Guinea Pig Fits

Question
We have a male Guinea Pig that is approximately 10 months old, he lives indoors mainly in a large cage but we put him outside in a run for a few hours a day. He is held daily and is now very tame. We feed him regularly with guinea pig food and fresh vegetables. We have no other pets. The last few months, when holding him his whole body will begin to vibrate, he pushes his head violently to one side and pushes himself into me, he makes distressed, high pitched noises. It all lasts about 5 seconds then he gets back up as though nothing has happened. This has happened about 3 times since Christmas. The only other problem he has had in the past has been mites which have now been removed. Do you have any ideas what this could be?
Terry

Answer
Hi Terry,

It is possible that the mites have come back and developed into mange; this can cause fitting, and a course of ivormectin injections from a specialist small animal or exotic pet vet should do the trick.

In general, fitting is not a positive sign, so I recommend you describe these symptoms in detail to a specialist vet, and take your boy for an examination. He could be allergic to something, he could be epileptic, or he could have an underlying medical condition.

Whatever it is ... it's better to be safe than sorry!

Good luck and if you have any other questions, just ask.

Jenny.