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Newbies With A Poorly Piggy !

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Kalou1972

Kalou1972

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Hi All, newbies here . We've had our beutiful boys Gus & Bruce for a year in July and they will be 2 then. They are both the most gorgeous loving little piggies and are part of the family.

Last week I noticed Bruce wasn't walking properly ...and to cut a long story short we had him x rayed to be told he has a fractured spine ! We've no idea how it happened but as he is eating fine and despite not being able to use his rear legs he can definately still feel so we know he's not paralysed.....so ...we are going to give him the best chance we can.

I just wondered if anyone had any advice? We are regularly moving his legs and massaging muscles ....also putting him in water (supporting him ) to let him move his legs.

He's currently on a painkiller once a day.
What else can I do ?

Thanks

Karen xx
 
Brill thankyou ... we are all desperate and 100%comitted to getting him better
 
Is that dog Metacam? Your vet can also prescribe Tramodol if he appears in pain still. Metacam has anti inflammatory properties. Was he dropped? What has the vet said his prognosis is? If the vet is hopeful it will mend itself, I would consider restricting his living space so he can't run around too much & injure himself further.
 
No idea how it's happened ..as he hasn't been dropped or fallen. We think either he's popcorned maybe under s radiator or twisted or fallen when his brother has jumped on his back playing. The vet said 50/50 chance of walking again. He's not moving at all himself ...I'm having to give him water with a syringe and have to put his food around his mouth so he can reach it. I'm regularly putting him on his back and massaging him or laying him on his belly and exercising his legs. A good sign is we know he has feeling in his feet. Also the fracture is a very neat one ..also surrounded by his pelvic bone so the vet said we couldn't really do him harm by moving him to get his limbs going x
 
I wouldn't put him on his back :( Is he indoors? What kind of cage is he in? If it is a c & c cage you could section a small area off for him, but his friend could still see him through the bars. You can gently massage his back feet & legs but be very careful.
 
I don't have anything I can add really except maybe either giving the Metacam twice a day or giving 0.2ml twice a day but you would have to see what the vet says. Piggy metabolism is fast though so one dose will be out of his system by the end of the day. Good that you are doing water therapy, that was going to be my other suggestion.
 
Yes tgey are indoors. They are only in their cage at night at the mo ..and tbh I don't know what's best ..keeping them together or separate ( I can put gus on top floor and Bruce on the bottom) . The trouble is if together gus is punching all the food and obviously we risk him climbing on Bruce's back ... but they are sad if we separate !
I was advised to double dose by our rescue centre (where we got them from ) but the vet said not to as can cause lots of problems for their tummies x
 
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