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Specialist Heat Stroke

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ada

ada

New Born Pup
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Hello awesome humans,

I had a concern regarding one of my guinea pigs. On a recent road trip my guinea unfortunately suffered a heat stroke, and I took him to the vet he has medicine and special food and gets fluids put by the vet everyday but it's been four days and he still won't walk. He will move around with his front legs but still won't eat on his own or use his back legs. He can move them because I've sat him up and he kicks, I'm just curious how long does it take for them to get better or if I should prepare for the worst. Has anyone had this experience and could help? Please and thank you.

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I am very sorry. I have seen heat warnings for California from cavy friends and rescues on facebook. :(

Heat stroke can damage the heart and the guts. What medication has your vet prescribed? Would he consider trying heart medication? I assume that he is already giving gut stimulants?

@helen105281 @Abi_nurse @Elwickcavies
 
Do you know if the vet gave diuretics at all? My Ellie had heat stroke a couple of weeks ago and we got her through with plenty of fluids and diuretics. Ellie is also a heart pig and is on Benazapril twice a day which is an ACE inhibitor. Some vets will agree to a heart medication trial, but it would need to be for a minimum of 2 weeks, preferably 4 to be able to notice a difference. Some pigs improve straight away but others take longer. Your vet could also carry out a conscious xray to see if the heart is enlarged? or if there is fluid in the lungs or around the heart.
 
He's on enrofloxacin which is antibiotics I believe and he's taking the oxbow critical care for food I just came from the vet and she said she thinks it's neurological, as he moves his right leg more than his left and he doesn't blink as he should. She said his lungs and heart sound fine, but I havent been able to get him xrays or a blood test since I am low on money and they are very expensive, but he's weeing and pooping however I need to help him push it out as I think he doesn't have the energy to fully push it out. Vet told me there's very little hope but I'm hoping someone here gives me a little light...
 
Keep the ears cool , they have veins at almost surfes level , (they ears are used to cool down many animals from elefants to mice ) get a towl or cotton sheet and soak it in cold water then wring it out and place it on the ears,

Dont force cool the body .do it slowly or pig will go into shock
Cold bottles of water by his side .
Put a fan buy him but not blowing direct , it is just to circulate cool air
Keep him in a shaded place away from anything that is lightly to stress him

NB do not immerse him in cold warter

Don't give up if he does not seem to be responding , it could take quite i while for him to respond.
Please let us know how you get on
 
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That is Baytril in the UK, has the vet suggested probiotics too? these are usually needed to support the gut while on Baytril and are given at least an hour after each dose. @Wiebke may know some US brands. I agree with @Abi_nurse that it now does not sound like heat stroke.
 
helen105281 said:
That is Baytril in the UK, has the vet suggested probiotics too? these are usually needed to support the gut while on Baytril and are given at least an hour after each dose. @Wiebke may know some US brands. I agree with @Abi_nurse that it now does not sound like heat stroke.
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I agree that the ongoing mobility issues are not that of a heat stroke. Something else is affected there, most likely in the brain or the spine, or the blood supply to the lower body. Perhaps he had a stroke or an emboly rather than a heat stroke, or a combination of the two? In that case, all you can do is to keep him as quiet and comfortable as possible.

I am with @helen105281 that a probiotic will help to bolster the effect that any antibiotic has on the guts, as it kills of not just any bad bacteria, but also affects the ones in the guts. You can get probiotics in any chain pet shop.

I would recommend to ask your vet for a gut stimulant if necessary and to make sure that he is on a very regular, high fibre diet (up to 80% hay).
Here are tips on how to best deal with impaction: Impaction Recovery - How To Help Your Guinea Pig.

You can gently massage his lower limbs if you wish.
 
Was he a pig that jumped around ?
There is a condition called fibrocartilaginous embolism (spine stroke) you vet will be familiar with. this
Condition in dogs is apparently fixable.
 
