Feet Front foot limp

[HarleypigsMummy]

Hi guys!

Tonight when we went to get Harley out for cuddles we noticed that he was limping... He is only putting a small amount of weight on his front right foot. When he walks he looks like he is hopping with his back feet.

There is no obvious sign of wounds or foot swelling and he doesn't seem to flinch when i feel his leg or anything. He is eating, drinking, peeing and pooping normally and is moving around his cage albeit in a limpy fashion! They did ave a bath yesterday and they are both on oral antibiotics for recurring URI's. Harley does struggle when we give him his AB's and he was struggling at bath time yesterday... Could he have pulled a muscle or something?

can a vet visit wait until tomorrow evening and is there anything i should do tonight? I have restricted their cage size and taken out all ramps for now.

Thanks!
Panic stricken mummy!!

 

[bpatters]

As long as nothing is red or swollen and you can't see any obvious injuries (ingrown toenail, some sort of puncture, etc.), and he's not getting markedly worse, I think you can wait until tomorrow for the vet visit.

 

[foggycreekcavy]

I would not be bathing pigs with respiratory infections.

 

[HarleypigsMummy]

So, Harley had his vet check up on the 13th. Seems that everything is in place, no dislocations or breaks and Harley is fine in himself, still eating drinking etc etc. My vet thinks it may be a pulled muscle in his shoulder. Has anyone else any experience with this? How long does it take to heal etc?

We didn't think it was neccesary to give him painkillers as he is still moving freely with his limp and doesn't seem to be in much pain with it.

Any advice/help would be appreciated!
Thanks!

 

[foggycreekcavy]

So he's still limping?

 

[HarleypigsMummy]

Hi Guys, It's now 6 days on and Harley is still limping. He has the vet again this evening. Scott (our vet) did not think that there was any damage the last time and he did have a good feel of Harley's shoulder, leg, ankle and pads of his feet. He moved them around with no real fuss from Harley other than the normal "please stop prodding me!".

Harley still seems fine in himself, moving around with his limp and eating and drinking fine. No weight loss. He doesn't seem to be in serious pain or discomfor as far as I can see.

Any ideas anyone?
Thanks!

 

[Ranijuliet]

I had a guinea pig who was limping too. I didnt worry to much about taking him to the vet because there was no signs of pain/swelling/wounds. After a week or a week and a half he started walking again and it fine now. I assume it was a sprain or pulled muscle

 

[bpatters]

I'd ask for an x-ray of his leg/foot. How old is he? Is he a satin?

 

[HarleypigsMummy]

I'd ask for an x-ray of his leg/foot. How old is he? Is he a satin?

Hi @bpatters He is getting an xray tonight although the vet doesn't think this is necessary as he says his leg feels stable and he is not reacting to it being straightened or bent. He will get one anyway to be on the safe side. Also, please excuse my ignorance here... I'm not sure what you mean by a satin? Is that a breed? I presumed he was an american shorthair but I'm not sure. Here he is with Memphis, Harley is the one on the right.:

Thanks for your help and support!

 

[HarleypigsMummy]

Just an update guys, Harley is now using his front foot but I think that may be because he has to. He is now holding his back left foot off of the ground and not using it at all. He also seems to be reacting when I touch it like he is in pain... I have no idea how he may have hurt his back leg??

I have been doing some research and found that lameness is sometimes caused by lack of vit c (scurvy) or lack of calcium. Harley is going back to the vet tonight for more xrays. There was no damage to his front leg at all.

He is not long off of Baytril as he had a URI. In fact, I don't think that is properly clear yet but the vet seems to think that this is an allergy type thing rather tahn recurring infection.

I spoke to the vet about deficiencies and he said that it was VERY unlikely as my piggies are "spoiled rotten" and have an extremely good diet.

I'm so scared for Harley... please help.

 

[foggycreekcavy]

He doesn't look like a satin, but it is hard to tell in the photo. Satins are a breed with really shiny hair. It almost seems to glisten. Satins often have problems with bone density, causing lameness and other problems. It can be remedied by calcium supplementation.

I know of one guinea pig who is not a satin by appearance that shows the same bone density problems that satins have (osteodystrophy).

How old is he? Arthritis?

 

[HarleypigsMummy]

His hair is shiny, but not spectacularly so and usually only right after a bath.. he dulls down as he gets "dirty".

He is 2 years old, so not very old really. We were at the vet last night again... he palpated Harleys back leg and he is in a lot of pain around his knee area which is swollen. The vet told us to carry on with the Metacalm for another night but if no dramatic improvement today, he will be dropped off at the vet tomorrow morning for extensive xrays and possibly a biopsy if they see fluid around the knee joint.

We currently have Harely sectioned off in the boys cage using grids so that he only has a very small space to move in... not that he's doing much of that anyway. We are hand feeding, not using syringe as he is able to eat, just not able to go for food. And I am offering him the water bottle right up to his nose so that he doesn't have to move for it. I'm changing fleece twice a day to ensure no problems with urine scald.

He just looks so uncomfortable and it's breaking my heart...

Sad mummy..xx

 

[foggycreekcavy]

Poor guy. Let us know how it goes.

 

[HarleypigsMummy]

Okay... I'm new to this hand feeding and Harley now seems to be off of his veg a bit. He is still munching hay but not with his normal vigour. What should I do? I've made up a pellet mash but not sure how to give him it, how often or how much? Same question for water? Do I have to feed him overnight too?

Also, he now has extremely soft poop... Could that be because of the metacam? So soft that I am having to clean him regularly. anything I can do for that? And could the painkillers be putting him off of his food? He is going to the vet at 08:30 in the morning and it will only be my partner her over the weekend as I am having to go away on business. I know he will look after him and do anything required but I'm so scared....

any advice would be appreciated.. :-(

 

[HarleypigsMummy]

So Harley was dropped off at the vet this morning. He has had x-rays and nothing apparent showing on them. No fractures or breaks. The vet is concerned because he certainly seems sicker today so he is putting him on fluids and a different type of painkiller. I'm so worried about him. :-(

 

[HarleypigsMummy]

Could he have scurvy?? My partner is convinced that is what they have.....

 

[foggycreekcavy]

It's very doubtful that he has scurvy.

Did the xray show any other abnormalities in the bones? Tiny little holes, for instance? Or thickening in some?