ABSOLUTE EMERGENCY - fitting

[Popcorn bby]

Please help. I'm crying a lot right now. My guinea pig just had two seizures in the span of less than five minutes. The first one she plopped to the ground extremely quickly, turned over on her side, rolled back her eyes a bit, and just shook like that for a few seconds, than got right back up quickly and acted normal. The second time she was laying down, got up, plopped down quickly again, rolled on her side, rolled her eyes back a bit, and twitches even harder this time, and then plopped up like normal again. Please help it's night time and the vets aren't open. Please help me I can't lose my baby. She's on both Baytril and Bactrim for URI and UTI. I need help immediately.

 

[Popcorn bby]

Please help. I'm crying a lot right now. My guinea pig just had two seizures in the span of less than five minutes. The first one she plopped to the ground extremely quickly, turned over on her side, rolled back her eyes a bit, and just shook like that for a few seconds, than got right back up quickly and acted normal. The second time she was laying down, got up, plopped down quickly again, rolled on her side, rolled her eyes back a bit, and twitches even harder this time, and then plopped up like normal again. Please help it's night time and the vets aren't open. Please help me I can't lose my baby. She's on both Baytril and Bactrim for URI and UTI. I need help immediately.

ever since this comment, she has had at least three more seizures. Shes acting completely normal.

 

[Betsy]

Make an emergency appointment at the vets as soon as they open this morning. Sending you lots of healing wheeky wheeks. Let us know what happens.

 

[Popcorn bby]

Make an emergency appointment at the vets as soon as they open this morning. Sending you lots of healing wheeky wheeks. Let us know what happens.

She keeps having these spasms but luckily they seem to be improving (they're more spaced out and instead of twitching she seems to be paralyzed when she flips over instead). She has a URI and UTI, and either the seizures are from mites or the baytril (baytril can cause seizures). Either way I am both extremely angry and disappointed in my mother, for she refuses to take them to vet in the morning because of her dumb work. We leave at 6am and will be back home by 5pm and I am beyond angry. I truly do wonder how they will diagnose this and how they will treat it, its quite complicated. She will make a full recovery though, it is not her time yet

 

[Lady Kelly]

There is nothing anyone on the forum can do as she needs a vet urgently. Can you not take her yourself while your mum is at work? Or is there a family member nearby that can help out?

 

[Claire W]

I agree. I’m afraid that this is an emergency and she needs to a vet this morning. If you can’t take her yourself, is there a family member of friend who could take you instead?

 

[Flutterby]

She urgently needs to see a vet. Please let us know how you get on.

 

[PigglePuggle]

This is definitely a case for an emergency vet appointment, hope you can get her to the vet and she is ok. Please do not be too harsh with your mother, it is probably her "dumb work" as you put it that is paying the vet bills...

 

[Lady Kelly]

This is definitely a case for an emergency vet appointment, hope you can get her to the vet and she is ok. Please do not be too harsh with your mother, it is probably her "dumb work" as you put it that is paying the vet bills...

I agree, not all employers are flexible and if she gets sacked then that's not going to help pay the vet bills either

 

[Bill & Ted]

Can you take her after school?

 

[Wiebke]

Please help. I'm crying a lot right now. My guinea pig just had two seizures in the span of less than five minutes. The first one she plopped to the ground extremely quickly, turned over on her side, rolled back her eyes a bit, and just shook like that for a few seconds, than got right back up quickly and acted normal. The second time she was laying down, got up, plopped down quickly again, rolled on her side, rolled her eyes back a bit, and twitches even harder this time, and then plopped up like normal again. Please help it's night time and the vets aren't open. Please help me I can't lose my baby. She's on both Baytril and Bactrim for URI and UTI. I need help immediately.

Please see a vet as soon as you can.

Here are our emergency bridging care tips; keep your piggy as calm and comfortable as you can until then. Be strong for them.
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Unfortunately, we can never choose when and what from our beloved pets or humans die. We only have them on loan for a time on a contract that can be cancelled anytime. When you have never experienced loss, it is very scary. The moment you realise that your piggy may potentially not survive is the worst moment apart from the actual itself; it is when you in fact start your grieving process - and it can be rather overwhelming because so many emotions are mixed in.

Please be aware that your panic, fears and your feelings transmit to your piggies and make it more difficult for them. Try to concentrate on keeping things as peaceful for your piggy as you can until you see your vet. You can give your feelings free reign as soon as it is safe to. Until then, try to pray or to transform your strong emotions into warm, comfortina green healing energy to send your piggy and be there for it without hovering too much.

Fingers firmly crossed that your beloved piggy will pull through!

