HELP! Lame back leg

[HEvan]

Issue started in Monday.

Hello, I'm really just asking for advice and really would be grateful if people can help shed some light or offer experiences.

My 1 year old girl was fine one day. They the next not able to put wieght on her back leg. Took her to the vet the following morning who confirmed no signs of a break but noted a definite weakness in that back leg and gave her an anti inflammstory injection and gave me metacam drops for once a fay. Also advised to make a small area in her enclosure to encourage rest.

The following morning, it was dragging behind her and couldn't move it at all and her bum was covered in urine. I called my vet again who said to continue with the treatment and the urine was because she can get that leg up to clean it us she is reduced in mobility.

Shes eating fine, still makes a fuss over her food. She's never been the biggest drinker but have been giving her some extra cucumber and green peppers for vit c. It's been 4 days now and no improvements. Her leg is nice and warm, no outward sign of injury. I've just gave her a little bum a belly bath to gey rid of the urine.

So I'm just asking others to share similar stories and hopefully hear some happy endings, or can offer advice in what else I can do. I live on my own, and they are all I have and feel like I dont have anyone else to talk to right now who understands. I'm so upset because I just want her to be okay.

 

[Wiebke]

Issue started in Monday.

Hello, I'm really just asking for advice and really would be grateful if people can help shed some light or offer experiences.

My 1 year old girl was fine one day. They the next not able to put wieght on her back leg. Took her to the vet the following morning who confirmed no signs of a break but noted a definite weakness in that back leg and gave her an anti inflammstory injection and gave me metacam drops for once a fay. Also advised to make a small area in her enclosure to encourage rest.

The following morning, it was dragging behind her and couldn't move it at all and her bum was covered in urine. I called my vet again who said to continue with the treatment and the urine was because she can get that leg up to clean it us she is reduced in mobility.

Shes eating fine, still makes a fuss over her food. She's never been the biggest drinker but have been giving her some extra cucumber and green peppers for vit c. It's been 4 days now and no improvements. Her leg is nice and warm, no outward sign of injury. I've just gave her a little bum a belly bath to gey rid of the urine.

So I'm just asking others to share similar stories and hopefully hear some happy endings, or can offer advice in what else I can do. I live on my own, and they are all I have and feel like I dont have anyone else to talk to right now who understands. I'm so upset because I just want her to be okay.

Hi and welcome

Unfortunately, there is a whole range of things that can cause unilateral or bilateral back leg paralysis or weakness.
Without access to your piggy, all we can do is speculate as much as you do. A bad sprain can take weeks to heal but a leg sticking out at the back may have different causes. Has your vet checked whether the bladder may be affected by whatever is causing the problem or whether your piggy is just unable to clean themself?
At that young age when piggies are still much more active, it is more likely an injury from a bad landing.

However, scurvy symptoms differ and do not come into play in your case, nor does 'overnight paralysis' (a sudden drop in calcium, which affects both back legs at once). Be aware that when you do online research on spec for specific symptoms that you do not necessarily have the knowledge to put things into the appropriate context and perspective.

Please follow the very helpful information in our mobility care guide link below; it contains lots of very practical advice and how to care tips that will make a big difference. Try not to separate your piggy if at all possible; it is very stressful for them.
Make sure that your piggy has got access to water and hay (which makes over three quarters of what a piggy eats in a day) right next to her denning area and that you regularly clean and refresh the bedding area (at least twice daily) and give your piggy a gentle bum clean and check of all the foot soles.
Looking After Guinea Pigs With Limited or No Mobility
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures (includes crucial weight/food intake monitoring)

Could you please check what dosage and what strength of metacam your vet has prescribed (0.5 mg for cats or 1.5 mg for dogs)?

If you want to go for a second opinion, here is our list of recommended vets (not exhaustive since we rely on member recommendations but it may save you time nevertheless): Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

 

[HEvan]

Hi and welcome

Unfortunately, there is a whole range of things that can cause unilateral or bilateral back leg paralysis or weakness.
Without access to your piggy, all we can do is speculate as much as you do. A bad sprain can take weeks to heal but a leg sticking out at the back may have different causes. Has your vet checked whether the bladder may be affected by whatever is causing the problem or whether your piggy is just unable to clean themself?
At that young age when piggies are still much more active, it is more likely an injury from a bad landing.

