My Guinea Pig Has Early Stages Of Bumblefoot?

[eathayandlove]

Last night, I took my two female guinea pigs out of their cage for some exercise and to give their daily veggies (is 1 cup of parsley/cilantro enough for one piggie?). It might have been some mommy instinct, but I noticed something off about one of my guinea pig's walking. I then discovered that she had a noticeable swelling on both her hind feet. Since my other guinea pig was diagnosed with pododermatitis by a vet this summer, bumblefoot seems to be a plausible explanation for this swelling. My other guinea pig, however, had redness and scabbing on the bottom of her feet rather than swelling.

My guinea pigs' cage does not have a wire bottom (which is said to commonly cause bumblefoot); in fact, I took the advice of my vet and bought a blanket and a fleece blanket to put underneath the C&C cage to soften the floor. This was 2+ weeks ago.

I have to admit that I haven't been spot-cleaning the cage for the past few days like usual, so I'm guessing this might have caused an infection? I am also worried that my guinea pig is overweight. She is more lethargic than her other guinea pig companion, as she only gets out of the house to eat and drink water. Plus, when she eats hay, she likes to lay down on the bedding (instead of standing up). She has always been like this, so I simply assumed she was a lazy piggie.

I will definitely take my guinea pig to the vet if necessary, but I would first like to ask for any home remedies I can try to heal her feet.

 

[Wiebke]

Please have your pigs seen promptly; the sooner you treat a foot infection the easier it is to get on top of.

I would assume that the root of the problem would rather stem from from before you switched to fleece only two weeks ago. Have you made sure that you are washing your fleece top without any surface sealing softener? Foot infections are much rarer on fleece.

How old is your girl in question?

Otherwise, gorgeous guineas F&M ointment can help topically, but with inflamed/swollen feet, you will need an antibiotic to prevent the infection from spreading and leading to open sores.
http://gorgeousguineas.com/ointments.html

Please poo patrol at least once daily. I would also recommend to switch fleece/the cosy daily where your girl is lying.

 

[helen105281]

Bumblefoot can also be linked to heart issues and you saying she is lethargic has made me wonder. I can post a detailed reply after work tonight as I will not be around in the day.

In the meantime I agree with Wiebke that she needs to see a vet

 

[helen105281]

Bumblefoot is very common in pigs with heart issues due to a circulatory defecit as a result of the heart not working properly. I am not saying this is definitely heart related and could be the result of the bedding she was on before the switch to fleece like Wiebke says, especially if your other pig had it. However, if she also has any of the following symptoms, please ask your vet to check her heart:

Nodding when breathing
Laboured breathing
Rapid breathing
Loud nasal sounds (like hooting) which can be followed by a cough
Repeated respiratory infections
Lethargy, difficult to rouse from sleep
Random coughing, especially when eating or when handled
Poor physical appearance (low weight - obviously not the case here)
Blue tinge to nose, lips, tongue, ears and feet
Abdominal bloating
Struggling to breathe when placed on her back (it is not advisable to do this)
Excessive salivation without any evidence of a dental issue

 

[eathayandlove]

I would like to clarify one thing about the guinea pigs' cage. If I were to explain it layer by layer, the Carefresh bedding would be on top (and directly on my guinea pigs' feet), then a disposable plastic shower curtain, then the blanket, then finally a bristol board.

@Wiebke: My guinea pig is approaching her fifth birthday this December.

@helen: Oh dear, my guinea pig does seem to slightly nod when breathing. Plus she has made hacking coughs randomly, whether I was petting her or feeding her vegetables. When she was younger (around two years old), I noticed that her breathing was slightly heavier than her other guinea pig companion. I immediately assumed it was URI and took her to a vet. The vet was not sure whether it was a respiratory infection, but gave her a pink sugary medication. I am still not sure to this day whether she did in fact have URI because the vet did not seem very experienced in treating exotic pets....

Thank you all for the information. It seems like a visit to our vet is the only solution

 

[Wiebke]

In your case, I would have her checked out for heart problems and not just treat the feet.

Many, especially general vets are not aware that guinea pigs can have heart problems. They are also not always easy to diagnose. Best print out @helen105281's list of symptoms and medicating tips and take them with you.
With a diminished blood circulation through the extremities, especially feet are at a higher risk from infections, even with the best of care.

Generally, with heart problems, the response is very quick and a piggy noticeably perks up when being put on heart meds, so a week's trial on fortekor and furosemide (both very cheap meds) should give you and your vet an answer in that respect.

If you end up having to chop up tablets (like giving 1/10 of a furosemide tablet), the easiest way is to mix half a tablet in 5ml of water in a small bottle and then syringe 1 ml of the fluid after shaking very well. Keep in the fridge.

 

[helen105281]

I agree, it does sound like you need to ask the vet about heart. Heart issues are very underdiagnosed. Let me know if you need anymore information.