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Delilah's Feet

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Laura-CCC4

Laura-CCC4

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Just looking for thoughts on this really. Delilah saw Vedra at the CCT yesterday (Sophie took her to be checked just before she brought her to me - thank you Sophie!) and Vedra feels there's nothing much to be done about this "growth" on Del's back foot.

DelCallous.jpg


The growth feels quite rough on the surface...it's almost like an extension to the tissues of that foot, with toughened skin. I'm thinking along the lines of a callus - has anyone any experience of calluses on piggie feet?

Both hocks are a touch swollen - not severely, they don't feel particularly "squashy" - and there is some reddening of the hocks also, with a light scab on the surfaces. I'm applying Perfect Paws ointment to soothe and protect the skin a bit. She does have a bit of a 'bumbling' walk when she gets going, not sure if it's just because she is new here and nervous or if she's a little stiff in her legs, so will keep a very close eye on that. She's a lightweight piggie, so I really don't see that her weight will have affected her feet.
 
Llewelyn has some growth on his front paws which gets clipped back whenever he gets his nails done; but he HAS lost his waistline a bit when he had his last growth spurt a year ago and Dizzy wasn't well and only nibbling.

Better not clip it too close to the foot, if you want to cut it back. It will hurt.

Wish I could give you useful advice!
 
Thanks for the suggestions Vicky, I appreciate your reply. It's definitely not a foot spur though...it's a thick, rounded growth. I've had spurs on a few of the others front feet, but nothing quite like this. The spurs are more like excess skin...this is more like excess tissue with rough skin! Will see if I can get better pics to show size/shape etc.
 
It looks as though it must be a case of bumblefoot in the past, healed over but still hard skin and damaged. But dark skin on guinea pigs feet can alter the way it is seen. Dark skin is usually tougher so hence the different look about it.

The other foot looks sore. I think it needs a bit of tlc in case it gets worse. Chrissie at Gorgeous Guineas has two products available now for sore feet. Have a look on her website.
 
OMG - her feet look awful! Poor girl - now wonder she can't walk well!

At least she's getting the best care now.
 
Iva had this on a few, mostly older guineas and it seems to apear either before during or after bumble foot and only on 1 has it been filled with puss, however most have cleared up after been sprayed with dacktarian(sp?) athletes foot spray
 
Sorry I've got no help for you. I was going to suggest the perfect paws ointment though. Maybe it might just be a case of moisturising it daily like you are already doing :)
 
Thanks for all your replies, and thank you Sophie for adding the other pics. I've got both the GG ointments - Perfect Paws and Happy Soles - I ordered them as soon as I found out Delilah had these sore feet. I'm going to keep up with putting Perfect Paws on twice a day. Sophia's hocks are also very dry and red, will make sure hers stay moisturised and soft.

The girls had their first floor time last night. Sophia is a total wimp, bless her, would not venture out from under the bed, but she is moving fine. Delilah was pottering round the whole room, happy as can be...but her walk is very strange. I can't quite tell what is making her bumble about so much. Bumbling is definitely the word for it! It's almost like all her joints are stiff - not just her back legs, but her front legs too. I'll start her on a low dose of Metacam today, see if that eases things up. I'll get a video of her during floor time so you can all see how oddly she is walking. It's not bugging her, but something does seem to be limiting her movement.
 
As promised, here's the video:



The first few seconds show best how she bumbles about. Is this the walk of a piggie with stiff legs, do you think it's something else - or do you think it might just be the way she is? She's not uncomfortable when walking - she even popcorned a little this afternoon - and she has just started 0.2ml Metacam a day. Any thoughts...?
 
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Aw, poor sweetie - wish I could help her!

How old is she? Could it be arthritis?
 
That is what I am wondering Vicky. Sophie thought she was about two...but we both think she could even be older. I've put her birthday at August 06, so she will be '3' this year, but it's anybody's guess really. In her face, she looks either a "weathered" 2-3 years old, or 3-4 years.

If the Metacam helps over the next few days, I'll pop her down to see Vedra early next week and see if she thinks arthritis too. I'm happy to stick with Metacam, but I'd prefer something I can continue to get from Vedra (probably Rimadyl) as I can't get more Metacam once this lot is gone.
 
Best of luck! At least the poor girl is in good hands now.

