Charlie - Please Help :(

[Damien Marchese]

Guys,

Are there any vets on the forum? I need some quite urgent advice. In short our Pig Charlie had surgery 10 days ago to clear out a lytic bone infection from his bulla. Since coming home he's been on Metacam, Tramadol, stemetil, Baytril & some antibiotic drops for his head wound & eye ulcer. He'd been making a good recovery, but a coulple of days ago following check up & sedation, he began having seizure / paralysis type episodes lasting 20 seconds or so after which he would fully recover - maybe three or four in total. At check up there was no tenderness around surgical site but he was tender further forwards, which the vet said may indicate a meningitis onset. This morning I found him in a collapsed state unable to stand with uncoordinated movement & left sides roll / weakness. Rang vets who said it was almost certainly due to meningitis onset, untreatable & that consequently we should put him to sleep. I was able to make him comfortable so delayed the decision, since when he has rgained some mobility, being able to walk to his bowl to eat and feed from a syringe. The rest of the time he's been sleeping. I was worries about all the meds he's been on on am worrie that it may be the meds and not a meningitis that's caused this, especially having since read that Baytril can cause seizures. Anyway the result is that I've paralysed myself - I'm so scared to give him anything incase it makes him worse, but think he is in some pain as he's been grinding his teeth periodically and his hairs been standing on end. I know if he has an infection the baytrils essential but so worried that might be the problem. Consequently I've done nothing so far and am driving myself to distraction with worry. Can anyone help.

 

[newtoguineas]

@helen105281
@Abi_nurse
@Wiebke

Sorry to hear this... I have no idea about medical matters but tagging people with good.piggy medical.knowledge. Hoping it goes as well as it can x

 

[helen105281]

There are no vets on here but there are a couple of vet nurses and one of them has been tagged above.

How guinea pig savvy is your vet? could you confirm your location please?

I am afraid I am not knowledgeable enough to answer your questions but think it may help for you to speak to a vet who specialises in guinea pigs if yours doesn't.

The only effect of Baytril that I am aware of is that it can upset the gut.

 

[Wiebke]

Sorry; this is a case for a specialist vet (which I am not). I hope that your boy can recover!

Could you please give your location.

 

[helen105281]

I have been given some information from my friend Karen who runs a health and welfare clinic at a vets in Broxbourne which she has said I can share on here. She has said:

"I am assuming he has had surgery on his tympanic bulla (middle ear), which can develop polyps, neoplasm, bony horny growth and soft tissue abscesses. Any surgery around this area, if this is what he has had, can run the risk of vestibular disturbances to include Labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis, which could account for the ‘seizure presentation’, the animal will be in layman terms dizzy and unbalanced and uncoordinated.

If this was something like meningitis or other infection, Charlie almost certainly would have a raised temperature, was his temperature taken? Meningitis is likely to have killed him within hours.

This is all assumption, but at the very least, the owner should continue the pain relief they have been given, Baytril if scared to continue, then ask for another antibiotic, Zithromax. The owner should keep Charlie in a confined space, just enough room for him to turn around, and step in with syringe feeding, this way he will be less likely to injure himself if unbalanced, and it gives a sense of security for him".

I hope that helps in some way and at least gives you something to discuss with your vet or another vet should you chose to get another opinion.

 

[Abi_nurse]

The above advice is great, cant add loads more. I would say for sure he needs to see a specialist vet and have more antibiotics for sure. Baytril can only cover so much and its always very overused. He may also need a scan etc and maybe even more intensive treatment. He may well have an infection, but treating something severe like this needs much more than a bit of baytril. I would highly recommend finding a local exotic specialist to have them look at him.

Let us know how your getting on?

 

[TAN]

Damien where are you based so we can best advise you on specialist vets in your area - I am assuming you are in the U.K - there is a particular guinea pig specialist in Dursley Vale Vet referrals if you are in the South West - (Stroud / Swindon area)