• 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

Specialist Something Is Wrong With My Boy Donny But Not Sure What

Status
Not open for further replies.
Lilly

Lilly

Adult Guinea Pig
Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Messages
4,862
Reaction score
2,335
Points
970
Location
Brisbane QLD Australia
A week ago I picked Donny up to transfer him from his cage to his floortime pen & he squealed in pain. I held him & stroked him a few times to try & see where he was hurting. Turned out to be somewhere in his lower back on the right side. Took him to the vet the same day. Vet did find a spot where he hurt when pressed but really nothing that would indicate why. He was put on Metacam for 5 days, then no pain relief for 2 days & back again for a check-up. I handled him as little as possible & heard no pain squealing.

When the vet re-checked him he was still squealing in pain & trying to get away. He had X-rays but nothing was fractured or broken and no stones were seen. The spot where he hurts has no lump or swelling on it. She is now thinking he might have sprained a muscle & that takes a while to heal so back on the Metacam for 2 weeks. If he is still in pain after that I will be asking for an ultrasound. Is there any other testing some of you could recommend?

Nothing wrong with his digestion at any rate! He popped out 6 poopies while she was examining him & she said that he certainly produced lovely poops.

Here's my boy eating after he had his Metacam.

 
I am not too sure about further tests Lilly other than an Ultrasund, but you could also try water therapy, especially if it is a suspected sprain as it will help him to move the affected area.
 
Severe sprains can be painful and can take a few weeks to heal. In that case, metacam, which is a painkiller and anti-inflammatory, is the best treatment.
 
helen105281 said:
I am not too sure about further tests Lilly other than an Ultrasund, but you could also try water therapy, especially if it is a suspected sprain as it will help him to move the affected area.
Click to expand...
Water therapy is something I could certainly try while he is on his 2 weeks of Metacam. The boy hasn't even had a bath yet since I got him in November 2014! He doesn't have a greasey grease gland, gets his sheltie hair cur right down every 2nd month & seems very clean. How much water depth should I start with & what do you think is the highest I could progress to?

Wiebke said:
Severe sprains can be painful and can take a few weeks to heal. In that case, metacam, which is a painkiller and anti-inflammatory, is the best treatment.
Click to expand...
Yes, so hopefully 14 days of the Metacam will help. I once sprained my ankle & it took longer to heal than the elbow I fractured! I just don't understand how he did this but he is a runner & he may have banged himself up running away from something. Unfortunately it wasn't anything I noticed him bumping into.
 
Lilly said:
Water therapy is something I could certainly try while he is on his 2 weeks of Metacam. The boy hasn't even had a bath yet since I got him in November 2014! He doesn't have a greasey grease gland, gets his sheltie hair cur right down every 2nd month & seems very clean. How much water depth should I start with & what do you think is the highest I could progress to?

Yes, so hopefully 14 days of the Metacam will help. I once sprained my ankle & it took longer to heal than the elbow I fractured! I just don't understand how he did this but he is a runner & he may have banged himself up running away from something. Unfortunately it wasn't anything I noticed him bumping into.
Click to expand...

Never go beyond any depth of water he cannot stand in safely in (i.e. 2 inches).

If he is a very active piggy, expect him to tear around before he is fully healed and make it worse again. You can't coop him up the whole time. That is my experience with my piggies that have managed to sprain feet or hips, landing or twisting badly.
 
Wiebke said:
Never go beyond any depth of water he cannot stand in safely in (i.e. 2 inches).

If he is a very active piggy, expect him to tear around before he is fully healed and make it worse again. You can't coop him up the whole time. That is my experience with my piggies that have managed to sprain feet or hips, landing or twisting badly.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the water advice! Oh dear, seems like you've had much experience with overactive piggies that manage to sprain muscles. I think when the vet said his lower back she probably meant his hips!
 
A friend recently used a child's arm band for her pig when he had water therapy after a stroke, and it meant he was supported and was floating about kicking his legs. It depends on the individual pig though and how confident they are in water.
 
helen105281 said:
A friend recently used a child's arm band for her pig when he had water therapy after a stroke, and it meant he was supported and was floating about kicking his legs. It depends on the individual pig though and how confident they are in water.
Click to expand...
I have 2 grandchildren. What exactly is a child's arm band? I might be able to get something like that.
 
Lilly said:
Thanks for the water advice! Oh dear, seems like you've had much experience with overactive piggies that manage to sprain muscles. I think when the vet said his lower back she probably meant his hips!
Click to expand...

The downside of regular roaming... one awkward jump or even a swipe with a back leg at another piggy can do the damage. Yes. you need to support a piggy with water therapy; sadly the Peter Gurney link is no longer available.
 
Wiebke said:
The downside of regular roaming... one awkward jump or even a swipe with a back leg at another piggy can do the damage. Yes. you need to support a piggy with water therapy; sadly the Peter Gurney link is no longer available.
Click to expand...
Donny is the boss of the cage and likes to chase Mason away from his bowl even though both bowls are exactly the same and have the same contents. I've even noticed that Donny ends up moving a ceramic bowl quite a ways from the spot I put it in the cage. I think I will have to keep it away from the sides of the cage & place it more in the middle, as this could be one problem.
 
You may need more than one set. Bear chewed a hole in the first one bless him. It worked though and really helped with his stroke rehabilitation. He has sadly since passed away due to long term heart issues but this really did help with his movement after his stroke.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top