BIG HUGS

 

[Popcorn bby]

This is definitely a case for an emergency vet appointment, hope you can get her to the vet and she is ok. Please do not be too harsh with your mother, it is probably her "dumb work" as you put it that is paying the vet bills...

Forgive me, my worry made me quite angry at her but we've talked it out and it's the next morning now. She is still being very active and eating well, but since I've just woken up I'm not sure if there's still seizures going on. We shall take her to the only vet we can, but since they're not exactly the best exotic vets for cases past URIs, in worried they might turn us away and say they can't do anything. If they do that we have an expensive vet that has been reccommended to us a lot, but we've never been there. The only time we would be able to go to that one is tomorrow though, so it's risky.

 

[Popcorn bby]

Can you take her after school?

My school ends at three, but then I gave an appointment that my mom refuses to cancel, and by the time everything is done we'd be back home by 5:30pm, and since we leave at 6:00am I don't feel comfortable waiting that long, she's already waited all night.

 

[Wiebke]

My school ends at three, but then I gave an appointment that my mom refuses to cancel, and by the time everything is done we'd be back home by 5:30pm, and since we leave at 6:00am I don't feel comfortable waiting that long, she's already waited all night.

HUGS

It is always difficult when you are very stressed out; we understand that having had our fair share of panics ourselves.

Try to take consolation that your little one is obviously still there and is bright in itself!

Neurological issues are often not easy to diagnose in humans, and their treatment is not yet well established in guinea pigs. There are no licensed drugs for them but epilepsy medication has been used in some cases where a piggy has been diagnosed with it.

All you can do is hang in there and try your best under the circumstances. That is all that is expected from you as a caring owner.

 

[Popcorn bby]

HUGS

It is always difficult when you are very stressed out; we understand that having had our fair share of panics ourselves.

Try to take consolation that your little one is obviously still there and is bright in itself!

Neurological issues are often not easy to diagnose in humans, and their treatment is not yet well established in guinea pigs. There are no licensed drugs for them but epilepsy medication has been used in some cases where a piggy has been diagnosed with it.

All you can do is hang in there and try your best under the circumstances. That is all that is expected from you as a caring owner.

In staying home with her, and we've decided that we're going to the vet later (past 5pm) because of school, but as long as I can keep an eye on her, I'm more comfortable waiting. She seems thinner, but her energy and curiousity level is high, just how I love her. We stopped the Baytril and Bactrim (today was supposed to be the tenth day of Baytril and third day of Bactrim), and I'll continue keeping an eye out. I really would regret if I spoke too soon, but luckily it's 8:30 now and I haven't seen a seizure (there was possibly one in the car ride to my grandma': house where I'm staying at though, but it was too dark in the carrier to tell). She is scratching lots though, but prior to the seizures I haven't noticed scratching. What's the treatment for mange mites?(her URI symptoms are very much present though, God heal my baby and let her live).

 

[Merab]

So sorry for the situation you are in.
It’s a very difficult time for you.
I can’t add anything to the advice given but wanted to offer support.
Holding you in my heart

 

[Wiebke]

In staying home with her, and we've decided that we're going to the vet later (past 5pm) because of school, but as long as I can keep an eye on her, I'm more comfortable waiting. She seems thinner, but her energy and curiousity level is high, just how I love her. We stopped the Baytril and Bactrim (today was supposed to be the tenth day of Baytril and third day of Bactrim), and I'll continue keeping an eye out. I really would regret if I spoke too soon, but luckily it's 8:30 now and I haven't seen a seizure (there was possibly one in the car ride to my grandma': house where I'm staying at though, but it was too dark in the carrier to tell). She is scratching lots though, but prior to the seizures I haven't noticed scratching. What's the treatment for mange mites?

Please do not treat for mange mites on spec before you have seen a vet - it prevents them from making any correct diagnosis. They will give you the correct strength ivermectin (or selamectin product) so you are not losing time.

Have you been weighing your piggy regularly on the kitchen scales? Please do so daily at the same time, so you can step in with support feed as soon as needed. You can find the information for syringe feeding home care in the emergency and bridging care link in my first post. Your good care at home in this respect can be as important as any medical care. if your piggy is still eating (just not as much), then we talk about topping up feeding as opposed to round the clock crisis feeding for a guinea pig that is not eating at all. You use the daily weigh-in at the same time to work out how much and how often you offer extra feed. Make sure that you read the advice; it can be vital!
Please accept that I cannot repeat all the details in every single post all the time (it takes me several days to write a guide to make sure that I have included everything and that the advice is as clear as possible) or be there all the time; that is why we have those step-by-step guides, which are specifically written for owners with no previous experience in that area.

All the best!

