• DONATIONS NOW OPEN! TGPF relies on donations to run. If you'd like to donate towards running costs you can find out more HERE
  • Fresh grass and lawn tips to avoid springtime deaths Click here for details
  • 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

Hind Legs

Status
Not open for further replies.
SmAsh

SmAsh

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Apr 1, 2016
Messages
65
Reaction score
14
Points
165
I have four boars. I noticed today that one was trailing his left leg behind him. On lifting him up I noticed he had something weird coming from his bum. It look like a long wormy thing with a sort of balloon on the end.

I immediately took him to the vets who dismissed the thing as it detached itself but it looked so weird. She just said I don't know what it is.

She moved his legs and said she didn't think they were broken. Gave him an anti-inflammatory injection and the told us to come back on Monday.

He is going for a wee and poo as normal as well as eating. However I noticed both legs are dragging now.

I have put him in a smaller cage to prevent him from moving too much. As he still wants to move around.

Does anyone know what the thing that came out his bum could be? I should have taken s photo but I was too upset. Anything else I can do to help him?
 
If you can, please see a more knowledgeable vet!

I can sadly not help you with what has come out of his bum, as your description is simply too vague. it rather sounds like something progressive that is pressing down on the spine and is not affecting the legs themselves.

Please keep any hay, water and pellets close by. Change the bedding in the are he is mostly sitting in twice daily to make sure that he is not sitting in any pee/poo (urine scald) and if ncessary, clean him up if he cannot do it himself. Check his front pads regularly, as he is putting a lot of pressure on them (bumblefoot/pododermatitis).

Weigh him daily at the same time to make sure that he is eating/drinking enough, and if necessary, step in with syringe feeding.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details, we may be able to help you better. You can find our recommended UK vets locator on the top bar, but we may be able to provide a link to recommended vets in some other countries, if wished.
 
He is he is only a year old. Checking his weight and put everything next to him so he doesn't have to move. It's the one leg that is not moving I checked again this morning.

He is eating fine but not drinking much water (he has never been a big drinker though). I have left vegetables wet and put a small drinking bowl in to encourage him. Should I syringe him some water?

I am seeing a different get on Monday. We used to have an amazing vet who specialised in Guinea pigs as he used to look after them in Berlin Zoo. I think he must have gone :(

I'm worried about his cage mate, they are both very sociable. Is it ok to put them together in the smaller cage for 5 minute intervals during the day? Or will this cause too much movement?
 
Did the vet recommend him to be separated?

I had a pig who had a stroke and was unable to walk. My guinea specialist vet suggested that he stay in the cage with his friend so he didn't feel alone and it could motivate him to try to get around.

I was to split them up only if the other pig was messing with him, rumbling or climbing on him. Thankfully that didn't happen.

I monitored his weight daily and if he lost weight I got him out twice daily so he could eat veg without the other one bothering him. I'd offer him water from a stringe too.

Like Wiebke says, keep his area under him very clean. The lack of movement can cause bumblefoot to occur and that can be a nightmare to treat.
 
She said to keep him still until we found out what is wrong. She said it would be easier to see if it is him drinking, eating, pooing and seeing etc by keeping him in a separate cage.

Do you not think he should remain still? I have put everything near him to restrict movement incase it's a break? Put him on fleece which we have cut several to size so we can keep changing it. When we get him out to change the fleece and weigh him he wants to climb up on out lap. I'm worried that could make it worse though.
 
It's best to follow your vets advice in case it is a sprain or a break.

My boy was different as he had a stroke. His legs were fine, it was just the signals from his brain has stopped working so he couldn't move them.

The separation will be helpful for you to monitor his eating, peeing and pooping. And the vet on Monday will probably xray him to check for injury and will let you know if he can move back in with his cagemate.

I hope all goes well with him. Please keep us updated
 
Id handle him as little as possible as you dont know the cause of the problem. Keep him dry underneath and change fleece regularly as mentioned.

Seperating him or not will be a judgement call on your part- if his companion will sleep with him for company but not climb over him or dominate him with food then you could try them together. If not then best to seperate them until you know the nature of his illness. If you keep them together you will need to be super vigilant with weighing and urine/poo outputs as obviously you wont know who is doing what x
 
Took Smoke back to the vets this afternoon, the new vet was shocked he had not been given any painkillers over the weekend (I knew the other vet shouldn't be trusted). He has to go back in tomorrow morning for x-rays. I am worried about the anesthetic if he has to have it. We have been syringe feeding him pellets and water. However he loves eating the mix from a spoon. We have been told off for giving them too much kale so need to start them on a new diet. We do give them cucumber, carrot and pepper and occasionally apple and melon as well. I think it is definitely broken as my sister noticed he has broken one of his nails so he must have got it caught and pulled it.
 
SmAsh said:
Took Smoke back to the vets this afternoon, the new vet was shocked he had not been given any painkillers over the weekend (I knew the other vet shouldn't be trusted). He has to go back in tomorrow morning for x-rays. I am worried about the anesthetic if he has to have it. We have been syringe feeding him pellets and water. However he loves eating the mix from a spoon. We have been told off for giving them too much kale so need to start them on a new diet. We do give them cucumber, carrot and pepper and occasionally apple and melon as well. I think it is definitely broken as my sister noticed he has broken one of his nails so he must have got it caught and pulled it.
Click to expand...

All the best! He will only need a very light sedation for x-rays.

Here you find tips for a good balanced diet and how much you can feed what: Recommendations For A Balanced General Guinea Pig Diet
 
Smoke had his x-ray they could not find any breaks. Therefore they think it maybe his spine but they could not see anything on that either. They are worried that he is incontinent and that he will need constant care as he will get sores. They said if we are lucky with antibiotics he will get better within 6 weeks. However, they said if he cannot move his legs in two weeks it maybe kinder to put him down. They said I need to reduce calcium as his wee is coming out quite white.

I don't think I can afford to take hi to an exotic vet, I don't know how to get his legs working again.
 
Donna at the guinea pig hotel Smoke and the rest of my piggies go to one we are on holiday is going to do hydrotherapy with Smoke. I thought you may like to see her blog it shows you how to do the hydrotherapy. Blog
 
Wow, that's fantastic. Smoke is in good hands. Ask her to show you how to do it to, so you can have a go at home. Fingers crossed for Smoke, keep us updated!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top