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Advice about a possible broken leg

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I noticed one of my 10 week olds was dragging her leg around this evening, and when I picked her up it's all floppy as if she has no control over the bottom half of her leg at all. It's fairy swollen around her hip joint (well, where her leg meets her body) and touch causes her pain, but otherwise she's sitting next to me calmly munching a carrot. I'm pretty sure I can actually feel a break in her leg...

I'm taking her to the vet in the morning, but I wanted to know if anyone has any idea what to expect from a broken leg? Can they do anything to help?
 
i am not too sure idea. However i went to website to check and its says best is to calm your guinea pig first if it is feeling pain or nervous. Also try to separate the injure one from the group. Then quickly bring it to a vet asap. I hope the website i saw was right and hope i provide some useful information. how i wish my guinea pig would recoever from its lice problems and also full recovery for your piggy xx>>>
 
A broken leg in a baby pig is less of a problem than you may think.
If it is broken. and not just a temporary condition, such as a pulled muscle, a simple bandage and a splint (a matchstick) around the affected area to immobilise it for 7-10 days should see recovery well under way. Obviously the fractured ends of the bones need to be re-aligned before splinting.

A fractured limb is no reason, in itself, to have the animal put down.

NB The above is taken from a textbook. I have no practical experience of dealing with a pig with a fractured limb.
 
If you can get hold of some painkiller like infants calpol (dosis 0.05 ml for 10 weeks old?), you would do your poor mite a BIG favour! If you can get her seen asap even more!

Try to keep her as quiet, comfy and confined as possible.

Guinea pigs, like most pets can live a happy life with a disability.
 
Thank you for the advice :)
I can't believe I've had guinea pigs for so long but have never found anywhere like this.

I'm really happy she's dozing right now, so hopefully she's not in too much pain. I would have taken her to the emergency (well I'm sure there's an emergency service) but I don't have a car and my parents were out. I'm taking her first thing in the morning though.

I've not heard of infants calpol but I'll be sure to ask about some pain relief for her. She's such a sweetheart, I can't stand when they're in pain or uncomfortable.

And alcester, I'm so glad you shared that because I couldn't find much online and was worried about the vet suggesting putting her down - I wouldn't do that when she's clearly a happy healthy baby otherwise.

tyson - some of my rabbits and guinea pigs have mites, which is why i was at the vets today (wish I'd discovered her leg before I went). What have you been treating them with for the lice?
 
Try not to give her any painkiller unless you are absolutely certain she is in pain and not just discomfort.
 
Ive not experienced a guinea with a broken leg but we did have one about 30 years ago who had a leg removed and managed pretty well - that resulted in many an argument at the vets for my Mum as vet just said to get the guinea pts - but did the op as we paid for it.

Ive often moved vets to get the answers/treatment I felt was best for a small animal. If your not happy with what your vet says might be good to see another one?

Ive had a hamster who fell down his rotastack tube into a tank below and must of broken a part of his back as he never used the back legs again - he did so well and we kept him on one low level and he had corragated cardboard as a base and managed to drag himself round with his front legs! He lived a happy life for 12 months - was about 2 in the end.

Hope things go ok - hopefully just a temp injury/strain:)
 
Thank you for all the advice!

My little one is at the vets tonight, he x-rayed her today, and my gosh it's swollen. He was quite shocked, it's literally like there's an egg in there.

It's a clear fracture, which on us would be half way between our knee and hip. He gave us three options~

1) pain medication for the next few weeks, and confined rest. the
fracture would heal just however, and since the bones are a little
displaced.... not recommended. Cost approx $100.

2) have the leg externally splinted, which involves a wire being inserted into the top of the leg near the hip, and joined in several places down her leg.
pain meds for a few weeks, removed after 6wks. x-ray at later date. approx $200.

3) an internal pin to set the bone together, might be left there permanently. plus pain medication and x-ray at later date. approx $400.

4) take her to a specialist in sydney, who might be able to perform the pin surgery better because they've more experience, obviously. he was honest about his experience with that type of surgery.

he's also been reasonable with the price estimates, he's only charging us $20 for the x-ray when he usually charges a whole lot more etc.

the "just a guinea pig" issue came up with mum, I think I've talked her
into the second by sacrificing having any christmas presents... she's
my pet, my responsibility, and yeah I don't have any money because I
can't have as I'm chronically ill, and if I did I'd pay it all myself. she would never pay for health insurance for them, when it's situations like this that it would be a lifesaver cost wise.

It's my responsibility to make her life the best I can... my mum knows how much I love all my animals, I spend more time with them than people because of my health. She's not "just" a guinea pig and it's not silly.
 
I know it's not quite the same but one of my bunnies recently broke his elbow joint in a front leg. He had it pinned and it was very successful. Obviously GP's limbs are a lot smaller but I'm sure it can be done. Parsnip's broken leg cost a total of £1500 to repair (we had to see a specialist orthopaedic vet) :{ but he's worth it.
 
If you are prepared to pay the money...(not saying you aren;t) ...then go to the best vet i.e. Option 4

My mum told me last week to "get rid of the whole disaese ridden herd".....err thanx mum :)p


Think you know (as I do) that you will do what is best for both piggie and you Hun. Ignore the rest of the "noise":
Will be thinking of you and have all paws crossed on this side of the ocean
xx
 
The bone between the knee (patella) and hip joint (articulatio coxae) is referred to as the thighbone (femur). The femur is the largest and strongest bone in the body. Therefore, a lot of force is required to cause a fracture or break in the bone. With this in mind, I must enquire whether you have any idea how your cavy has received such a severe injury? In addition, I would be concerned that you cavy is calcium deficient.

