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Behavior Is my guinea pig having a seizure ?

tyty18

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I just got my guinea pigs about 3 days ago and i noticed he starts laying down like in a stretched out position and starts shaking/twitching. Please help me im really worried i did something wrong
 

Beatrix187

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Unfortunately I think your guinea pig is having a seizure, possibly from mange mites. Is he still twitching? I think the best thing you can do now is keep him comfortable and call a vet if you can :( I don't think it is your fault, if you got him from a petstore he might have had the mites before you got him. @bpatters probably knows more about this than me. But I am sending prayers xx
 

Beatrix187

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Actually to add on to that: if it is really hot outside it mght be an actual seizure, otherwise he may have mange mites which can look like a seizure because he is itching so much. Here is more about mange mites https://www.guinealynx.info/mites.html
 

bpatters

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You probably haven't done anything wrong, but it sounds like something is wrong with your pig.

Did you notice him scratching a lot before this happened?

How hot was it where his cage is when he had this seizure?

It could be a seizure from mites, or from overheating, or some neurological problem.
 

Trane

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If you don't see any sign of hair loss, excessive itching, skin abrasions, etc., your pig's behavior could be a symptom of pododermatis, or "bumblefoot." You'll find a lot about it at the guinealynx site (check the index). If his rear legs seem swollen and he's having trouble moving them, this condition is definitely worth considering. My pig began lying on his side, with his legs off the floor, to reduce the pressure on them. When I picked him up, he began to have jerks, or quick spasms, throughout his body. When I placed him upright on a clean spot in his cage, or a soft towel, he settled down.

Bumblefoot is usually treated with "chlorhexadine," which is available as an inexpensive spray, or as a gel, which is easier to control. Look at your pet's foot pads. If they look raw, he's no doubt feeling pain in his feet--which can be addressed with chlorhexdine as an antiseptic and Liquid Bandage as a protective cover. (I'd stay away from "Blue Kote" spray, which leaves an indelible blue paint-like substance on the animal.) Some owners, who first tried various cures proposed by their vet with little success, claim that the most effective way to bring down the swelling was dipping the animal's feet in in an Epsom Salt solution every day for a week or two.

I've been able to revive Sparky with handfeeding and the above medical treatments. But such conditions are often neurological and congenital. Some guinea pigs suffer from enlarged hearts, which weakens their immune systems and is the underlying cause of the visible symptoms. There are ways to help them, but you'll need to count on a vet experienced with "pocket pets" for such complications and be prepared for the expense.
 

bpatters

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I'm betting big against it being bumblefoot. Pigs exhibit a lot of symptoms of bumblefoot before they start laying on their sides and twitching. Besides, you can diagnose bumblefoot by looking at the feet -- it's pretty obvious.
 

Trane

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I'm betting big against it being bumblefoot. Pigs exhibit a lot of symptoms of bumblefoot before they start laying on their sides and twitching. Besides, you can diagnose bumblefoot by looking at the feet -- it's pretty obvious.
 

Trane

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That makes me wonder if my vet (an exotic pets specialist who admitted he didn't know much about guinea pigs) could have missed mange, esp. if it's frequently overlooked or misdiagnosed). Maybe he should have prescribed ivermectin instead of Baytril. Sparky was on the Baytril for 2 weeks with little improvement (he sits upright and gets to his pellets, but he still moves with a frog-like hopping motion because of his heavy, or "lazy," legs problem. And he never tries to reach his water bottle, which makes filling the syringe with vitamin-spiked water an easy call. He loves orange slices, so at least I know he's not suffering from a Vitamin C deficiency.
 

bpatters

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If you're giving oranges as a vitamin C source, he can very well have a vitamin C deficiency. They're not a very good source at all. Bell peppers are MUCH better in that regard.

And the vet could easily have missed mange mites. They're invisible, as they're VERY small and they burrow under the skin. There is no definitive test for them. The recommendation is just to treat for mites, as it won't hurt the pig and will cure the problem if it is mites.
 

Trane

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If you're giving oranges as a vitamin C source, he can very well have a vitamin C deficiency. They're not a very good source at all. Bell peppers are MUCH better in that regard.

And the vet could easily have missed mange mites. They're invisible, as they're VERY small and they burrow under the skin. There is no definitive test for them. The recommendation is just to treat for mites, as it won't hurt the pig and will cure the problem if it is mites.
 

Trane

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Good advice. I've just read that the eggs of mites can remain dormant for years and that the infected animal may be asymptomatic (no hair loss, no itching) except for irritability, loss of weight and depression. That means my guy could have brought it with him from the pet store. Home diagnosis and treatment is tricky because products with the recommended antiseptic (ivermectin, Revolution) are recommended, upon Googling them, only for larger animals like horses and adult cats and dogs. I may drive him to Milwaukee because every time I get fluids into him, he shows some life and a keen appetite.

Besides pellets, he has green and red peppers as well as apples, lettuce and tomatoes to choose from, but oranges are his preference, and sometimes I think animals are better than humans at sensing what best serves their needs (unlike humans and sugar). But it has occurred to me that I offer him too many choices at once.
 

Trane

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Another spot-on observation. Fortunately, a small sample of probiotic (Bene-something?) was included with the packet of "Critical Care" that I ordered for Sparky. I began using the probiotic and ordered some more because of the "over-kill" of the antibiotic (Baytril) that he was taking. I'm out of the Baytril, but I think I'll continue the probiotic because of what you said about the fruit and sugar. Also, I'm wondering if 10 days is enough time to judge the effectiveness of any antibiotic. Some owners have reported success in treating a nasty, stubborn infection only after sticking with the antibiotic for a month or two. (If I recall correctly, Bactrim is a less potent antibiotic, which might be a safe alternative to Baytril for long-term use.)
 

Trane

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I forgot to add that indeed Sparky's preference for an all-fruit diet led to some "serious" diaharrea. Then I came upon a product called Oasis "Wet-Tail" Drops. It made a big, overnight difference. I was able to go downstairs the next morning and find a clean cage and a guinea pig with unsoiled feet and nails.
 

DonkeyBrainz

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Just throwing this out there...could it be blood-sugar related? Every pet I've had that has had seizures had low glucose. They were all rodents, though none of them were guinea pigs (2 hamsters, 1 mouse, 1 rat). All they needed was some Caro syrup. I couldn't believe it could be something so simple, but it was the first thing my vet suggested each time, so I it could be worth looking into.

And yes, I understand the animals I listed are very different than guinea pigs, I'm just thinking out of the box.
 
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