Sick Was that a seizure??? Help!

[Racquelle76]

Hello everyone. I just witnessed something that stopped my heart for a moment. One of my 3 week old piggies did something extremely odd. I was alerted to it because she began squealing. I looked over at her and she was standing, but was twisting to her right and kept moving her head from left to right in an erratic pattern. It only lasted for a few seconds, but her mother was standing behind her, but was not nipping at her or doing anything other than what appeared to be waiting it out. When the squealing stopped the baby kind of stumbled around (not severely, but a little). After that mom and baby went to a nearby corner and mom laid down for the baby to nurse. Now the baby seems fine and is just sitting by mom, while mom lays down for a bit.

The baby has been the epitomy of health and vigor up to this point. She is very active and loves to run and popcorn. She eats and drinks well and is growing quite nicely. So this has come at quite a surprise. It didn't appear that she was urinating or poo-ing. She was just kind of standing there when this episode began.

Has anyone seen anything like this??? There are 8 piggies and I have heard a lot of squeaks and such, but never actually witnessed anything like this. I just finished my first C&C cage with an open top which is why I was able to pick out which piggy was making that sound. Any help or advise would be REALLY appreciated.

 

[Racquelle76]

Oh, and by the way, I was reading that a certain kind of mite can cause squealing because it is burrowing under the skin and is painful. I have had my mama's checked for mites and they were clear. Perhaps wrongly, I assumed that the babies would be mite free since the mom's were. She has no hair loss and her cage mates aren't doing what she just did.

 

[bpatters]

I'm not sure what you're describing. There could be some neurological problem with the baby, or it could just be a one-time occurrence. Ear infections can cause balance problems, and might cause the head-swinging you're talking about. I'd just watch carefully over the weekend to see whether it happens again. If it does, or the baby appears to be ill in any way, I'd try to see an exotic vet.

But just so you know, there's no way to check a guinea pig for mites and be sure they're clear. A skin scraping can miss mites, and while some kinds of mites will fluoresce under a black light, others don't. So your older pig could have mites, and the baby also. But I'd think it unlikely that a three-week old baby could have an infestation so bad that it would cause a seizure.

Has the baby been scratching itself a lot?

 

[Dee_E]

I have Epilepsy. This 'could' have been a seizure. There are many types of seizures. Most people think of seizures as Grand Mal, where the person or animal bends back and then front and quivers, perhaps foaming at the mouth. But I would have your Piggy checked out for other problems before you go the seizure route. Also, just about every creature will have a seizure at sometime in their life. NOT related to Epilepsy. It just happens.

Sometimes seizures to have vocal sounds. Depends on the kind of seizure.

 

[Racquelle76]

To Dee_E: I have epilepsy as well and am familiar with the different types of seizures. My mother once witnessed me having a seizure where I stiffened up and screamed the whole time. So yea, seizures can be weird sometimes.

To bpatters: Thank you for the info on mites. I don't notice my piggers scratching a lot. However, when I got my piggies they were missing a lot of fur. The owners said it was due to using cedar bedding. After they came to live with me I took them to the vet to get checked out. They got a clean bill of health and their hair grew back quickly after coming home with me. I will definately keep an eye on her to see if this occurs again. Thanks bunches.

 

[foggycreekcavy]

I would treat for mites anyway. They are easy to misdiagnose, and very easy to treat. You can do it yourself without a vet visit. Treating them with ivermectin even if they don't have mites won't hurt them.

Many pigs have mites, and their immune system keep them in check. When the immune system is lowered the pigs may start showing signs.

 

[Racquelle76]

Where do I get ivermectin?

 

[kananaka]

https://www.guinealynx.info/ivermectin_products.html#sources WHERE TO PURCHASE Ivermectin is available over-the-counter. Many areas of the country have farm supply stores like Southern States Farm Cooperativewhere it can be easily purchased. A search on the internet under "ivermectin" and "veterinary supply"will turn up other sources for these products. (broken link removed) is a popular online supplier of low-cost generic ivermectin.

Hope this helps.

 

[bpatters]

You can also get the pour-on kind from (broken link removed), along with the syringes you need to measure it.

 

[Racquelle76]

My little one did it again, however this time I didn't get to witness the whole thing. This time didn't seem as severe though. I notice her mama stays very close to her during these episodes. Her mama (Torpedo) will either sit with her or will slowly walk around her until her squealing is over. Then Torpedo and her baby (Iris) will hang out together away from the other piggies. I have looked her over for any sign of something, but she looks like an ordinary healthy baby guinea pig. None of my other 5 babies do this though. I guess it is time to call the vet.