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Happy Soles ointment (for bumblefoot) - any advice please?

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madmush

madmush

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My 4 year old ginger pig Jerry aka 'the ginger ninja' (the ginger one in my avatar) has bumblefoot. :))x)

I noticed it in December, but then he was showing the signs of giving up life as well as having recently lost his best friend Fudge. he was losing weight, taking himself off on his own in the oddest of places etc. So i made a decision not to treat his bumblefoot, wanting him to have a happy last few weeks with me & not being prodded & poked by the vets.

The things is that was over 2 months ago & he is showing no signs of leaving me. (I'm not complaining having lost 2 pigs in the last 4 months, the most recent 2 weeks ago). :0 I want to make sure he is comfortable & happy. :)

His back feet are ulcerated & front paws swollen. he is managing to get around & is only in pain when I clean his feet. I have just got some "Happy Soles" ointment from Gorgeous Guineas. the back feet I am keeping covered because they are now open wounds (the last 2 days). The front don't need covering.

Has anyone used this ointment before & what is their experience? I am wondering whether to keep the front paws covered to stop him losing the ointment on the bedding & as he walks. Also how long does it take to have a positive effect & heal any wounds?

I feel terrible about where he is now, but I really didn't expect him to be here still & I am trying to make sure he doesn't suffer needlessly anymore. :red:red:red

Thank you for your advice :)

Michele & Jerry 'the ginger ninja'
 
Don't cover the feet at all - even open wounds. The infection will basically brew and worsen if covered, and the swelling may also increase. Keeping him on very clean bedding (Vetbed, ideally) and cleansing the feet 2-3x daily is usually the advised way to handle that.

I was on the trial for the Happy Soles ointment last year and found it worked brilliantly - and I now know it wasn't even bumblefoot my pig had! (It was degenerative joint disease, an infection in the joint which causes swelling and build up of pus - a more transient illness than bumblefoot). I only used the ointment for 2 days - my pig had to be put to sleep due to other illnesses - but it made the foot much softer and cleaner.
 
I had the same experience as CCC4. I believe that is also what my piggy had. I used the ointment on my piggie's front and back feet. It did help her one front foot by taking away the redness of the pad but the ulcerated paw, if I'm honest, it did nothing for. The ulcer kept bleeding and didn't heal. It wasn't long after this that she passed away. I hope it helps your piggie.
 
Well, so far, so good! I had a long chat to the lady at Gorgeous Guineas yesterday about caring for bumblefoot too as well as these 2 replies. When I posted originally Jerry's foot was bleeding profuseley every time I cleaned it. I actually thought he would die from loss of blood if it didn't stop (which is why they had to be covered). :...:...

2 days later & 3 applications of 'happy soles' and his feet are looking much better. I no longer have them covered & Jerry & his 2 brothers (Legolas & Pippin) are living on clean sheets changed twice daily. The skin surrouding the ulcer is starting to look much healthier! They bled slightly yesterday but didn't bleed today. He didn't squeak when I cleaned them either. :)

Our regieme is soak in iodine 'bath' (1ml iodine & 9ml water) for a few seconds. Wipe clean & apply 'Happy Soles', with a little massage when he isn't getting too grumpy with me! pow-pow

We're all praying it will work but as long as he is happy & able to trot around & do his thing, I'm happy. That said he has always been the first to the edge of the cage when the cucumber comes out of the fridge..... :)):)):))

 
That sounds promising, I do hope he gets some ease from his sore feet :)
 
2 days later & his feet are continuing to improve! He doesn't squeak at all when his feet go in the iodine bath, although he does protest at me fiddling with his feet twice a day! And they haven't bled since yesterday! :)):)):))

I am feeling more hopeful, but it's still a waiting game... ;)
 
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