• 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

Leg amputation in piggies - does anyone have any experience?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Just got caught up on this thread. Glad to hear he is doing so well. Will he be neutered in the future? It seems like it might make it easier for him to move around.
 
gogoguineas said:
Awww bless! He looks well tho, considering! Is he still eating well?
Click to expand...

His eating seems to be a bit hit and miss today - as you saw earlier, he's a perky, bright little chap, but he seems to be off his food for a while, then he eats again. The vet did say that today/tomorrow will be the post painful days for him, though, so maybe that's what the problem is.

x
 
I can imagine pain would make him go off his food. Poor little one has been through a lot.
 
Twoflower said:
He looks like he is doing great! Great job with the after care! I hate to admit that I laughed a little when I saw the pic of his amputated part and the testicle. :red:
Click to expand...

I know what you mean......poor little man, condemned to a life of walking on his testicles! x
 
piglet_and_rogers_mama said:
Just got caught up on this thread. Glad to hear he is doing so well. Will he be neutered in the future? It seems like it might make it easier for him to move around.
Click to expand...

Funnily enough, I did say that to my hubby earlier on today.......I would imagine that his testicle(s) will get sore with the dragging on the ground. Castration would definitely make it easier for him to get around and remove that risk of sore boy bits!

It was quite funny at the vets today....Herbie started to wheek when the vet examined him, and the vet said "I bet he wonders what I'm going to remove today!" ;)

x
 
piggyfan said:
I can imagine pain would make him go off his food. Poor little one has been through a lot.
Click to expand...

100% agreed, he's been through more than any guinea pig should ever go through, poor chap.

We're monitoring his eating closely, but he's very good at taking Critical Care from a syringe, so he may well get a belly full of that later x
 
Toffeewoffee said:
Just wondered how out little champion is doing?

xx
Click to expand...

Hiya! Many thanks for thinking about little Herbilicious!

He's a total superstar! Unless you knew, you'd never know he was missing a back leg. He whizzes around the cage like he doesn't have a care in the world, he has his medicine like a complete angel and he's eating really, really well :)) He's regained his cheeky character (he likes to nibble fingers), and his wound is healing up very nicely indeed.

I think it's all looking really promising for this little fellas future :))

Tracey x
 
Toffeewoffee said:
Fab news, you are doing an amazing job lovely xx
Click to expand...

Honestly, it's been a priviledge to spend this past few days nursing him....and to see him pretty much out of danger has been so rewarding!

He's going back home tomorrow, and I know his owners will be so relieved to see him doing so well!

Tracey x
 
doh just spotted he's going home tomorrow :(
Was hoping to see him again on saturday! ah well, good luck herbi-licious! :)p
 
WOW he's amazing!!

GO HERBIE, GIRLS AND I ARE SENDING YOU MORE HEALING VIBES AND WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKS XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 
i am very pleased to hear how well this piggy is doing. a few years ago one of my guinea pigs also had to have a back leg amputated. he was 5 months old when it happened and went on to lead a perfectly normal and happy life for an other 5 years.

amputation sounds drastic but guinea pigs can cope very well on the three legs and for most piggies unfortunate enough to break a leg, amputation is often the best option; bones left to mend themselves can cause problems for life and artheritic pain in later years; and pinning means a minimum of two anaesthetics and can not be guarenteed to be successful.

in respect of how well a guinea pig will cope with the loss of a front leg vs a back leg, it is a common and understandable mistake people often make in thinking it is the back legs that carry the weight , as they are bigger and more muscular. in fact most of the weight is at the front of the body in the skull and chest which is supported by the shorter, stocky front legs. when guinea pigs run at speed they bound in a way similar to rabbits, the back legs powering them forwards and the front legs absorbing more of the shock on landing. so in this respect i would be more concerned about a piggy having to lose a front leg.

where issues may arise due to the loss of a back leg they are more to do with grooming and toileting. as guinea pigs use their back feet to scratch dead skin and loose hair from their coats, the loss of a back leg means they are unable to do this on that side of their body. this can lead to a build up scurf and increase the risk of an out break of mites. so Herbie would benefit from a daily brush. likewise, as piggies use their toes to clean their ears, overtime there will be a build up of wax, which from time to time will need to be cleaned ... very carefully. (depending on the experience of the owner they could ask their vet to show them how to do this safely)

my amputee pig was very slim and had no problem posturing to wee and poo correcty and so keep clean. i would imagine an over weight piggy would find this more difficult so would stress to Herbies owner the imprtance of not allowing him to become chubby!

sorry i did not notice this thread sooner but hope this post is still of help.
 
Hi Teejay,

We rescued a dog some years ago that required front leg amputation.

She lived for five really good years after her amputation.

I just wanted to say that I hope everything goes well and your new friend makes a swift recovery.

Best
Nutty:-)
 
Pound Shilling & Pig said:
i am very pleased to hear how well this piggy is doing. a few years ago one of my guinea pigs also had to have a back leg amputated. he was 5 months old when it happened and went on to lead a perfectly normal and happy life for an other 5 years.

amputation sounds drastic but guinea pigs can cope very well on the three legs and for most piggies unfortunate enough to break a leg, amputation is often the best option; bones left to mend themselves can cause problems for life and artheritic pain in later years; and pinning means a minimum of two anaesthetics and can not be guarenteed to be successful.

in respect of how well a guinea pig will cope with the loss of a front leg vs a back leg, it is a common and understandable mistake people often make in thinking it is the back legs that carry the weight , as they are bigger and more muscular. in fact most of the weight is at the front of the body in the skull and chest which is supported by the shorter, stocky front legs. when guinea pigs run at speed they bound in a way similar to rabbits, the back legs powering them forwards and the front legs absorbing more of the shock on landing. so in this respect i would be more concerned about a piggy having to lose a front leg.

where issues may arise due to the loss of a back leg they are more to do with grooming and toileting. as guinea pigs use their back feet to scratch dead skin and loose hair from their coats, the loss of a back leg means they are unable to do this on that side of their body. this can lead to a build up scurf and increase the risk of an out break of mites. so Herbie would benefit from a daily brush. likewise, as piggies use their toes to clean their ears, overtime there will be a build up of wax, which from time to time will need to be cleaned ... very carefully. (depending on the experience of the owner they could ask their vet to show them how to do this safely)

my amputee pig was very slim and had no problem posturing to wee and poo correcty and so keep clean. i would imagine an over weight piggy would find this more difficult so would stress to Herbies owner the imprtance of not allowing him to become chubby!

sorry i did not notice this thread sooner but hope this post is still of help.
Click to expand...

Hi there! What a lovely post, thank you!

While Herbie was with us (he's gone home now) we did notice that his eyes got quite crusty, and I guessed that was because he couldn't sit back on his haunches to clean his face, so the natural eye discharge was building up and drying out around his eyes. So we cleaned his eyes every day.

Apart from this, he seemed to manage really well with all of the other normal day to day self-grooming.

I guess him being so young would help him to adapt to losing his leg quite quickly.

He's coming back to stay in October, so I'll see how he's getting on then.

x
 
my amputee was also young when he lost his leg and he adapted really well. i am sure Herbie will go on to live a long and happy life and enjoy all the extra tlc!

i will look out for an update in october:)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top