I've been trying to find something about arthritis on the web, but have drawn a blank with lynx and Peter Gurney. My suspicion is that Dizzy (just turning 5) is starting to get a bit stiff in the hips. I've got some meloxidyl from the vet, but would like to do more research.
 
No problem at all AP. As I said before, once this bottle is empty I can't get any more. I took the bottle to save for the pigs after my dog died, I have no prescription for it so would have to take Delilah to Vedra for continuous medication - if it is needed. I believe Vedra prefers to give Rimadyl.
 
That's how Ginger started to walk before she lost the use of her back legs. She was diagnosed as having arthritis of the back legs and spine. It could be a mild of form if she is not showing a great deal of pain. Potters Tabritis are very good for stiff joints. They also contain a mild painkiller. All ingredients are herbal. Half a tab mixed with water daily. I had the problem of not being able to get any form of meds for Ginger because the vets said she should be pts and I did not agree so therefore managed her problems with the above.
 
Understood, I thought Metacam was being taken off the market when I read your post.
 
I think she seems pretty happy in herself, and if she's popcorning I'm sure she's not in pain. She's also a really PRETTY girl xoxo
 
Thanks Tracy. :)

rw, thank you also for the info. It can't hurt to try Potters Tabritis, will see if I can find any. She's moving a little more smoothly after a few days on the Metacam.

The growth on her foot is also shrinking right down. Each time I rub the Perfect Paws ointment in, a lot of dead skin seems to crumble away. We're now down to about half the size it was at the start of the week. There is definitely a growth of some kind, or an 'extension' to the tissues on the hock...whatever it is was covered with hard, dead skin. It felt solid at one point. I'll get some new pics, and aim for a new video of her walking after another week on the Metacam.
 
I bought Potters Tabritis in Boots. Another thing I noticed Ginger doing was when she was walking around she would lean on her front legs and sort of stretch her body out so her back legs were straight, and then carry on walking after her body reached its full stretch. I think looking back on it now maybe this was a problem with stiffness as well.
 
I bought some Potters Tabritis online, pack of 84 tablets. I'll switch her from Metacam to the Tabritis next week and see how she does. The more I watch her, the more I think she's an older piggie with some degree of arthritis. Her front legs are the problem (after a good haircut I can see her feet as she walks!), her back ones are moving very well now.

The growth on her foot has almost gone. There's a little 'bump' left but the main part came off on its own overnight. I suspected it would, but I didn't expect it to come off so soon! It was mostly dead skin, more than an actual growth, though something 'abnormal' had certainly been there at some point. Pics to follow later.
 
Okay, we're back on track now, after her little escapade regarding her eye. I did update on her feet there after our trip to the CCT.
To summarise, she's not got particular signs of rheumatism or arthritis, the tension in her legs are all equal, but Vedra recommended keeping her on the Metacam. She's certainly older than 2 - I am now wondering if she is more like 4, going on 5. Will wait a few weeks then decide, but she seems so much older. I wish there was an easy way to tell! (They don't have little grooves on their feet or anything, do they, to tell their age in years? If only...)

I got the Potters Tabritis this morning, will start Del on it tomorrow for a week trial instead of Metacam.
rw - does it have to be 'dissolved' in water, or can it be given in its tablet form? I don't see why not, I know syringing it mixed with water is bound to be easier, but thought I would check before I just give her a straight half-tab!
 
i found that older pigs seem to have thicker nails and they dont seem to cut "straight"
 
I am glad that Delilah has lost that growth on her back feet and hope that the new med will help!
 
That helps a lot rw, thanks. It's working so far with 0.5ml water mixed with the crushed half tablet. There's no worsening, and no notable improvement thus far, but that was the same as when she was on the Metacam, so I will stick with the Potters Tabritis - I can get more of that without a prescription!

I have great news about Delilah's feet now. Her pink foot is normal! No red, no scab. I am very pleased with this as, from the pics Sophie posted, it really was looking very red and sore! Also note how twisted her toe is - another reason to think she is an older girl.

DelilahFootPink11May.jpg


The foot which her growth was on is as normal as it can be, I think. It's a bit swollen, but no lumps or hard skin any more and it's not sore. She walks normally on her back feet.

DelilahFoot11May.jpg


She is still struggling with her front feet (though no pain and she's perfectly happy). They seem to stick out to the side from the shoulder, she doesn't hold them underneath her when she walks as other pigs do.
 
aww,bless her! she's getting better because you're the best mommy! xxxxxxxxxxx
 
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