 

[Popcorn bby]

Please do not treat for mange mites on spec before you have seen a vet - it prevents them from making any correct diagnosis. They will give you the correct strength ivermectin (or selamectin product) so you are not losing time.

Have you been weighing your piggy regularly on the kitchen scales? Please do so daily at the same time, so you can step in with support feed as soon as needed. You can find the information for syringe feeding home care in the emergency and bridging care link in my first post. Your good care at home in this respect can be as important as any medical care. if your piggy is still eating (just not as much), then we talk about topping up feeding as opposed to round the clock crisis feeding for a guinea pig that is not eating at all. You use the daily weigh-in at the same time to work out how much and how often you offer extra feed. Make sure that you read the advice; it can be vital!
Please accept that I cannot repeat all the details in every single post all the time (it takes me several days to write a guide to make sure that I have included everything and that the advice is as clear as possible) or be there all the time; that is why we have those step-by-step guides, which are specifically written for owners with no previous experience in that area.

All the best!

Update: no more seizures, she and her sister have mites which they are getting treated for, and there's no neurological issues. The vets said the seizures were most likely caused by the mites or she had a reaction to Bactrim. But they said she seemed really healthy and her x rays looked perfect expect for her bronchial branches being thicker than usual, which she said she thinks would prove to be a problem by if she was ever to have breathing issues they could use a nebuliser. I'm beyond relieved and thankful. Thank you to everyone who helped, I was worried sick. Thank you!

 

[Claire W]

I’m so sorry they have mites but those are easily treatable. I’m so pleased there was nothing more sinister going on x

 

[Bill & Ted]

Oh, that’s great news x

 

[Wiebke]

Update: no more seizures, she and her sister have mites which they are getting treated for, and there's no neurological issues. The vets said the seizures were most likely caused by the mites or she had a reaction to Bactrim. But they said she seemed really healthy and her x rays looked perfect expect for her bronchial branches being thicker than usual, which she said she thinks would prove to be a problem by if she was ever to have breathing issues they could use a nebuliser. I'm beyond relieved and thankful. Thank you to everyone who helped, I was worried sick. Thank you!

Advanced/severe mange mites can cause fitting. Proper treatment with a good quality ivermectin product should help take care of that.

Antibiotics do not cause fitting as a side effect.

 

[Merab]

Glad it was nothing too serious.
A fitting guinea pig is an awful thing to watch
Hope the mites clear up quickly

 

[Popcorn bby]

I’m so sorry they have mites but those are easily treatable. I’m so pleased there was nothing more sinister going on x

Yep! They got treated with revolution less than a month ago so when its been one month we'll go for our second treatment, but I'm going to ask if they have irvomectin instead cause I trust it more. The only bad news now is that she's come down with another pretty bad gas episode,she comes down with these a lot so we know what to do. God I can describe how grateful I am it wasn't anything sinister, and that she's a healthy Piggie.

 

[Popcorn bby]

Advanced/severe mange mites can cause fitting. Proper treatment with a good quality ivermectin product should help take care of that.

Antibiotics do not cause fitting as a side effect.

It was either one or the other at the vets. Questionably, they were more convinced it was the Bactrim, since that was the only new thing that has been introduced and their intense itching seemed to happen most once the seizures had started, but hopefully it was fully the mites in case she would ever need to be on Bactrim again.

 

[Wiebke]

It was either one or the other at the vets. Questionably, they were more convinced it was the Bactrim, since that was the only new thing that has been introduced and their intense itching seemed to happen most once the seizures had started, but hopefully it was fully the mites in case she would ever need to be on Bactrim again.

There are other safe antibiotics, if not necessarily licensed ones, if you or your vets are worried.
Guinea Lynx :: Antibiotics

 

[Popcorn bby]

Glad it was nothing too serious.
A fitting guinea pig is an awful thing to watch
Hope the mites clear up quickly

It was the scariest thing that's happened when it's come to her, and that's saying quite a bit. It was the most relieving feeling when they stopped

 

[Popcorn bby]

There are other safe antibiotics, if not necessarily licensed ones, if you or your vets are worried.
Guinea Lynx :: Antibiotics

Hopefully we won't have to put them on antibiotics ever again, but I'll keep the link!

 

[Wiebke]

It was the scariest thing that's happened when it's come to her, and that's saying quite a bit. It was the most relieving feeling when they stopped

Fitting is totally scary because there is so little you can do while it happens and there is no specific medication or measure that can simply stop it there and then, whether that is a human or a pet. Fitting can have so many different causes; not all obvious, traceable or easily diagnoseable. Seeing is very upsetting because makes you feel utterly helpless, and that is an experience that we struggle with badly.