Recently, I adopted a young boar that had sustained a fracture to his ankle joint (articulatio talocruralis). A callus - hard bony tissue that develops around the ends of a fractured bone during healing - had already formed (callus formation will typically occur after a period of seven to ten days from when the injury has resulted). Thankfully, due to his age, the fracture healed relatively well. Therefore, my cavy did not require treatment. However, as a result of this trauma, this joint is not fully functioning. Regardless, my cavy is coping marvellously.

As mentioned above by Alcesterpigs, limb fractures typically respond well to external fixation, providing they are adequately immobilised, for which the average healing time is between three and four weeks. Nevertheless, the limb is unlikely to return to its full function. Although, a cavy will cope surprisingly well.

However, femoral fractures (fractures of the femur) are required to be repaired through surgery, where, as you vet has correctly identified, an intramedually pin will be employed. Once more, you vet is correct in saying that the pin may be removed once the fracture has healed. On the other hand, the radiographer and/ or vet may advise that the pin remain in place.

Please keep us updated.

Best and warmest wishes.
 
Try not to give her any painkiller unless you are absolutely certain she is in pain and not just discomfort.

I absolutely agree. However, I believe your cavy should be prescribed an anti-inflammatory.

Spelling correction:

However, femoral fractures (fractures of the femur) are required to be repaired through surgery, where, as you vet has correctly identified, an INTRAMEDULLARY pin will be employed.
 
GPG are you an anatomist?

A guinea pig's thighbone is not very thick. Whilst it is adequate for the purpose of supporting the pig, it does not take much force to cause a break, especially in a young pig.
I would choose splinting with a match-stick and bandage.
 
The point I was attempting to make, Alcesterpigs, is that the femur is the biggest and strongest bone in a cavy's anatomy. Therefore, from my understanding, it is the most unlikely bone to suffer a fracture or break. This sort of injury would not simply occur by bumping into a hideout etc. Regardless, the leg will require pinning. I discussed all of the above with veterinary surgeon only a few weeks ago.
 
The point is, it will not break in normal use but it will take a lot less force to break a gp thigh bone than a humann thigh bone.
Regardless, the leg will not necessarily require pinning.
There are people on the forum whose pigs have had a thigh bone fracture which has healed without surgical intervention. Pinning is a last resort.
 
The vet spoke to a rabbit and guinea pig specialist from Sydney who said that a splint should be adequate to allow the leg to heal, and that pinning it held more risk to her. So I went with that option.

I got her back yesterday evening, the vet explained everything to do with her care and I've been given an anti-inflammatory pain medication to give her each day. I need to keep a close eye on the splint and appetite to make sure there's no signs of infection, and for the next six weeks she'll have weekly check-ups (there's no extra cost thankfully) to make sure things are running smoothly. At the end of those six weeks she'll have some x-rays to see how it has healed, and to decide if it's ready to be taken off or not.

He showed me her x-rays and I was right about feeling a deformity and and a "joint" where there wasn't supposed to be one. The bone was snapped clean in two and was quite displaced, my poor little girl. :(

The second lot of x-rays with the splint on were good, he's managed to line it up near perfectly so he's sure it will heal up really well. Good news, if all goes to plan over the next few weeks! Fingers and toes crossed for her.

She seemed a little shell shocked when I picked her up, but it was her first time away from her mothers (yes, plural! long story - while I was overseas one of my boys died, so my friend looking after them put his friend in with the girls because she was worried with it being winter and all - four girls oh dear! Of course he managed to get all four of them pregnant, haha. I separate them when they're heavily pregnant and as two of the girls were at around about the same stage I brought them both inside and homed them together... I missed the births by a minute at most, and so I had no idea whose babies were whose.) and sisters, and me of course, so she must've been frightened all on her own in pain.

She's settled now, I'm keeping her in a small cage in my bedroom to watch her closely - she'd better not start nibbling the splint! She's getting the hang of moving around with it (she's not allowed to move too much though!) like the vet said she would, and she's such a good little girl for taking her medication with no problems today - I think she even liked it as she wouldn't let me take the syringe away and wanted more! That's even without it being put in a small bit of fruit jelly like he suggested.

Here's a picture of her -
PC215895copy.jpg



GPG - I've no idea how she was injured, she was fine the day before and then I just found her like that. I doubt she'd be calcium deficient since she's only a baby and was drinking her mother's milk up until a few weeks ago, plus vitamins are added into the water bottles.
 
AWWWWW she's cute and it looks sore.

I hope she's better soon and can have her splint off. Give her a kiss from me xoxo
 
I am pleased she's had her leg splinted, fingers crossed the leg heals quickly and easily!
 
Years ago I rescued a pig from PAH with a broken leg. It was still in the for sale cage and the other pigs were attacking it. The store manager was summoned when I complained and they said they would get it put to sleep. I begged them to let me have her and eventually they agreed. My vet advised keepng her in a confined space for 4 weeks and she never looked back :) Her leg healed really well and she lived to the good age of 7 years. Hope your little piggy does well - she looks so pretty.

Teresa x
 
glad that you had a good vet who got some advice off another vet and so she only had a splint rather than an operation and pin! Hope she gets better soon, she looks lovely.

How many babies did you end up having after all 4 girlies got pregnant? What a mistaka for your friend to maka! x
 
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