Do you know why the vet has put him on enrofloxacin? (Yes this is Baytril in the UK) There does not seem to be a valid reason for this? If anything I would be considering an anti-inflammatory (such as Meloxicam here in the uk - trade names include loxicom or metacam). An anti-inflammatory will bring down any inflammation if potentially neurological, it would help if there was any ear inflammation and if there is any pain then it will releave it.

What are the initial symptoms your piggie was displaying?

x
 
gizzy said:
Was he a pig that jumped around ?
There is a condition called fibrocartilaginous embolism (spine stroke) you vet will be familiar with. this
Condition in dogs is apparently fixable.
Click to expand...

There has been no documentation to suggest guinea pigs suffer from this (though it cannot be ruled out). It would be difficult to diagnose and I would not consider this until some of the more common conditions are considered and ruled out. It would cause irreversible damage to the spinal cord and you would be seeing hind limb paralysis/paresis, struggling to urinate or not urinating at all etc.

x
 
The vet told me that anti-inflammatory meds caused too many side effects to guineas so she couldn't give me that and meds she gave me she said were for him to be more comfortable? Unfortunately my sweetheart left this world last night and it's the most horrific pain I've ever felt. Thank you guys for your words they gave me hope but my baby wasn't strong enough, thank you thank you sooo much.
 
I am sincerly sorry for you loss , l am not over loosing my sweet hover last night , so l know how much you are hurting
 
ada said:
The vet told me that anti-inflammatory meds caused too many side effects to guineas so she couldn't give me that and meds she gave me she said were for him to be more comfortable? Unfortunately my sweetheart left this world last night and it's the most horrific pain I've ever felt. Thank you guys for your words they gave me hope but my baby wasn't strong enough, thank you thank you sooo much.
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Ohhhhh so sorry for your loss!!
 
ada said:
The vet told me that anti-inflammatory meds caused too many side effects to guineas so she couldn't give me that and meds she gave me she said were for him to be more comfortable? Unfortunately my sweetheart left this world last night and it's the most horrific pain I've ever felt. Thank you guys for your words they gave me hope but my baby wasn't strong enough, thank you thank you sooo much.
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BIG HUGS

I am ever so sorry that you have you have lost your gorgeous boy! You have done for him what you could, and by the looks of it, it was nothing you did wrong or that you could prevent, so please don't feel like you have failed him in any way. We can only give our piggies a happy life, but we sadly cannot save them from everything that even a promptly seen good vet can't cure.

You are welcome to post a tribute in our Rainbow Bridge section if or whenever it feels right for you.
 
I lost 2 of my guinea pigs to heat stroke yesterday. We had an unexpected hot spell while I was at work. When I got home I opened the hutch to find they were all floppy and lethargic. I cooled them down slowly using damp towels and a spray bottle as suggested on the Internet but it didn't work. When we got them to the vets, they were a little hypothermic. I tried to cool them as slowly as I could. The vet said that if I hadn't done anything, all 4 would have died. I feel so guilty and wish I had found them sooner. My fiancé is heart broken and little Nutmeg is clearly in mourning. She has gone off her food and just sits and doesn't move. Before she would always run away from me and didn't like settling down for cuddles. I hope she snaps out of it as I've heard that some guinea pigs can die through grieving.
 
Thank you for your help.
Primrose was the dominant sow so seems to have 'moved on' already and is eating.

As Nutmeg isn't on her own, will getting a new friend make much difference or is it better to wait and see what happens?

The vet has given us some special food supplement to syringe feed her but she shows no interest in anything. I'm really worried and don't know what to do for the best.
 
Thank you for your kind words.

She was lost without her companion, Ruby.

Primrose now has 2 new little sisters to boss around lol. Faith and Hope.

People might think we introduced new piggies too soon. But Primrose has never been on her own and seems to have accepted Faith and Hope. She has been grooming them.
 
@Hainsy and @ada I'm sorry for your losses.
It's a heart-breaking thing to witness, and both of you did what you could for them.
I too have been in the position of nursing poorly piggies in vain, and it's hard when your best efforts don't save them.

@Hainsy there's never a right or time to get a companion for one left on his/her own. Each circumstance is different, and the reaction from Primrose means that it was certainly the right thing to do for her :)

x
 
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