Ditto.
It also could have been something along the lines of a mini-stroke, something somewhat analogous to a TIA in a human. We've had several pigs with those at our house.
I will say that depending on how the pig is shaped, while most can right themselves if they get on their backs, some can't do so easily (or at all), and can really flail. It does freak them out.
I'd give her the meds (probiotics too) and keep an eye on her.
Without reading back, how old is she? Their body shapes change as they age, becoming skinnier in the back and hips/butt, and more poofy in the belly, like a cow or horse.
Best to her and please let us know how she's doing. You may never see it happen again.
Ruby's thread: unsteady on hind legs
The body shape you describe, Talishan, is about right for her body shape. She's around 6 y/o based on her age at adoption (but she was already reported as 2 and a half at adoption, and people can under estimate so maybe she is older).
I have some metacloprimide in stock that I've been giving her - her digestive system is suffering a little from the antibios: small poops.
She, in general, is definitely weaker in her hind legs. If I am putting her back home after a cuddle and don't move my hand from under her belly one of her hind feet will often get caught on my hand and she will kind of drag it for just one step. As a better example, when she goes up on her haunches to clean herself she will often lose stability in her hind legs and have to come down again to catch herself. Her hind legs are just in general weaker and more likely to stay put if you move them out of place, if you know what I mean. Sometimes she will lie down with both of her feet poking out to one side - like a dog would lie - rather than tucked up under her belly.
I have some metacloprimide in stock that I've been giving her - her digestive system is suffering a little from the antibios: small poops.
She, in general, is definitely weaker in her hind legs. If I am putting her back home after a cuddle and don't move my hand from under her belly one of her hind feet will often get caught on my hand and she will kind of drag it for just one step. As a better example, when she goes up on her haunches to clean herself she will often lose stability in her hind legs and have to come down again to catch herself. Her hind legs are just in general weaker and more likely to stay put if you move them out of place, if you know what I mean. Sometimes she will lie down with both of her feet poking out to one side - like a dog would lie - rather than tucked up under her belly.
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GP_mum
- Supporter in '13
Wanted to share my experience on caring for my sow (you can read her medical thread - Snowy) who lost the use of her hind legs and was paralysed for over a year before she died from old age. She was about 6.5 to 7.5 years old.
I found a daily gentle massage and gentle moving of her hind limbs helped (I was fortunate enough to be introduced to an animal therapist by my vet and she came weekly while I continued with the massage daily). You start very, very lightly and then with more firm strokes down the spine and around the hips. Whole massage should not take more than 15 minutes in total. You should also slowly try to manipulate her legs but let her be your guide and watch carefully for any signs of pain or destress and stop as needed.
Also, if she tends to lie on one side for long periods, you'll need to try and prop her on her other side so there's air circulation. My Snowy did develop a bed sore but once I started to turn her on her other side for a few hours, twice a day, we managed to keep things under control and prevent the sore from getting worse
I found a daily gentle massage and gentle moving of her hind limbs helped (I was fortunate enough to be introduced to an animal therapist by my vet and she came weekly while I continued with the massage daily). You start very, very lightly and then with more firm strokes down the spine and around the hips. Whole massage should not take more than 15 minutes in total. You should also slowly try to manipulate her legs but let her be your guide and watch carefully for any signs of pain or destress and stop as needed.
Also, if she tends to lie on one side for long periods, you'll need to try and prop her on her other side so there's air circulation. My Snowy did develop a bed sore but once I started to turn her on her other side for a few hours, twice a day, we managed to keep things under control and prevent the sore from getting worse
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Talishan
- You can quote me
Give her some probiotics as well, about an hour or so after each antibiotic administration.
Ditto GP_mum. She may, slowly, lose strength and full function in her rear legs. If this is slow, you can help her deal with it. If she's otherwise comfortable, eating, drinking, urinating, defecating, behaving normally, interested, alert and responsive I'd just give her supportive care as needed.
Without reading back, has she been x-rayed? If something like a stone is pressing on a nerve, this could also result (although I wouldn't think that would cause the head curl you described).
Ditto GP_mum. She may, slowly, lose strength and full function in her rear legs. If this is slow, you can help her deal with it. If she's otherwise comfortable, eating, drinking, urinating, defecating, behaving normally, interested, alert and responsive I'd just give her supportive care as needed.
Without reading back, has she been x-rayed? If something like a stone is pressing on a nerve, this could also result (although I wouldn't think that would cause the head curl you described).
Thanks, all.
We didn't x-ray. The vet did consider arthritis but though it very unlikely given how comfortable she was having her limbs manipulated.
I'm now asking myself 'is it progressing or am I just looking harder...?' There hasn't been anything like her first episode since going to the vet, but she does seem in general to be weakening, and she's lost a little weight (though maybe that's muscle mass). And she has been a little crusty around the eyes and nose the last couple of days.
I'm planning on calling again on monday to give an update.
We didn't x-ray. The vet did consider arthritis but though it very unlikely given how comfortable she was having her limbs manipulated.
I'm now asking myself 'is it progressing or am I just looking harder...?' There hasn't been anything like her first episode since going to the vet, but she does seem in general to be weakening, and she's lost a little weight (though maybe that's muscle mass). And she has been a little crusty around the eyes and nose the last couple of days.
