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gunea pig new born with stiff head that is upturned

M

melsey3

Junior Guinea Pig
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Oct 12, 2018
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Southampton UK
I had a litter this evening and the 3rd baby came very quickly after the 2nd, I had to clear her mouth as she was not breathing. Now she is really stiff with her head upturned, but other than that appears healthy apart from her toppling over easily. She is moving around like her siblings, but is very unbalanced, she has been searching for mums teat, and is alert. I will be taking her to the vet in the next 48 hours, but want to know what this could be. Many thanks! I am wondering whether she may be blind! have also noticed the side she has her head turned up the most on is filled with a bit of the amniotic sac. Could this also be the problem? Many thanks!
 
melsey3 said:
I had a litter this evening and the 3rd baby came very quickly after the 2nd, I had to clear her mouth as she was not breathing. Now she is really stiff with her head upturned, but other than that appears healthy apart from her toppling over easily. She is moving around like her siblings, but is very unbalanced, she has been searching for mums teat, and is alert. I will be taking her to the vet in the next 48 hours, but want to know what this could be. Many thanks! I am wondering whether she may be blind! have also noticed the side she has her head turned up the most on is filled with a bit of the amniotic sac. Could this also be the problem? Many thanks!
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Hi!

Please remove the sac as much as possible and have your baby vet checked promptly!

It can be that fluid from the amniotic sac has clogged the ear and is causing the head tilt, which must be very uncomfortable. Only a hands-on vet examination can tell you whether it is this, a neurological issue, blindness (not quite easy to diagnose) or resulting from having the head stuck in an awkward position in the very last days. I know that head tilt = blindness is the latest online fad diagnosis, and I am not at all happy about that because it is by no means as straight forward and easy as that - and I dread to think about just how many piggies are not taken to be vet checked a promptly and sadly end up with a permanent head tilt as a result. A head tilt can be reversible depending on what is causing it.
 
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