Amputations - Help And Advice

[Watermelon-Pets]

We all know Piggies are very expensive to care for, and sometimes they are impossible to afford. Broken legs are a common problem, yet cost a lot to fix. My piggy Chocolate broke her leg and when I took her to an exotic specialist the price was too high to repair the leg. A different vet offered an amputation. At first I was worried it would effect Chocolates mobility, and wether removing her leg was unfair. After thinking it through, I decided I couldn't afford the repair and Putting her down wasn't an option so the amputation was my only option. Chocolate is a very active and crazy little girl, so I had an idea she would learn to adapt to three legs pretty easily. So please take your piggies personality into consideration. No long after the operation she was running round her cage and eating and drinking fine! I was extremely happy with her progress! Having three legs has not stopped her at all, but all piggies are different so think of how your Guinea pig would cope with possibly being less mobile and being separate from their friends while recovering. I hope this helped you with your decisions. Good luck!

 

[pig in the city]

Thankyou for sharing your experience. Glad Chocolate has recovered well

 

[Wiebke]

I am very sorry about your experience!Glad that Chocolate has recovered well and is enjoying her life again.

Thankfully, while sprains are not uncommon in guinea pig, breaks are thankfully much rarer. We provide lots of tips on how to pick up and handle new skittish guinea pigs for new owners to help minimise the risk of accidents happening; this also includes tips on how to understand guinea pig instincts. Our starter kit also includes the importance of saving up for adequate vet care.
" Starter Kit" Of Information Threads For New Owners

Thankfully, disabled animals just get on with life and are usually accepted by their mates if they prove they can keep up, whether it is affecting the limbs or senses (loss of sight, hearing etc.)

 

[Tiamolly123]

I'm so glad Chocolate is OK, a lot of animals, dogs, cats etc cope really well with having a limb taken off. The Paralympics show how humans do well, that's amazing watching that.

 

[Kiara]

My gosh just saw this my vet at the Rowan dident give me that option, maybe because my broken legged female is young ..... I was given two options 1. put her to sleep 2. Wait.
They told me because she was young it may heal on its own she had a good chance of recovery with just a limp in her later years
Was I told wrong?

 

[pig in the city]

My gosh just saw this my vet at the Rowan dident give me that option, maybe because my broken legged female is young ..... I was given two options 1. put her to sleep 2. Wait.
They told me because she was young it may heal on its own she had a good chance of recovery with just a limp in her later years
Was I told wrong?

It wasn't your fault, you were just following your vets advice. By sharing stories like this we are empowered to ask questions of our vets to find the best treatment available

 

[Kiara]

so would it be best to go back with her and ask about getting the leg amputated? or to wait as I was told?

 

[Freela]

I'm glad it worked out well for her! A lot of animals cope really well with a disability... one of my neighbours had a 3-legged dog for years (he had one leg amputated due to cancer.) He did everything a dog with 4 legs could do!

 

[Wiebke]

My gosh just saw this my vet at the Rowan dident give me that option, maybe because my broken legged female is young ..... I was given two options 1. put her to sleep 2. Wait.
They told me because she was young it may heal on its own she had a good chance of recovery with just a limp in her later years
Was I told wrong?

It depends on the location and the severity of a break. Generally, amputation should always only be a measure of last resort.
You are entitled to see another vet for a second opinion if you have doubts. We have got a recommended UK vets locator on the top bar.

 

[Watermelon-Pets]

My gosh just saw this my vet at the Rowan dident give me that option, maybe because my broken legged female is young ..... I was given two options 1. put her to sleep 2. Wait.
They told me because she was young it may heal on its own she had a good chance of recovery with just a limp in her later years
Was I told wrong?

Sorry to hear about your situation, chocolate is very young too. She is around 8 months maybe more.

 

[Watermelon-Pets]

Thank you all for your kind messages about chocolate, she is doing fantastic. She is so fast even on three legs! If you would like to see her, check out Adorable Andale on Facebook and scroll through their posts. You should see my little girl!