Bumblefoot?

[ernie]

Hello everyone, i hope that you are enjoying the weekend.

We have two guinea-pigs, Bert and Ernie, both are nearly three. Bert developed a slight limp yesterday and started delivering very small poo' s. We took him to the emergency vet this morning but he couldn't really put his finger on what was wrong but gave us some recovery powder.

It wasn't until we got him home that we noticed red patches on his hind legs. I'm not sure how to attach pictures but the patches look similar to this-

Is this bumblefoot?

I rang the emergency vet again and offered to email a picture of his feet hoping they would offer to see him again. Unfortunately, he wasn't intetested in even receiving the picture- he said that it wouldn't explain the small poo' s (I'm thinking they are small because he's a little down?)

Anyway, we would really appreciate any advice!

Many thanks in advance,

Rj

 

[Mother Hubbard]

Hi there, unfortunately I can't see the picture. My piggies have had bumble foot before but haven't suffered any issues with small poos because of it. If you could give some further information about what country you are in, bedding, changes in diet etc, an experienced piggy owner may assist you a little.
good luck

 

[helen105281]

I can't see the photo either. It is possible that if he is in pain he may have been eating less and so may explain the small poos. Did the vet even give you any pain relief?

 

[ernie]

Thanks both- I've managed to upload berts pictures.

I'm in Exeter, UK.

I forgot to mention that Bert still has a good appetite but hopping like a rabbit rather than walking as usual.

He drinks loads so we have to change bedding everyday.

They sleep in our house in a plastic base hutch then go out everyday in a covered run with sleeping quaters.

No pain relief from vet, he didn't even weigh him!



Many thanks!

 

[helen105281]

It's difficult to say, it could be Bumblefoot but if so it is very mild, though the bunny hopping implies that it is painful. Is there another vet you could see? if not, check out our recommended vets locator. Bumblefoot can be linked to heart conditions so it would be a good idea for the vet to check that out. It can also be linked to damp bedding etc. Some vets treat it with antibiotics but it isn't always linked to an infection.

Let me know if you need to know the other signs of a heart issue.

 

[ernie]

Thanks so much for your help-

The emergency vets is the same company but different location to our usual place so its different set of vets to the ones we usually see.

We'll prob take Bert to his usual vet tomorrow and get him checked out properly there.

I've read that bumblefoot quite serious so I hope that, if it is BF, we've caught it early as like you said, it does not look too bad.

If you could let us know the other symptoms of a heart issue then that would be great!

I've attached a pic of them both. Bert is the rusty coloured one- his cheeks are a little puffier than usual.

Thanks again, we really appreciate your kindness

 

[GPTV]

Hi there, I can see the second picture. It doesn't look like bumblefoot to me. The foot would look swollen &red &in bad cases an ulcer like appearance with a scab, usually covering infected &inflamed tissue.
Bumblefoot can be caused by dirty or unsuitable bedding. Cagefloor wires or ramps without a solid surface& pigs with heart or circulation problems are prone to it too. I'm sure others will have more suggestions.

My girls sometimes have patches of red on their feet but its not usually long term or a problem.

It may be worth considering if he's limping &drinking more that it could be a UTI urinary tract infection? Or cystitus/ bladder stones?
The hopping can be a sign of pain, so a discussion with your vet about pain relief/antiinflammatory should help him.
Is your vet one of the recommended ones that's found on the vet locator at the top of this site?
If he's walking in extra wee it may be making his feet sore&causing the redness.

What bedding do you use?

If it is stones or cystitus the vet should be able to do a quick stick test on his urine to determine if there is any blood in it that's not visible to the eye &hopefully sort a diagnosis &solution for your little fella. Sorry this goes on a bit, but my phone won't let me preview or change bits afterwards

Healing vibes to piggy. Xx

 

[Elwickcavies]

Bunny hopping can be a sign of bladder stones too. It would be worth seeing your usual vets to get a thorough check. It doesn't look like bumblefoot from you photos, but it is so hard to tell, and as Helen said, it may be mild. x

 

[ernie]

Wow, you lot are great!

So we take him to st.David's vets in exminster, exeter- they're not on the recommended list so will try one of those next time.

We use sawdust over newspaper then lots of hay. He does wee a lot so whether his foots got damp I'm not sure.

He always drinks loads, in fact he's drinking now and has been for a few minutes!

I've attached another pic, Bert (the rusty one) has puffier cheeks than usual. Also a pic of him taking the recovery drink.

Will print out all your suggestions and take to vets :-) x

 

[Freela]

To me it looks a bit like urine scald, when the skin is irritated from standing on wet bedding. It doesn't look like bumblefoot- no scabbing, swelling, etc. I would think that would be the cause of his hopping.

 

[ernie]

Thanks for that - he is getting checked out again this evening so will put that to them.

