[Gpdd] HEALTH: Update on Hamish and his paralysis

[Cazza177]

Dear Julie

I have found the following two links for you about strokes.  I hope this may
be of help and good luck with Hamish.  Carole

http://www.oginet.com/pgurney/strokes.htm

STROKES
As it is in the human population, it is the female of the species which is
more likely to suffer from these, though males can be prone to them as well.
The symptoms are usually paralysis down one side with the head at an acute
angle to the body. There will be Nystygmus of the eyes, a rapid jerky
movement of the eyes. Sometimes the animal will be in a high state of shock
and will react in terror to any move towards it. It should be put in a hay
lined box and put somewhere quiet for a few hours. The general rule is that
if it survives for another few hours without having another stroke, it will
live. It should be put on a quarter of a tablet of aspirin for about a week
after the stroke to thin down the blood.
Guinea pigs that have suffered strokes are a very pathetic sight for the
first few days afterwards for they tend to lean against the side of their
pens for support. Some manage to stagger about and get to their food and
water but others need syringe feeding with both food and water for a while.
The good news is that most get ninety percent of their motor motion back in
that bad side. The heads do rarely realign completely but they usually
return to the stage where there is a just a slight tilt, which doesn¹t seem
to bother them at all. Though a guinea pig that has suffered a stroke has
less life expectancy, it seldom has another stroke.
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From: "Julie" <juwles at optusnet.com.au>
Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2006 23:00:47 +1000
To: <gpdd at gpdd.org>
Subject: [Gpdd] HEALTH:   Update on Hamish and his paralysis

 
Hi slaves,
 
Many thanks to those of you who have written to me offering their best
wishes & prayers for young Hamish.
 
I had a sleepless night – well, I lie, I hit the sack @ 5am this morning
for about 1 ½ hours; then up again and feeding Hamish (he was still
alive), and decided to give him another charcoal tablet.         He was
desperate for food, so I sat there holding his little head in the best
position for him to chew and swallow, and he ate parsley, celery, lots
of grass – and very eagerly.  So he’s not lost his appetite; and his
eyes were looking bright.    He just still couldn’t move, or if he tried
to move he’d shudder.
 
Took him to a piggy vet after breakfast and she said she didn’t think it
was poisoning because of the way he was shuddering when moving forward.
She said his heart was good, not problems with abdomen; and then
proceeded to lie him on his back and watch how he flipped himself over.
No matter which way she lay him, he always flipped back the same
direction.  I knew what was coming


. She felt he’d had either a
stroke, or had an infection or inflammation in the base of the brain
(the cerebellum), because of his symptoms and the shuddering on walking.

 
Because I’d given him charcoal, she said a steroid tablet wouldn’t be
the go, so gave him steroid injection and antibiotics (something called
Triprussin – she said if it was infection in the brain, this was the
only antibiotic that could possibly pass through the blood-brain
barrier).   She did also mention it could be a toxoplasma, something
which can come from cats pee – and we have lots of neighbours cats
roaming the yard at night.        (Does that mean our poor little mates
can’t be given some grass time because of other people’s pets?   It
isn’t fair is it?).
 
Anyway, tonight I’m pleased to report that Hamish is starting to hold
his head up on his own; is getting it up high enough to eat some food by
himself; he’s starting to move around (although still very wobbly), and
he gave Kathy a huge cuddle and kiss which he couldn’t do yesterday).
So, I think our little Hamish is going to make it.    If it is a stroke,
the vet said if he can rehabilitate enough to eat by himself and move
around a bit – the wobbly-ness didn’t matter – that he’d be able to live
a normal lifespan (touch wood).  I was so scared she’d say he would have
to be put to sleep, but she said whilst he was eating the way he was,
that wasn’t even an option.
 
My piggie Archie is really missing his cage mate, but Hamish will stay
separated for a few days more.
 
Will keep GPDD members posted and hopefully in a few days he will be
back to if not normal, then almost normal.
 
Love & wheeeeeeeeks,
Julie & Kathy &
Dougall, Angus, Archie & Hamish
(Teddy, Muppet & Toby forever in our hearts)