Weak hind legs

[Valerie]

Hi everyone. Recently my guinea pig,Rhino drags her legs around and they seem paralysed. She can't seem to keep them properly and hobbles around the cage with difficulty. She's eating well but doesn't seem to be drinking on her own. Her abdomen has always been skinny but she could move around properly then, not anymore though.

I don't really want to go to the vet because I've been there 5 times in the past month(for Rhino and my other 2 guinea pigs who passed away last week) so I don't find that it is very effective. The vet can't even tell me exactly what is wrong and all she does is give me antibiotics which didnt cure my 2 guinea pigs who had an internal problem(which till now i dont know what was the cause). So I am quite hesitant of bringing Rhino there, ill probably end up wasting my money and time. I heard of Osteocare for guinea pigs that cures bone problems? Does anyone know where to get it from? Should I bring her to the vet? What should I do

 

[Toffeewoffee]

I am sorry to hear about your girl and your losses, but the 1st thing that springs to my mind, is find a better vet....? No vet should "just" prescribe antibiotics without a prognosis. Your girl needs to see a vet, she could be in alot of pain and suffering, with the right treatment and medication, by a good cavvy savvy vet, she could make a full recovery, it is not unheard of. I wonder if it is a lac of vitamin c, otherwise known as scurvy. Please have her soon by a good vet ASAP.

If you give your location, someone may be able to recommend a good vet.

Good luck to your little girl x

 

[Valerie]

I brought her to the vet last week and found out that Rhino has arthritis. She said nothing much can be done soon Rhino won't be able to even move around. At least she is eating well now

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

Is she on any pain relief? Metacam can help with arthritis as it's an anti-inflammatory pain relief. However is your vet absolutely sure that's the problem or is she just saying that as she hasn't any other ideas.

 

[Dandilions! :)]

I agree with furryfriends (sorry if i spelt it wrong!), metacam is quite good, although it can't b used for more than a couple of weeks due to its strength and the fact that it was formulated for post operatic conditions.
I'm sorry to hear about your loss of the other 2 guinea pigs. One of my pair of guinea pigs passed away last week from (what may of been) a blocked salivary gland, again the vet was not certain this is what was and so perscribed metacam, the lump went down and she gained weight but we had to stop the treatment due to the problems described above.
The problem is with small animals such as guinea pigs is that they're simply so small, so everything is minimised and as a result it is extremely hard to diagnose them with anything in particular. If I were you and are still worried, i would try to find someone who specialises in smaller animals (i think theyre called Rodentologists? - stab in the dark, i cant remember what theyre called sorry).
But the best thing to do right now is to spend as much time with Rhino and add extra straw etc to make her comfy.
elin is right too, with the right treatment she can recover, just dont give up hope! p

sorry for the ridiculously long reply, but I hope this helps a bit!
Dandilions!

 

[Valerie]

thank you everyone The vet did an x ray for Rhino and her hip bones are in an odd angle. So rhino walks around like a duck(legs turning inwards) to relieve the pain. Yes the vet did give some painkillers although she said not for long term use or it'll have side effects. Rhino's still eating well but has a problem with pooping and peeing because her butt's on the ground most of the time, so i gotta wash her bottom everyday. But other than that she's fine i gave her a pillow to rest on and she loves it! thanks for your concern!

 

[pelicano]

Just to reassure you a bit, I have had a piggy on Metacam for a long time now - probably 2 years! They do seem to tolerate it very well for chronic long term conditions.

 

[AgentF]

If arthritis has been confirmed by x-ray I have had great success with Potters Tabritis tablets they are a human herbal remedy recommended by rodentologist with the proviso they work really well for some pigs and not at all for others.

For my boy they have been a wonder cure he now runs and popcorns without a problem, the only thing that worries me is the vet said stop him jumping as impact is bad for the joints how do you stop a pig popcorning?

If you want to know more about the Potters Tabritis let me know.