Feet Red feet

[mommy4kids]

We got our piggies tonight and the guy we got them from had previously found a placement for them with some lady and she brought them back. Thier cage was C&C which is good but it was filthy. I guess he had not had the time to clean it before he gave them to us. They need a bath.
But what worries me most is the fact that thier poor little feet are red. My husband said the guy brought them to him in a small dog or cat crate with nothing on the floor. I dont know if this would cause it they were probably in there for a little over an hour. When we got them they went in a plastic drawer with carefresh from our hamsters on the bottom to protect them. They are resting quietly in the school room in a make shift cage till we can get more of the corrigate stuff or what ever the white stuff is on the bottom of most of your cages for now they are doubled up on fleece and uhaul blankets. They have carefresh in the bottom of the feeding/potty area along with fresh hay in a bowl and a small dish of pellets and 1 bottle of water. We were told they are both male and my husband noticed at least one of them is a male. I will try to take pics of them and most especially thier poor feet tomorrow. But any advice on caring for thier feet in for now would be greatly appreciated.

 

[rottiemominde]

Since you might have it on hand tonight to try....when one of my girls had some red on her feet, the vet suggested using hydrocortisone cream. The redness ended up being her "normal" color, but hopefully it might give your piggies some relief.

 

[mommy4kids]

Thank you I am sure I have it somewhere my girls have bad skin. I will see if I can find it. Thank you.

 

[bpatters]

If you do use cortisone cream, use a VERY small amount of it and rub it in well, making sure none of it is clumped under the nails. You don't want them to get it in their mouths when they're grooming themselves.

A safer alternative would be to get some cold pressed virgin coconut oil, which is available from a pharmacy or the grocery store. Gently bathe their feet, dry them well, and then rub some of the coconut oil into them. With good soft bedding and some care, they'll probably be just fine.

 

[HannibalLecter]

Pure Aloe Vera gel can help as it's anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial & anti-fungal depending on the origin of the redness, it's also a humectant & will stabilize the moisture levels in dry paws. Just make sure it's a clear gel with a really high (over 90%) aloe vera content, no parabens or odd additives.

Coconut oil will also lock in moisture really well, just make sure the pig isn't allergic by testing it behind the pig's ear.

 

[Inle_Rabbit]

My guinea pig Ben had awful feet when I adopted him. I used organic cold pressed virgin coconut oil like Bpatters suggested. It worked perfectly. Good luck with your piggies, I hope their feet heal quickly.

 

[CathiiPiggie]

I don't mean to hijack the thread but...
My piggie Broccoli I noticed has red feet, but he is housed on clean fleece, should I do the same with his feet?

Pure Aloe Vera gel can help

Would Aloe Vera straight from the plant be okay as we have an aloe vera plant in our house?

 

[HannibalLecter]

I don't mean to hijack the thread but...
My piggie Broccoli I noticed has red feet, but he is housed on clean fleece, should I do the same with his feet?

Would Aloe Vera straight from the plant be okay as we have an aloe vera plant in our house?

Definitely! Aloe Vera is absolutely best straight from the plant, but it doesn't last long, should be used immediately which is why it's impractical for those who don't already have a few plants around.

 

[mommy4kids]

Thanks for all the ideas to help our piggies. McQueen's (my son named him this morning) feet were better this morning. Rabbit's (my 2 year old dd has decided they are rabbits) feet are so dirty I could not see his feet. My husband is off to the store to buy kitten or hamster shampoo and a hay rack and some larger food bowls. He is also going to get more cubes to make thier cage a bit bigger.

 

[kananaka]

I have read Aloe can be irritating to guinea pigs, or they can be allergic. I am not 100% on that but I would not use it due to the conflicting data available. I would use coconut oil or something else just to be safe.

 

[HannibalLecter]

I have read Aloe can be irritating to guinea pigs, or they can be allergic. I am not 100% on that but I would not use it due to the conflicting data available. I would use coconut oil or something else just to be safe.

Gorgeous guineas carry an aloe gel, as well as a coconut/aloe melt. You can contact her for more information. I would trust her before many other sources.
Just like with humans, you should always do a patch test(behind the ear) before use on a larger area.

 

[kananaka]

Gorgeous guineas carry an aloe gel, as well as a coconut/aloe melt. You can contact her for more information. I would trust her before many other sources.
Just like with humans, you should always do a patch test(behind the ear) before use on a larger area.

And just because she uses it does not mean that a recorded number of guinea pigs have bad reactions. From the research I have done this is something that is not common knowledge and has become known over the last few years. So use caution when using aloe.

 

[HannibalLecter]

And just because she uses it does not mean that a recorded number of guinea pigs have bad reactions. From the research I have done this is something that is not common knowledge and has become known over the last few years. So use caution when using aloe.

Please provide these studies & sources.

 

[HannibalLecter]

Also contact gorgeous guineas, with all her customers around the world, some bad reactions may & should have been recorded through the years if that is the case.

 

[cross]

Congratulations on your new piggies! Hope their feet get better.

 

[bpatters]

Googling aloe and allergic reactions turns up several references to skin allergies to aloe in people who are allergic to onions, garlic, tulips, lilies, etc.

As with anything you put on your pig, you should watch carefully for reactions, and apply very sparingly so they won't ingest it and make themselves sick.

 

[mommy4kids]

Thank you everyone. I will try your advice when we get Rabbit clean so I can see his feet. I feel bad because he is really shy but he needs cleaned so I can check his health.

 

[HannibalLecter]

Animals, just like humans can be allergic to just about anything. Some guinea pigs are allergic to some types of wood based bedding. That does not mean that most guinea pigs as a species are allergic to wood based bedding. Aloe Vera is kind to most species, but I'm sure some guinea pigs can react to it just like humans. I do however doubt that guinea pigs have a larger sensitivity to it as devoted sellers like gorgeous guineas would pull it off her stock, as she's extremely careful with what pregnant sows, and pups get in contact with. She would hear about reactions. Will contact her tomorrow.