I'm planning on calling again on monday to give an update.
Ruby died this morning at around 3 am.
I'm in complete shock and i really don't know or understand what happened. She had been doing fairly well, her poops had been getting a little better and the antibiotics had finished two days ago.
As of 8 or 9 pm she was fine and normal.
At 11.30 she was hunched with laboured breathing and completely uninterested in food. I picked her up to see how she was and she was obviously painful, then she had some horrible, black, liquid poo. We phoned the ER immediately to let them know we were coming in.
After taking a look at her they put her on oxygen and let us know that it looked bad and they suspected pneumonia. I asked to say goodbye for the night and went to settle up at the front desk, by the time i had done that, she was on her side and in obvious distress.
They said it was very unlikely that she would survive the night and asked what I wanted to do. As I tried to decide I petted her and talked to her and she just died right there.
This is such a shock. I don;t know what happened. The vet told me that it is possible for pneumonia to come on that quickly, but it so hard to believe - in a matter of hours.
I feel as though i must have missed something, because I've been so focussed on Lucy... did she have pneumonia and I didn't even notice? How could I not notice??
This was my third emergency midnight trip to the vet this week. I'm just exhausted.
I asked for a necropsy but hopefully I'll be able to speak to the exotics team before they do it and find out whether we can learn anything from it.
I just keep thinking 'what happened?!"
I'm in complete shock and i really don't know or understand what happened. She had been doing fairly well, her poops had been getting a little better and the antibiotics had finished two days ago.
As of 8 or 9 pm she was fine and normal.
At 11.30 she was hunched with laboured breathing and completely uninterested in food. I picked her up to see how she was and she was obviously painful, then she had some horrible, black, liquid poo. We phoned the ER immediately to let them know we were coming in.
After taking a look at her they put her on oxygen and let us know that it looked bad and they suspected pneumonia. I asked to say goodbye for the night and went to settle up at the front desk, by the time i had done that, she was on her side and in obvious distress.
They said it was very unlikely that she would survive the night and asked what I wanted to do. As I tried to decide I petted her and talked to her and she just died right there.
This is such a shock. I don;t know what happened. The vet told me that it is possible for pneumonia to come on that quickly, but it so hard to believe - in a matter of hours.
I feel as though i must have missed something, because I've been so focussed on Lucy... did she have pneumonia and I didn't even notice? How could I not notice??
This was my third emergency midnight trip to the vet this week. I'm just exhausted.
I asked for a necropsy but hopefully I'll be able to speak to the exotics team before they do it and find out whether we can learn anything from it.
I just keep thinking 'what happened?!"
I'd like to add a comment here but first, I want to express my sympathy on the loss of Ruby. Although it's rough on you that the final episode occurred so suddenly and of course it's not unexpected that there would be self-recriminations for not having noticed what you probably could not have seen, it might have been the easiest way for her to go.
I don't know how applicable this is to guinea pigs, but MS makes people very, very susceptible to heat; the higher the ambient temperature, the more difficulties they have. I wonder if this needs to be taken into account when a guinea pig has a demyelinating disease and if lowering the ambient temperature of the pig's environment could alleviate symptoms. (The spine is not the brain and guinea pigs are not really people so I have no idea whatsoever.)
http://www.activemsers.com/tipstricks/c ... gvest.html for some information on this.
"Even if you knew it was demyelinating disease, I don't think there's anything that can be done for it. That's essentially what multiple sclerosis is, and I don't think treatments for that have improved much in the last 40 years."
I don't know how applicable this is to guinea pigs, but MS makes people very, very susceptible to heat; the higher the ambient temperature, the more difficulties they have. I wonder if this needs to be taken into account when a guinea pig has a demyelinating disease and if lowering the ambient temperature of the pig's environment could alleviate symptoms. (The spine is not the brain and guinea pigs are not really people so I have no idea whatsoever.)
http://www.activemsers.com/tipstricks/c ... gvest.html for some information on this.
I'm now becoming concerned about the infection spreading. I understand that pneumonia can be very contagious (?)
I did ask about this at the vets. I couldn't speak with exotics because it's the weekend, but the ER Drs said that it wasn't a huge worry, with her being housed separately and given the fact that they aren't even certain yet that it was pneumonia, but that it would be a good precaution to disinfect the cages.
As of now, I'm cleaning all the stuff she came into contact with last night, cleaning out both cages and disinfecting the coroplast with a vinegar solution. I've also had the door open for the afternoon to allow air circulation.
Is there anything else i should be doing? I have no prior experience with pneumonia.
I did ask about this at the vets. I couldn't speak with exotics because it's the weekend, but the ER Drs said that it wasn't a huge worry, with her being housed separately and given the fact that they aren't even certain yet that it was pneumonia, but that it would be a good precaution to disinfect the cages.
As of now, I'm cleaning all the stuff she came into contact with last night, cleaning out both cages and disinfecting the coroplast with a vinegar solution. I've also had the door open for the afternoon to allow air circulation.
Is there anything else i should be doing? I have no prior experience with pneumonia.
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