Conditions Inner Ear Infection (long)

[HellFire]

This isn't about a pig thats still alive i'm afraid, I lost him

I was just looking to ask about the guinea pig inner ear infection and if anyone had heard of it? I've searched this forum and found no more than one or two posts that mention it, but not in detail.

I had a guinea called Paddington (bought from a pet store, one of the reasons I am majorly against pet stores now) he was about 8 weeks old when I got him, and beautiful, good coat, lovely temperment, but quiet. He settled in well with the other pig I got him with, and then eight days later with no warning I came home from work, made their dinner and went to take Paddington out to feed him (my other piggy at that point was somewhat of a food hog at that point) and i immediately knew that something was wrong.

He couldn't get up, at all, he lay on his side and struggled but couldn't. I got my boyfriend and i got to a vet in the out of hour emergency line, where the nurse saw him, she treated him horribly and in the end mumbled something about how it might be neuorlogical or it could be an inner ear infection. The main vet of the practise was called and she came in from her hom to have a look at him, she too said it looked like an inner ear infection asked me had he been tilting his head, but he hadn't he'd been perfectly fine.

Anyway she said she'd try him on anti-biotics for the night and see if he lasted, unfortunately though we lost him. It was very quick, I got home from work at 5:30, was at the vets by 6:30 and by 11:30 he'd died. It came as such a surprise because until that day he was completely fine, eating, drinking, popcorning around, no symptoms.

I never got an answer of what this was that took my baby boy, and i was just wondering if anyone on this forum had experienced the same thing? Or maybe knew more details about it? When i got my newest two pigs i asked the woman who had kept over four hundred piggies in her life time about inner ear infections and she said she'd never heard of them, so i don't know what to believe.

 

[akstrohm]

Yes, ear infections do occur. Guinea pigs are very good at hiding symptoms, which is why it is important to weigh them weekly (weight loss is often the first sign of illness). They also go downhill very quickly once they start showing symptoms. I don't think anyone here can tell you for sure what happened, but I'm very sorry you lost your pig. If this happened recently, be sure to weigh and keep a close eye on your other pigs in case they are also sick.

 

[Ly&Pigs]

The only way you'd be able to find out the true cause of death would be to have a necropsy done.

I'm sorry for your loss.