However, scurvy symptoms differ and do not come into play in your case, nor does 'overnight paralysis' (a sudden drop in calcium, which affects both back legs at once). Be aware that when you do online research on spec for specific symptoms that you do not necessarily have the knowledge to put things into the appropriate context and perspective.

Please follow the very helpful information in our mobility care guide link below; it contains lots of very practical advice and how to care tips that will make a big difference. Try not to separate your piggy if at all possible; it is very stressful for them.
Make sure that your piggy has got access to water and hay (which makes over three quarters of what a piggy eats in a day) right next to her denning area and that you regularly clean and refresh the bedding area (at least twice daily) and give your piggy a gentle bum clean and check of all the foot soles.
Looking After Guinea Pigs With Limited or No Mobility
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures (includes crucial weight/food intake monitoring)

Could you please check what dosage and what strength of metacam your vet has prescribed (0.5 mg for cats or 1.5 mg for dogs)?

If you want to go for a second opinion, here is our list of recommended vets (not exhaustive since we rely on member recommendations but it may save you time nevertheless): Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

Thank you for the reply!

The vet thinks she may have a inflamed disc causing pressure on the nerve of that leg and didnt note that it was painful. But she hasn't had any xrays or anything.


When I say sticking out, I mean it drags behind when she mobilises like she has no strength in it. All other limbs are working fine.

I had them on a low, but not 0 calcium diet, do you think that might have been a problem?

Shes on 0.5mg/ml cat. I'm not sure on the exact dose as the syringe is the product one. I think its a 1ml syringe and give 1.6 of the 1ml if that makes sense.

She is still in the same cage as her sister but I've just made up a 3x1 section for her as her sister can be bossy and kicks her out of a bed.

In regards to her backside, she spend alot of time resting right now and only mobilising outside her hidey for food and water or to go to her other bed. When I watch her, it looks like she can't move the keg to clean that side.

I understand I won't get thorough information without assessing her, I just want to know a possibility if she can improve or to expect the worse. I just feel really lost

 

[Piggies&buns]

Unfortunately we cannot give any idea of her ability to improve because we aren’t vets. Only the vet can tell you that following x rays, checks etc.
I do hope she will be ok though.

As Wiebke has said this does not appear to be a calcium related paralysis.
Calcium is a complicated subject though and the amount piggies intake depends a lot on pellets and drinking water - most calcium coming into the diet via pellets and unfiltered drinking water (which is also dependent upon your location), so keeping pellets limited to one tablespoon and filtering their water is the main thing to do.
What you can’t do is allow calcium to be too low - it can be just as bad as being too high. They, of course, need calcium will never be a 0 calcium diet (it would be impossible given calcium is in everything they eat and drink) but it’s about finding the level which is suiting your piggies.

 

[HEvan]

Unfortunately we cannot give any idea of her ability to improve because we aren’t vets. Only the vet can tell you that following x rays, checks etc.
I do hope she will be ok though.

As Wiebke has said this does not appear to be a calcium related paralysis.
Calcium is a complicated subject though and the amount piggies intake depends a lot on pellets and drinking water - most calcium coming into the diet via pellets and unfiltered drinking water (which is also dependent upon your location), so keeping pellets limited to one tablespoon and filtering their water is the main thing to do.
What you can’t do is allow calcium to be too low - it can be just as bad as being too high. They, of course, need calcium will never be a 0 calcium diet (it would be impossible given calcium is in everything they eat and drink) but it’s about finding the level which is suiting your piggies.

Thank you for your reply.

I understand that you can't tell me if she will improve or not. I was hoping others could share thier experiences in similar cases And what the outcome was.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for your reply.

I understand that you can't tell me if she will improve or not. I was hoping others could share thier experiences in similar cases And what the outcome was.

In many cases there is thankfully a full or partial recovery, but it can take its time.
The problem is that there is such a range of different issues that can impact on back leg mobility that you will often struggle to find a case that compares exactly to yours; especially once you get out of the run of the mill cases.