Have a lovely day

 

[Poppy'sMum]

Hello & welcome to the forum Please weigh him daily at the same time & monitor his weight closely. If he is doing smaller poops then please let the vet know & get some gut stimulant meds for him, such as Emeprid & Zantac to keep his guts moving. He also will need pain relief as he is probably in pain & if the vet prescribes antibiotics, then Septrin is better than Baytril & won't upset his tummy like Baytril can. Bunny hopping is not normal for guinea pigs & usually indicates illness. Good luck at the vets

 

[ernie]

Great- thanks so much! Will let you know how I get on

 

[Poppy'sMum]

If you haven't syringe fed piggies before we can advise you; you will need 1ml syringes from the vets & cut the end off one & remove the rubber bung. File the end smooth. You don't need to make up a whole sachet of recovery food at a time, I use about 1 1/2 tablespoons & mix with water so it's not too runny, suck some up the syringe halfway then place it in the piggie's mouth at an angle so you don't aim it straight down his throat (aim for inside of the cheek) syringe in slowly. Aim to get around 10-20 ml every 4 hours of he is very poorly & not eating any other food himself. If he is eating veggies & hay then you only need to top him up with a couple of syringe feeds a day When you say he has puffy cheeks, is that new? Has that only recently happened? Fluid retention can be caused by kidney problems or heart problems. You need to let the vet know if you think he is retaining fluid so they can prescribe diuretics & check his heart etc

 

[ernie]

Thanks- great advice about syringe as the rubber bung kept getting stuck.

The puffy cheeks is a new thing so i'll mention that to vet later.

He's eating really well still - he had plenty of veg this morning

 

[Poppy'sMum]

Good hopefully he will get better, the fluid thing is very important thing to mention then & also the diuretics. If they prescribe them ,you will need to make sure you keep him hydrated with a little water syringed using a whole syringe (Not the cut off one) a small amount of water at a time, aimed to the inside of the cheek & done slowly, as it is easy to aspirate a piggy with too much water in one go. I'll attach a pic below, the feeding syringes are the green ones Very best of luck to you both

 

[Poppy'sMum]

 

[Poppy'sMum]

This is the amount I make up in one sitting

 

[ernie]

Thank you

Another problem to add to the list is that Ernie keeps trying to mount Bert so separated them for today

 

[Mother Hubbard]

Mounting is not unusual to be honest, unless they are outright fighting I wouldn't want to be separating them to be honest.

 

[ernie]

HI everyone,

Thank all so much for your kind help, you have been amazing - we thoroughly appreciate it...especially Bert!

Saw a vet this evening, we haven't had him before but he was great (maybe because I made a complaint about the emergency vet this morning)

Here is what the emergency vet missed on Sunday:

1. Severe impaction (even though I asked about it). Vet cleared him up.

2. Dermatitis on rear -vet says it's from when Ernie tries mounting him. Advised sudocrem.

3. Sore feet- vet thinks that this is again been caused by Ernie trying to mount him and Bert resisting by dragging his feet?

4. Bruised pelvis - as above

He recommended that they both get neutered. Ernie booked in for Wednesday and Bert will be booked in when he is better. Let me know if you think that neutering is a bad idea.

We have to keep them separated until then.

We have had them for three years and they usually get on perfectly. They do have the tendency to mount each other at times but both have been strong enough to push the other off- prob should have got them neutered before?

Anyway, thanks again- bet so much happier thanks to you all

 

[ernie]

Sorry Lil- just read your post. I felt a bit sorry for Bert this morning as he was in pain and Ernie wouldn't leave him alone.

What do you think about vets advice?

 

[Poppy'sMum]

I've no experience of neutering but I think it doesn't alter behaviour? What did the vet say about his swollen face?

 

[ernie]

He just said to keep an eye on the cheeks over next couple of days- they weren't that bad this evening. He didn't think that there were any underlying heart problems or UTI's though. His weight has dropped from 1.04 on Sunday to 984g today. He is still eating and drinking well though.

I also read that neutering may not change their behaviour but he said that Ernie' s testosterone would drop after 4weeks? Not sure what to do really.

I'm thinking that it might be best to keep them separated whilst Bert is in pain and Ernie is being a pain?

 

[piggyfan]

I am no expert and what I am about to say will be controversial. I disagree with them being neutered. My boar is neutered and he is forever mounting and rumblestrutting. Neutering will not change that. I very much doubt his sore feet is due to mounting. Mounting does not give carpet burn! Sorry, but I really feel another vet would be better. I do understand it is not easy to find guinea savy vets. I also feel the diagnosis of dermatitis due to mounting is strange. I have never heard that before. Sorry if my post has caused any offence but I felt I needed to tell you.

 

[helen105281]

I agree that neutering will not alter their behaviour. Mounting is normal dominance behaviour, and it is only when blood is drawn that you need to separate. Have a look at the threads in our behaviour section. It may be that in time if they can't live together you could have them living next to each other or take them both bonding at a rescue.

I have not heard of dermatitis from mounting and think you may need a second opinion, it could be mites or fungal.

 

[ernie]

Thanks both. Vet thought that his pelvis was sore- could this be anything to do with the mounting?

I'll prob cancel the neutering and just let Bert get his strength and weight back up perhaps?

Would you agree that it might be best to keep them separated for now just until Bert is not in so much pain?

Will try and find a more piggy friendly vet- the ones on the vet locater are over 30 minutes away- not sure if they'd be ok with such a long journey?

 

[piggyfan]

A thirty minute journey is fine. I travel longer to my vets. Do not worry.

 

[ernie]

Great-thanks for your help!

 

[helen105281]

I agree 30 minutes is ok, I travel an hour to one of the vets I use. Is he on any pain relief?

I agree to cancel the neutering.