Sue_P
Teenage Guinea Pig
I’ve always thought there was something amiss with my black rodent’s back legs. He’s been known to walk like Charlie Chaplin, he’s been known to slide his back legs around a bit like he hasn’t got good grip, he sways a little too much and basically although he can get around and run I’ve always thought something was abnormal with his back legs.
More recently I’ve noticed that when standing and eating food he often bears his weight on his heels and his claw/s can be elevated off the ground a bit, it might have always been like this and I just haven’t noticed up until now. Last week I noticed he was dragging his right back leg around a bit, it looked like it was numb and he just wasn’t using it as he should. This leg has a tendency to splay out to the right i.e. point away from his body. He’ll often turn whilst eating and leave his right foot in the position it was in and not take it with him.
I’ve also been aware that when he lies down in his hay he often has this leg sticking out and doesn’t lie on top of it. My other rodent sits perched with his legs totally under him yet the black one kind of lies to one side a bit with his right back leg usually sticking outwards. Here’s an old picture of what I mean although it was in a more peculiar position than normal.
04-07-10.
Here’s some other old pictures of his leg, I can’t see anything obvious but if anyone more experienced spots anything speak up.
28-12-11.
If you look in this old picture it shows perfectly something I am concerned with. If you look closely his left foot has his claws splayed out. He has full movement of them but yet with the back right foot you’ll notice that the claws look more limp and close together. This is what it looks like when he’s walking and foraging for food, one lot of claws seem to be active and being used properly yet his right foot looks numb.
Very concerning I noticed last night that his right back foot is cold to the touch!
At first I panicked and thought he isn’t getting blood to the foot and then I thought about it a bit more and figured the lack of heat to his foot may be because he sleeps with it sticking out all of the time. I actually think this may be the logical explanation and also why more recently he’s been walking around with it looking like a dead limb, I think it’s just stone cold. What are your thoughts?
(He shows no sign of pain when I feel around his leg. He can use it and does bear weight on it.)
More recently I’ve noticed that when standing and eating food he often bears his weight on his heels and his claw/s can be elevated off the ground a bit, it might have always been like this and I just haven’t noticed up until now. Last week I noticed he was dragging his right back leg around a bit, it looked like it was numb and he just wasn’t using it as he should. This leg has a tendency to splay out to the right i.e. point away from his body. He’ll often turn whilst eating and leave his right foot in the position it was in and not take it with him.
I’ve also been aware that when he lies down in his hay he often has this leg sticking out and doesn’t lie on top of it. My other rodent sits perched with his legs totally under him yet the black one kind of lies to one side a bit with his right back leg usually sticking outwards. Here’s an old picture of what I mean although it was in a more peculiar position than normal.
04-07-10.
Here’s some other old pictures of his leg, I can’t see anything obvious but if anyone more experienced spots anything speak up.
28-12-11.
If you look in this old picture it shows perfectly something I am concerned with. If you look closely his left foot has his claws splayed out. He has full movement of them but yet with the back right foot you’ll notice that the claws look more limp and close together. This is what it looks like when he’s walking and foraging for food, one lot of claws seem to be active and being used properly yet his right foot looks numb.
Very concerning I noticed last night that his right back foot is cold to the touch!
(He shows no sign of pain when I feel around his leg. He can use it and does bear weight on it.)