Guinea pig diagnostics are developing but they are still considerably lacking behind other pets, which means that we come across new things all the time. Your inflamed disc is one of these diagnoses that is a new one but there is is obviously a sore point in your piggy's spine, which has nothing to do with calcium or vitamin C but the swelling can impact on the nerves. Hopefully the anti-inflammory (which is also a painkiller) will do the trick.

It also depends on how strong the medication is your vet has prescribed and whether that really does the trick ot not. You haven't answered my question re. metacam strength and dosage from my last post. The more background information we have, the better we can put your case in perspective; the less we have to work with, the more it becomes just a wild guessing game that is not helpful for anybody.

 

[HEvan]

In many cases there is thankfully a full or partial recovery, but it can take its time.
The problem is that there is such a range of different issues that can impact on back leg mobility that you will often struggle to find a case that compares exactly to yours; especially once you get out of the run of the mill cases.

Guinea pig diagnostics are developing but they are still considerably lacking behind other pets, which means that we come across new things all the time. Your inflamed disc is one of these diagnoses that is a new one but there is is obviously a sore point in your piggy's spine, which has nothing to do with calcium or vitamin C but the swelling can impact on the nerves. Hopefully the anti-inflammory (which is also a painkiller) will do the trick.

It also depends on how strong the medication is your vet has prescribed and whether that really does the trick ot not. You haven't answered my question re. metacam strength and dosage from my last post. The more background information we have, the better we can put your case in perspective; the less we have to work with, the more it becomes just a wild guessing game that is not helpful for anybody.

She is on the 0.5mg/ml cat does. She's on a 1.8kg dose which is just under the 2 mark of the syringe which I believe to be a 1ml syringe as advised by my vet.

I really do hope for even a partial recovery so she can move about more. She was always running and doing zoomies

 

[Wiebke]

She is on the 0.5mg/ml cat does. She's on a 1.8kg dose which is just under the 2 mark of the syringe which I believe to be a 1ml syringe as advised by my vet.

I really do hope for even a partial recovery so she can move about more. She was always running and doing zoomies

That dosage is on the low side so your vet can go up quite a lot more if needed if there is no change to the better or a continuing deterioration.

Unfortunately, cat metacam has been licensed for guinea pigs instead of three times stronger dog metacam, which is preferred by extoics vets for the range that guinea pigs actually need for it to make a real difference.

Guinea pigs have a much faster metabolism than cats and dogs and unlike those species, they do tolerate metacam (active ingredient meloxicam) a lot better in terms of their kidneys. If possible give that to her twice daily in order to provide round the clock pain cover.

 

[Wheekallweek]

We had a guinea pig at the rescue called Bugsy who had bilateral hind leg weakness. He'd been kept in a hutch with a rabbit which unfortunately kicked him, so his was due to a spinal injury. He could sort of paddle with his back legs and use them to propel himself forward but could put any weight on them if that makes sense.
It didn't get better or worse over the time we had him and he was rehomed by a lovely lady to live with her three legged piggy!
However he never had issues with regards to getting soaked in urine.

We also had a bunny in for a short while who had constantly urinating on herself. It turns out she was missing her right hip joint which meant she couldn't stand to pee properly. Twice daily we would wipe her private area with grooming wipes and then apply sudocrem to prevent it getting sore again (she came to us with no hair and urine scald so not sure whether sudocrem would help if she is still hairy there!)
The wipes made it so much easier than having to bathe her every day.
Hope this helps, at least your piggy is still bright and eating! She is lucky to have you

 

[HEvan]

That dosage is on the low side so your vet can go up quite a lot more if needed if there is no change to the better or a continuing deterioration.

Unfortunately, cat metacam has been licensed for guinea pigs instead of three times stronger dog metacam, which is preferred by extoics vets for the range that guinea pigs actually need for it to make a real difference.

Guinea pigs have a much faster metabolism than cats and dogs and unlike those species, they do tolerate metacam (active ingredient meloxicam) a lot better in terms of their kidneys. If possible give that to her twice daily in order to provide round the clock pain cover.

