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Please help! Hind legs issue

avafaghani

avafaghani

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hello everyone,
I woke up this morning to my elderly guinea Ginny not using her hind legs and avoiding walking. I have a 4pm vet appointment. What could this be? Could it be lack of vitamin C? they don’t seem injured physically. Please help
 

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Update: So she went to the vet and the vet wasn’t extremely alarmed speaking she is turning 7 soon. She offered to do an X-ray but said it’s not super dire like a broken leg or injury. She prescribed meloxicam and some vitamin C for the pain and we will have to wait and see if Ginny starts walking more again. Please let me know if this sounds about right! Ginny is still pooping, eating, puring, and trying to move a little.
 
💗Is she doing better now?

I have read here of temporary back leg paralysis (due to calcium deficiency I think) which does get better.
On the other hand, my late boar had arthritis which got rapidly worse in his last week so that by the end he couldn't move his back legs. Obviously I hope your lovely sow doesn't have that. I hope she is better soon. X
 
As above, temporary paralysis can be due to a sudden drop in calcium (not a drop in vitamin c). If she has a good diet and is eating well then she is not likely to have vitamin c issues (unless she isn’t absorbing nutrients properly and in which case you’d be noticing more symptoms than just back leg paralysis).

The pain killer certainly is a good move but only time will tell if it’s enough to give her mobility back (ie if its arthritis) or whether there is something else going on

I hope she is ok
 
Meloxicam will help if the paralysis is cause by pain such as from arthritis. One of my elderly piggies who has arthritis drags her legs if she doesn't get her pain meds twice a day. She is prescribed Meloxicam and Gabapentin.

I hope that your piggy is felling better soon.
 
avafaghani said:
I woke up this morning and she is walking around happily! Thank you all for the help. My last question is how long should she be staying on the meloxicam for? It’s crazy how much happier and active she is this morning!
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That’s great news!

It would be best to discuss with your vet.
If the vet doesn’t think she has arthritis and it was a case of overnight paralysis (sudden drop in calcium) which usually corrects itself, she may not need them anymore.
 
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