• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Help! Bumblefoot

Hank288

Hank288

Adult Guinea Pig
Joined
Feb 8, 2015
Messages
1,638
Reaction score
1,643
Points
780
Location
Atherton, UK
Short back story is about 2 months ago I trimmed a spur on my boy Chester's foot and he moved at the last minute and I cut his pad. It healed fine but with a callous on it. I assumed that this was normal. About a month later this callous fell off and his foot bled so much. I couldn't stop it so had to rush to the emergency vets on the 15th Nov, the vet cauterized it with a silver nitrate pencil and then gave him a week of Baytril. I did ask about Bumblefoot at the time but she dismissed the idea.

Fast forward to now and his foot is really bad. It is swollen to 3 times the size has 2 really large hard callouses and it is now weeping some puss. He is book in at the vets at 6:20 tomorrow but as I know nothing about this really I wanted to gather as much info as possible so I can speak to the vets with a bit more knowledge to her tomorrow.

I gave him the same dose baytril he was on before from the vet as I had some left over, this was last night and I will give him some more tonight.

thanks
 
The whole foot is swollen but it is just part of it that looks infected. I will try and get a picture of it in a moment. I wondered about Zithromax. All the stuff I have read today seems to say Baytril for around a month.
 
Hank288 said:
The whole foot is swollen but it is just part of it that looks infected. I will try and get a picture of it in a moment. I wondered about Zithromax. All the stuff I have read today seems to say Baytril for around a month.
Click to expand...
Zithromax would be a far better choice of antibiotic. You’ll probably still need to do about a month x
 
Thank you everyone. I will let you know how it goes tonight. Booked in at 6:20 after work. Will ask the vets about Zithromax. Though I get the feeling the particular vets I am going to will have to order it in, as i am sure I have asked for it before and they didn't have it.
 
Thank you so much, that is absolutely fantastic. I will ask for that if they don't have it. Just want what will work best for my poor boy.
Never trimming a spur off a foot ever again after this nightmare.
 
Poor little Chez! I hope it can get sorted :D Let us know how you get on Hannah. It may be worth getting some epsom salts in to start doing foot soaks once the vet has seen him.
 
Thank you Ruth. I have actually got some Epsom salts in. I brought it a while ago when his foot first looked bad. But then he was seen by a different vet and had antibitoics and his foot then looked fine.

I am going to start soaking tonight but as I have had problems with stopping the bleeding before I wanted to speak to the vet first in case the salts knock some of the scab off. Going to ask the vets for a styptic pencil to have on hand.
 
Hi Guys,
So I have seen the vet she says it is definitely bumble foot as it looks like an abscess on his foot. She tentatively agreed to give me Zithromax but only because I asked. She said that she has never used it for piggies. She would only give it to me as I said I have used it on pigs before and it is perfectly safe, I signed a consent form, like always!
So basically she ordered the Zithromax and I picked it up tonight. He is also on Metacam and she said to bathe his foot either in dilute hibi scrub or I could use the Epsom salts as I had suggested. He weighs around 1.1kg and is on 0.2mls dog Metacam twice a day and 0.4mls Zithromax twice a day.

Do these doses sound right? If I do use 0.8mls a day of the Zithromax it will only last 17 days and I feel it needs to be a longer course. Also the does seems quite high? I worked out if I gave him 0.6ml per day split in 2 it will last 25 days. What doses would be right as I know you have used this medication before and it was a few years since I have used it.
Thanks
@Flutterby @furryfriends (TEAS) @Wiebke
 
oh that's a shame as I really don't think the vet will be happy to give me another box as she really didn't want to give it to me in the first place. Might have to go to the exotics vets but they are so so expensive :(
My poor baby boy. Just hope it gets better as wouldn't want to put him through amputation surgery if it gets into his bone
 
Thank you though I will up his dose as there is more chance of it getting better that way xx
 
Never knew zythromax was a human antibiotic. Hope the bumblefoot clears. What causes it? Ive never seen it.

Is it wet bedding and mesh flooring?
 
Hank288 said:
oh that's a shame as I really don't think the vet will be happy to give me another box as she really didn't want to give it to me in the first place. Might have to go to the exotics vets but they are so so expensive :(
My poor baby boy. Just hope it gets better as wouldn't want to put him through amputation surgery if it gets into his bone
Click to expand...
Surely if she can see it’s improving but not completely right, then you’ll be able to have more.
 
Usually yes but in this instance I accidentally cut his pad while trimming a spur off it. Which I might add I am never doing ever again on a pig.

He then must have got dirty bedding or something in his wound even though I cleaned it.
 
I am going to play it by ear and see what happens. If it has greatly improved and I just feel I need another box I will go back to the same vet. However if I feel not much improvement and want a better opinion or another option will have to go to the exotics vet.
 
He was a very good patient for his Epsom salt foot soak tonight. Sat perfectly still for 20 minutes, bless him. Just hope I can sort it, it look so sore, poor baby.
 
Does Zithromax need to be kept in the fridge? Instructions say not. But they also say to discard after 5 days. Help please
 
I don't think it needs to be in the fridge, but I remember it says on the packet to discard after 5 days. The effective ingredient starts to degrade once mixed with water. I always used to divide the powder in the original bottle into two small pots ( or rather get the vet dispensary to do it, as it's such a tiny amount) and only mix up one to start with.
 
Thanks guys. I was sure that I kept it in the fridge last time I used it.
Now I will just keep my fingers crossed for him xx
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top