Okay thank you. She gets fresh veg am and pm so will give another dose for the evening aswell. She is die to go back to the vets next week for a follow up so if no improvement I will suggest thus. Although if only the cat one is licensed for guinea pigs I don't know how kern he would be to give the dog one

 

[HEvan]

We had a guinea pig at the rescue called Bugsy who had bilateral hind leg weakness. He'd been kept in a hutch with a rabbit which unfortunately kicked him, so his was due to a spinal injury. He could sort of paddle with his back legs and use them to propel himself forward but could put any weight on them if that makes sense.
It didn't get better or worse over the time we had him and he was rehomed by a lovely lady to live with her three legged piggy!
However he never had issues with regards to getting soaked in urine.

We also had a bunny in for a short while who had constantly urinating on herself. It turns out she was missing her right hip joint which meant she couldn't stand to pee properly. Twice daily we would wipe her private area with grooming wipes and then apply sudocrem to prevent it getting sore again (she came to us with no hair and urine scald so not sure whether sudocrem would help if she is still hairy there!)
The wipes made it so much easier than having to bathe her every day.
Hope this helps, at least your piggy is still bright and eating! She is lucky to have you

Thank you for sharing your experiences. They are very much appreciated. I couldnt find much online regarding this.

She is normally so active, loved zooming around my lounge and exploring so breaks my heart that she can't run around.

I'm just worried if this is her now, will she find ways around her new mobility and if he quality of life will be dramatically effected.
She keeps the good leg side reasonably clean, just the bad leg side quickly becomes dirty with urine.

What wipes would you recommend? Although she hated being picked up, she seemed to quiet enjoy the little warm bath and then snuggled in a fluffy towel. But ofcourse I don't want to handle her too much incase I do more damage.

 

[Wheekallweek]

We used grooming wipes from pets at home originally but they're full of chemicals so we switched to just like baby water wipes x
I like to think piggies are resilient and work their way around mobility issues. Bugsy certainly seemed a happy boy! My Rainbow Bridge boy Larry had to have one eye removed and had very little sight in his other eye, he adapted really well.
Try not to think too far ahead; it may be it improves by itself over time, especially on a better dose of metacam.
All you can do right now is keep her comfy, clean and dry and give her lots of love!
What kind of bedding do you use?
If she sits in the same place for a while it may be worth putting a square of Vetbed there to wick away any excess wee to help keep her dry x

 

[HEvan]

We used grooming wipes from pets at home originally but they're full of chemicals so we switched to just like baby water wipes x
I like to think piggies are resilient and work their way around mobility issues. Bugsy certainly seemed a happy boy! My Rainbow Bridge boy Larry had to have one eye removed and had very little sight in his other eye, he adapted really well.
Try not to think too far ahead; it may be it improves by itself over time, especially on a better dose of metacam.
All you can do right now is keep her comfy, clean and dry and give her lots of love!
What kind of bedding do you use?
If she sits in the same place for a while it may be worth putting a square of Vetbed there to wick away any excess wee to help keep her dry x

I'm using fleece and changing them out twice a day. I will see if I can order some vetbed now thank you!

Yes I'm hoping the bigger dose might make the difference

 

[HEvan]

Her leg moved!
It still drags behind her when she walks but it moved!
I had her on my lap giving her bad leg a clean and wiped the bottom of her foot and she lifted it. Not by loads but she lifted!
Could it be the the medication is working or maybe it was more of an injury rather then a complete loss of limb use?

 

[Viennese Furbabies]

That's great news!
In young and very active piggies an injury is a very plausible cause for mobility issues.
I hope your girl will get well soon with your care and the right medication.

 

[HEvan]

Thank you for the response! This morning it still mostly drags when walking, but now she is able to bring thay leg into herself in sitting position! So proud of my girl

 

[Lady Kelly]

Okay thank you. She gets fresh veg am and pm so will give another dose for the evening aswell. She is die to go back to the vets next week for a follow up so if no improvement I will suggest thus. Although if only the cat one is licensed for guinea pigs I don't know how kern he would be to give the dog one

Copied this quote of what metacam is licensed for:
Metacam 0.5 mg/ml oral suspension for cats, manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim, is now licensed for the alleviation of mild to moderate post-operative pain associated with soft tissue surgery.

So in terms of your guinea pig it is an unlicensed product and would be no different to prescribing the dog version.

 

[Wheekallweek]

Yay great news! Perhaps it was just a sprain or something!