered. The vets were closed for the weekend, so we booked an appointment for Tuesday.
On Tuesday morning he had a new episode, which I saw developing and could actually count the time. Before the episode, Toblerone ate well, had his gabapentin dose and then was sitting in a hidey, when I noticed his right eye slowly twitching to the side and back. After five minutes he was laying on his right (!) side, weak in the paws, head tilting. The episode lasted for around 15 minutes.
By the time we came to the vets, he was upright, but the vet still noticed a mild twitching of eyes. After Toblerone was taken for blood test and an X-ray, he went into the episode again, head tilting and only being able to crawl on his right side – and he stayed this way until the evening, for several hours. However, his appetite is very good, he drinks water, begs for veggies and produces healthy poops even in this state.
We received blood work results today, and kidneys are fine, however, white blood cells are up again, and the vet said he sees lower red blood cells level. During this week, Toblerone was receiving gabapentin and additional Axilur. He did not have any episode, sleeps a bit more then his usual, but sometimes looks a bit wobbly after deep sleep. Otherwise cheerful and more or less normal guinea pig.
His blood showed negative results for E.cuniculi, the vets did not see any calcification on the inner ear and head X-ray, nothing suspicious on whole body X-ray, it is most probably not epilepsy because gabapentin is anti-epileptic.
Please share your thoughts if any of you has some similar experience with your guinea pigs or maybe faced toxoplasmosis with GPs?
I know the vets we are seeing specialize on guinea pigs and rabbits, but even they are confused.
Toblerone is not super young anymore, and he also is anxious and tends to spiral down after any invasive procedure/anything that requires general anesthesia, so I am trying to avoid CT or MRI scans as long as possible not to trigger him.
He is my best friend, and I am very worried for him
Thank you for your attention to anyone who reads this through!
