Vitamin C Defficiency?

[Kireh]

Just a couple of days back, while at the pet store looking for supplies for my piggy, I found a little cavy girl lying on her side, brething heavily. I asked the clerk if she was fine, and they said she'd been like that for a while. That she'd probably been stepped on by one of her siblings.
So I tried petting her a bit and then she started to cry out loud like I'd just pinched her.

I freaked out.
The only thing I could do was buy her and then rushed to the vet.

After checking her, the vet asked me about her diet, and I said I'd just got her from a pet shop. Then the vet suggested she might suffer from vitamin C deficiency, beacuse she probably hadn't been receiving enough of the vitamin in her diet.

Ok, so this little girl won't move her back legs at all, she squeeks like crazy everytime she's lifted, sometimes even by touching her around the ribcage area.

Apart from that, when I took her home and offered her some food, she accepted it very well, same thing with water. Not so much with vegetables, though.

She's looking better. Her breathing is normalizing, and she stands up for longer periods now. She's eager to eat pellets, and drinks profusely, too.

I'm worried, though, that since she's just a baby, she can have permanent damage to her legs...

What do you think? Also, what can I do to help her recover faster from the vitamin C deficiency? Or do you think it might be something else?

Please help!!

[Silverbeat]

Here, give this page on Guinea Lynx a read: http://www.guinealynx.info/scurvy.html
It sounds like Scurvy to me. What veggies have you been giving her? Sometimes I find it helps to cut them up if a pig isn't eager to eat them. You can also give her a small piece of fruit, which she will likely appreciate. A pig needs 10 to 30 mg of vitamin C every day, here is a chart of fruits and veggies ranked by C content: http://www.guinealynx.info/diet_order-c.html

[Shurrim]

Poor little thing!! And they were just letting her there??? Grrrrrr
I would have done same thing probably. She's lucky you brought her home and to the vet, I wish she will go better. Give news about her please!

[Ly&Pigs]

I'm sorry the pig is in bad shape. However, petstores are notorious for having sick pigs. I understand the want to help them all but by buying this pig you didn't do anyone a huge service. There will most likely be more sick pigs to take the place of the one you bought and it just sends the message to the petstore that it's ok that they have sick pigs cause some person will come along and buy them.

I'd present the petstore with the bill and raise a huge fuss with them until they pay it. Then I'd stop buying pigs in petstores.

It's possible it could be scurvy but it's also possible it could be something else. If she doesn't get better then you can always make a return trip to the vet.

[urockstar]

Just a couple of days back, while at the pet store looking for supplies for my piggy, I found a little cavy girl lying on her side, brething heavily. I asked the clerk if she was fine, and they said she'd been like that for a while. That she'd probably been stepped on by one of her siblings.
So I tried petting her a bit and then she started to cry out loud like I'd just pinched her.

I freaked out.
The only thing I could do was buy her and then rushed to the vet.

After checking her, the vet asked me about her diet, and I said I'd just got her from a pet shop. Then the vet suggested she might suffer from vitamin C deficiency, beacuse she probably hadn't been receiving enough of the vitamin in her diet.

Ok, so this little girl won't move her back legs at all, she squeeks like crazy everytime she's lifted, sometimes even by touching her around the ribcage area.

Apart from that, when I took her home and offered her some food, she accepted it very well, same thing with water. Not so much with vegetables, though.

She's looking better. Her breathing is normalizing, and she stands up for longer periods now. She's eager to eat pellets, and drinks profusely, too.

I'm worried, though, that since she's just a baby, she can have permanent damage to her legs...

What do you think? Also, what can I do to help her recover faster from the vitamin C deficiency? Or do you think it might be something else?

Please help!!

It's funny to find this here at the top of the forum, because this is a very similar problem to one I'm having with my pig. I actually came here right now to ask about 500mg vitamin C tablets, how tiny to break it up so I'm giving the proper amount. (The store was only selling 500mg) -- My pig is having some labored breathing and after trying Bactrim with her with no luck, and speaking with the vet today, she said this could be a lack of vitamin c, since she isn't eating as well lately. She also makes some minor discomfort noises when I touch near her ribcage. The vet also said it might be pneumonia, and I'm bringing her in tomorrow to see how it goes.

Good luck with your pig!

[Kimberly713]

That's why I hate going into petstores now. They always have like 8 pigs in a tiny like 15x20 cage maybe, and I just want to rescue all of them from that prison! Never seen any sick ones before though. Surprised the vet didn't give you more info. Offer her tiny pieces of veggies, like parsely and red bell pepper if she won't take it from you just leave i with her in her hidey and watch it a few hours. If it gets old and dried out just take it out and try again later. Eventually she will probably get curious and eat it.

[MaggieMae]

It is important to find a qualified exotics vet to properly diagnose a problem like that.

Even an office that says they take guinea pigs does not mean they are highly qualified to do so. I have made this mistake before as well but for much more minor issues.

Did they give you any ideas as to how to ensure vitamin C intake?

I get the impression based on the lack information that has been provided to you by the vet themselves that they were the best option to take her to which I would keep in mind in case her condition does not improve.

Green bell pepper, cilantro and romaine lettuce are the best veggies for her diet and are daily staples she should be getting. Cutting them into long thin strips helped mine eat them more readily at first. It is sometimes a long process to get guinea pigs to eat all veggies but they will eventually.

I am not sure if it would be wise to feed a small amount of a vitamin C tablet. I don't know the effects of getting a big dose of vitamin C after having a deficiency.

Please check out the veggie charts and links from silverbeat.

I agree with Ly&Pigs. I can't say I don't blame you and respect your love of animals though. It makes me so angry to hear things like that. However, I also feel bad for the animal they will replace her with. I would try to make a big deal about it to them.

Something to think about if it has not been ruled out. If she was in an open cage where people could grab her, she could have very easily have been dropped also. Guinea pigs don't often survive big falls without injury.

If she does not improve please take her in again. If you would like help finding a good place to take her someone here might be close to the area and be able to suggest a good vet.

Good luck!

[Silverbeat]

urockstar and Kireh- both of your vets should have given you something like this: This Little Piggie Marketplace The fact that they diagnosed it as Scurvy but then failed to give you any vitamin C supplement worries me.

[Ly&Pigs]

Vitamin C is an over the counter supplement. A vet does not need to write a prescription for it nor give it at the office. Most medication prices are raised when buying it though a vets office so it's often cheaper to get it on your own.

[Silverbeat]

Thanks Ly, I was wary because my vet has always given a dose of vitamin C whenever my pigs were ill.

[Kireh]

Thank you for all the useful comments!
I've checked the lists, and gotten some more vegetable supplies for this little girl.

Guess I missed that point, the vet did tell me to give her lettuce and alfalfa quite often. I'm on that, and I just left a bit of red pepper. Hope she likes it!

Good news! She's improving!
Today she walked for the first time again. Some few steps, hopping mostly, but it's still an improvement, right?
Also, she almost doesn't wheek at all when being handled now. She looks a lot more alert, and doesn't lie down on her side like she used to.

Yeah, I'll be going back to the petshop and explain the situation to the clerk... I mean she's just working there, I don't really blame her for not knowing how to take proper care of piggies... I'm hoping a bit of info can be of help, instead of just going there to fight... Nothing of what I say is going to make the owner change their mind about selling piggies, but at least it could improve the conditions they're living in.

I really don't regret getting this girl, you know... until Ly&Pigs pointed out the thing about the wrong message to petshops, it hadn't really crossed my mind. However, that was the last thing that could have ocurred to me at that point...

I'm sorry, but there was no other option whe she was in so much pain and suffering.