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Epileptic attack?

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jusa

My son´s guinea pig scared the **** out of me today. I thought it was going to die. It suddenly seemed as if it got an epileptic attack. It was rolling on its back for about 1 -2 minutes and i thought..This is it! its over my little friend, but then suddenly it got up, stood still for a moment and a few minutes later it seemed like it was ok again. It even started eating.

We once had a rabbit and it was playing in the garden. It had all the garden for it self. It seemed having fun. Jumping around, running etc...Suddenly we look and there it was...laying on the floor with the same type of cramps as my son´s pig today. The rabbit died though.

I have been reading about guinea pigs having a decease on their skin, where you can see that there are small areas of hair missing, and they scratch themselves all the time. Sometimes it looks like they have an epileptic attack because of the cramps, but this didnt seem like it was scratching itself today..

I can see some hair missing, but i dont see the pig scratching it self and being stressed or anything. I dont see any wounds either.

What the heck was that?

I am not english, so, please understand if i make mistakes writing.
 
Welcome to the forum Jusa, I am sorry your guinea pig had this problem.

A seizure can usually be attributed to a particular medical condition, it is most often a parasitic or fungal problem but by the time seizures occur, the pig is usually in a very poor condition.

How old is the guinea pig? (And do you know if it is a boy or girl?)

The best advice I can give at the moment is to monitor the piggie. Make sure s/he is eating, drinking, moving about well, and do seek veterinary advice - see if you can find a vet who is experienced with treating guinea pigs.
 
Thank you for the quick reply..I thought it would take days before i got a respons..Niceee:))

It is a girl and she is drinking and eating right now. She must be around 3 years old. Dont know exactly.

I cant see any signs of parasitic or fungal problem. Maybe the hair loss in some areas, but again...i dont see her scratching. Thats why i am so surprised. I have never seen any sign of illness in her.
 
Guinea pigs are prey animals and will hide their illnesses the best they can! When it was having a seizure were you watching it or holding it? Can you take some pictures and post them on here so we can have a look? How is the piggies weight?
 
No i was not holding her and tried to keep distance. What i mean with no signs of illness is that i havent noticed her scratching. She scratches a little here and there but not constantly as if the she had any skin desease. The only thing that i noticed is the little hair loss and a black mark on her skin. (Not a wound)

Its her with the light brown and white hair

http://zeroup.dk/Vis/nyt billede02.gif

http://zeroup.dk/Vis/lulu48.gif
 
It is hard to tell from the photos, but I think I can see the hair loss you describe. I think it is worth treating her for mites for now, and see how she does. Ivermectin is a good treatment, 2-3 doses in total - it is most effective when each dose is given around ten days apart. Hopefully your vet should be able to give her this treatment, it is usually given either by injection or topically (drops on the skin, usually on the back of the neck).
 
I don't have any experience of seizures in guinea pigs but have seen quite scary ones in other small animals. If they are genetic they usually start at a younger age. They can be brought on by high levels if stress in some animals, for example when my elderly chinchilla climbed up behind his cage and got stuck. I also had a Jird who developed quite scary fits in old age - she would be quiet for a while afterwards and then be fine and live to a very old age. Often if they recover from the first one then it's a good sign.

As ever a vet checkupbis essential.

Paula
 
i am new to the forum but i get the impression that you cant always know if the vet is any good. Any tips for finding out, you can't ask the vet if they know what they are doing!
 
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