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Head thrashing

M

Mirynka

New Born Pup
Joined
Jul 21, 2017
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Location
Cambridgeshire UK
Hi again!
My Bash (now 1 and a half) has a long list of health problems. We've so far managed to tackle all of them successfully. From misaligned jaw and no bottom incisors right through to ear infections and persistent head tilts...
Now however, it's looking like a trip to the specialist. Bash has good days and bad days but mostly good. Stomping around and demanding veg like any other piggy. Recently though, he's been very quiet, hasn't been eating (he lost 100g) and (here's the weird part) throwing his head back while resting. It's only when he is settled down never when he is up and about. He throws his head directly back very quickly. He will do this maybe 5 times in a minute and these episodes happen about 4-6 times a day that I see.
Now I know for a fact that he isn't popcorning as you can see in his eyes he isn't quite with it at the time it happens. He is quiet for about half an hour, then gets up to move.
I've taken him to the vet and he is now on recovery food. He is a little more active now and the head thrashing has almost stopped. I am quite concerned still though and was wondering if anyone had seen or heard of something similar.
Sorry for the long post x
 
I am not too sure, my only thought would be something neurological maybe, linked to his ear infections? Did he see a vet near you for his dental issues, or was it Simon Maddock?
 
Is the thrashing similar to this? (about 10 seconds in) My Bramble thrashes her head due to her neurological damage, usually when in open spaces as well as walking in circles. She also has a head tilt. Back when Brambles E.cuniculi was still a suspected ear infection we were told it's possible for the infection to have spread to the brain or a brain abscess, as the ear is so close, so potentially that could be something to consider?
 
Please see a specialist vet over the head thrashing to exclude ear mites. It can be a neurological problem, but that is for an experienced vet to decide.
 
sport_billy said:
This is a definite vet visit. Did the vet offer any idea on what they thought could be causing this?

@Wiebke @Jaycey @helen105281 @Freela
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We have just come back from the vet and he hasn't lost anymore weight but hasn't put on either. He has an ear infection but they think it could be in his inner/middle ear. He did have a severe ear infection as a baby which they said might still be there even after all the antibiotics he's already had. The vet did also mention neurological problems as a possibility
 
helen105281 said:
I am not too sure, my only thought would be something neurological maybe, linked to his ear infections? Did he see a vet near you for his dental issues, or was it Simon Maddock?
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His dental problems have been sorted as he had the top incisors removed a few months ago and the vet did mention neurological problems today as a possibility
 
Eriathwen said:
Is the thrashing similar to this? (about 10 seconds in) My Bramble thrashes her head due to her neurological damage, usually when in open spaces as well as walking in circles. She also has a head tilt. Back when Brambles E.cuniculi was still a suspected ear infection we were told it's possible for the infection to have spread to the brain or a brain abscess, as the ear is so close, so potentially that could be something to consider?
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Hi,
I looked at the video but Bash's head thrash is a little more forceful than that. Very distinctive. We have him on antibiotics, Recovery food and a topical ear treatment at the moment to see if that helps. We have another vet appointment in 10 days to see if there is any improvement. If not it's a trip to the specialist.
 
Hi guys,
Quick update on Bash...
He's a lot more perky now. Back to talking, popcorning and is generally up and about a lot more. He is back to eating his nuggets (hopefully he'll put the weight back on quickly) and has tried eating some hay.
The head tilt is still a little more prominent than usual but it's definitely better.
We are still looking at a specialist trip in the near future though as I want to get him sorted.
 
Eriathwen said:
Is the thrashing similar to this? (about 10 seconds in) My Bramble thrashes her head due to her neurological damage, usually when in open spaces as well as walking in circles. She also has a head tilt. Back when Brambles E.cuniculi was still a suspected ear infection we were told it's possible for the infection to have spread to the brain or a brain abscess, as the ear is so close, so potentially that could be something to consider?
Click to expand...
That to me looks like she can't see. I think she has an eye problem. She doesn't understand blindness and tries to move her head around to see as if something external is blocking her sight.
 
MDProgramming said:
That to me looks like she can't see. I think she has an eye problem. She doesn't understand blindness and tries to move her head around to see as if something external is blocking her sight.
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Those movements are typically neurological, she had a brain parasite called E.cuniculi. She had only lost her eye sight due to this condition on her left hand side, she could see fine in her right 🙂
My current totally blind piggy and my other partially sighted piggy who also has E.cuniculi don't make these movements as they have not suffered the same neurological damage that Bramble had.
 
Spammers slipping through the net, not clever enough to avoid digging up threads from years ago for their first post though
 
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