Please Help Me

Bree · Apr 9, 2014

Hi guys! About 4 weeks ago I got another guinea pig for my birthday. Currently, he is about4 months old. during the first week of having him i noticed that he wasn't acting right and wouldn't eat and looked like he had a seizure. we took him to a vet and they said he had a URI and gave him medication. He then had to get back onto the medication because the head tilit came back, but then we found out that was because of an ear infection about a week ago. he is still on the medication plus a medication to treat the ear infection. Today i noticed he had another head tilt? he is still eating and running around. i looked in his other ear and it doesn't look like it's infected. but i don't want to keep taking him to the vet, it's so expensive (75 dollars for the check up!) and i feel bad that my mom has had to pay over 300 dollars for him. What do you think it could be?

helen105281 · Apr 9, 2014

I am sorry he is so poorly, are you in the US?

Do you know the names of the antibiotics he has been given? It may be that a change in antibiotic is needed as the infection/s could be resistant to the ones he is on. Is he eating, drinking now or is he still off his food? and is he pooing ok? Did the vet give any pain relief too? From what I have heard it can take a long while for a head tilt to clear up. @Stewybus has had a lot of experience with head tilt in his little sow.

Bree · Apr 9, 2014

helen105281 said:
I am sorry he is so poorly, are you in the US?

Do you know the names of the antibiotics he has been given? It may be that a change in antibiotic is needed as the infection/s could be resistant to the ones he is on. Is he eating, drinking now or is he still off his food? and is he pooing ok? Did the vet give any pain relief too? From what I have heard it can take a long while for a head tilt to clear up. @Stewybus has had a lot of experience with head tilt in his little sow.

For the ear onfection Miconazole Lotion 1% (currently using), Baytril (currently using), Metacam, and Sulfameth/Trimeth liquid. Yes he is eating and drinking, and yes he is pooping okay. i do not believe they gave him pain reliever, unless that:s what the baytril is for.

helen105281 · Apr 9, 2014

The Baytril is an antibiotic but the Metacam is the pain relief, is he still on it? Miconazole is actually an antifungal (Daktarin in the UK), did the vet say it was a fungal infection? as am not sure that would fit with the head tilt, though the Baytril does. The Trimeth I have not come across before but it seems to be another antibiotic.

Please could you confirm your location, just the country is fine especially if you are a minor.

Bree · Apr 9, 2014

helen105281 said:
The Baytril is an antibiotic but the Metacam is the pain relief, is he still on it? Miconazole is actually an antifungal (Daktarin in the UK), did the vet say it was a fungal infection? as am not sure that would fit with the head tilt, though the Baytril does. The Trimeth I have not come across before but it seems to be another antibiotic.

Please could you confirm your location, just the country is fine especially if you are a minor.

yes i am from the US sorry! he is no longer on the Metacam. They did say it was a fungal infection

helen105281 · Apr 9, 2014

Ok thank you. Am not sure a fungal ear infection would cause head tilt, so I am wondering if he also has an actual ear infection hence the Baytril. I think as his symptoms are still there and maybe have even got worse you need to speak to your vet again.

Bree · Apr 9, 2014

helen105281 said:
Ok thank you. Am not sure a fungal ear infection would cause head tilt, so I am wondering if he also has an actual ear infection hence the Baytril. I think as his symptoms are still there and maybe have even got worse you need to speak to your vet again.

okay thank you for your help!

helen105281 · Apr 9, 2014

You're welcome.

Stewybus · Apr 9, 2014

helen105281 said:
I am sorry he is so poorly, are you in the US?

Do you know the names of the antibiotics he has been given? It may be that a change in antibiotic is needed as the infection/s could be resistant to the ones he is on. Is he eating, drinking now or is he still off his food? and is he pooing ok? Did the vet give any pain relief too? From what I have heard it can take a long while for a head tilt to clear up. @Stewybus has had a lot of experience with head tilt in his little sow.

My 3 year old sow Minky has had head tilt for over 6 months. An initial x-ray should a small white mass in her ear canal area which my vet considered to dangerous a place to operate because more harm could be done. Minky has been treated with Baytril & also with Azithromycin (Zithromax) both antibiotics. Both of these have partially reversed the head tilt which was very severe but now still there but she's coping well with it. She had another x-ray in February which still showed a small white mass. She then was put on a 28 day course of the rabbit wormer Lapizole which took her best state since December & she has been taken off all meds 16 days ago & has not deteriorated at all. She's coping very well with the head tilt & is in her run with her 3 companions, Mitch, Minnie & Mother & doing remarkably well having put on weight every week for the last 6 weeks. She is almost back to her peak weight, only about 30 grams below it. She even manages an odd popcorn occasionally & is always the first to hear the carrier bag full of grass being rustled.

It is possible that the head tilt may eventually go, but I'm quite happy with the way she is now & this month with a little luck will be the first month that she hasn't been to the vets since suffering with her first abscess in May last year. I'm glad she's off the Baytril because I was thinking that it wouldn't be having great affect after all these months with just the 28 days break when she was on Azithromycin. If she's taken a turn for the worse then the next step would have been a course of Septrin but it's not needed just yet.

Bree@ maybe a change of antibiotic will be the best answer. I don't think the Azithromycin would be the best but ask your vet about Septrin as a possible alternative to Baytril. I hope he gets better soon but don't despair if the head tilt doesn't totally go. They can live a perfectly normal life with a head tilt.

Bree · Apr 9, 2014

Stewybus said:
My 3 year old sow Minky has had head tilt for over 6 months. An initial x-ray should a small white mass in her ear canal area which my vet considered to dangerous a place to operate because more harm could be done. Minky has been treated with Baytril & also with Azithromycin (Zithromax) both antibiotics. Both of these have partially reversed the head tilt which was very severe but now still there but she's coping well with it. She had another x-ray in February which still showed a small white mass. She then was put on a 28 day course of the rabbit wormer Lapizole which took her best state since December & she has been taken off all meds 16 days ago & has not deteriorated at all. She's coping very well with the head tilt & is in her run with her 3 companions, Mitch, Minnie & Mother & doing remarkably well having put on weight every week for the last 6 weeks. She is almost back to her peak weight, only about 30 grams below it. She even manages an odd popcorn occasionally & is always the first to hear the carrier bag full of grass being rustled.

It is possible that the head tilt may eventually go, but I'm quite happy with the way she is now & this month with a little luck will be the first month that she hasn't been to the vets since suffering with her first abscess in May last year. I'm glad she's off the Baytril because I was thinking that it wouldn't be having great affect after all these months with just the 28 days break when she was on Azithromycin. If she's taken a turn for the worse then the next step would have been a course of Septrin but it's not needed just yet.

Bree@ maybe a change of antibiotic will be the best answer. I don't think the Azithromycin would be the best but ask your vet about Septrin as a possible alternative to Baytril. I hope he gets better soon but don't despair if the head tilt doesn't totally go. They can live a perfectly normal life with a head tilt.

okay thank you! i hope your piggy gets better(:

Stewybus · Apr 9, 2014

If she stays the way she is now for the rest of her life I'd be more than happy. Good luck with your piggy.