Advice for guineas with pododermatitis/clubfoot/bumblefoot

[guineasqueak]

My 6 year old guinea (the black and white one, Pansy) has been diagnosed with pododermatitis. She has a large swelling and dark brown open sore on her back foot. She is on Baytril, and aloe vera gel to stop the skin on her feet drying up, and my vet said last week we have to just 'wait and see what happens'. She has been on Baytril for 3 weeks now, and her sores have not improved. I am worried that the Baytril isn't working, as she has been on 3 previous courses of baytril in her life, one just a few months ago. Is there anything more I can do (she is currently on hay and newspaper, with a towel in the corner), or any baytril substitutes. Also, I have read quite a bit about Chlorhexidine, can ou please explain about what you do with this.
Pansy is eating soft food from a dish, but I am worried about her weight. When I took her to the vets 3 weeks ago she was 750g, now she is just under 650g. As a mature adult pig, she weighed about 1.1kg.
Please, could anyone give me any sugestions for what to do. I just want to make her life as comfortable as possible, and do the best thing for her.

 

[pennick]

There are other medications beside baytril to try. I would suggest to the vet to change to another medication.

Hay over newspaper is not an ideal bedding. Hay gets moldy rather quickly which in itself can cause fungus for your piggy. I would change to fleece or vetbed especially since your piggy has bumblefoot.

 

[daftscotslass]

Have you cross-posted this to the medical forums at Guinea Lynx? They can give the best advice. https://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewforum.php?f=2

With regards to Baytril, it is quite possible that this is affecting her appetite. Are you giving probiotics? This needs to be given around an hour or two after giving the antibiotics to aid restoring the natural flora in the intestine that the antibiotics kill off. Assuming her teeth are OK (if you are unsure get this checked out) she should still be eating pellets and hay. If not, you need to start handfeeding right away. See https://www.guinealynx.com/handfeeding.html

I would, however, consider changing the bedding to fleece or vetbed, as hay is quite course for tender feet.

 

[Ly&Pigs]

Have you read this page- https://www.guinealynx.info/pododermatitis.html?
It has a lot of really important info about treating pododermatitis/bumblefoot.

Clorhex is a solution that you wash their wounds/ulcers/abcesses/etc. in to help with infection.

You will probably need for the vet to culture the bacteria and then see what AB will be best to treat it.

 

[PeruRodent]

The usual cause of bumblefoot is wire cage floors. Get her a new cage; that'll at least help to prevent her from getting it again.
I hope this helps,
~PeruRo'

 

[Percy's Mom]

The usual cause of bumblefoot is wire cage floors. Get her a new cage;

It doesn't say anywhere in the original post that the pig was being housed on a wire floor. The bedding was questionable, but suggestions to change that have already been made.

 

[PeruRodent]

It doesn't say anywhere in the original post that the pig was being housed on a wire floor. The bedding was questionable, but suggestions to change that have already been made.

Well, the cavy might have had a wire floor. You don't have to get all mad at me.

 

[Ly&Pigs]

No one got mad at you Peru. It's better to not make assumptions around here, especially on medical threads. Instead you could have asked if the pig was being housed on a wire floor instead of just assuming it was. Always ask, don't assume.

 

[guineasqueak]

Pansy is not on, and has never been on, a wire floor. It is solid.

 

[guineasqueak]

Is there any softer bedding, I am worried her friends would eat the feece or vetbed

 

[daftscotslass]

Is there any softer bedding, I am worried her friends would eat the feece or vetbed

They don't.

 

[guineasqueak]

I washed her feet in chlorhexidine yesterday, and all the black stuff came out in the water. Is this good?
And she's on towels until I can buy some vetbed.