Why would a guinea pig be limping?
Your guinea pig may limp or move about less and might even stop eating. Pododermatitis, sometimes called bumblefoot, happens for many reasons and sometimes more than one. A wire-bottomed cage or hard floor surface might cause it. As can a lack of vitamin C.
What to do if your guinea pig is limping?
Look for any signs of a puncture wound, swelling, or redness and try to determine if the affected leg is bent or angled differently then the leg on the opposing side.
What causes a guinea pig to lose its legs?
Look for injuries if you drop or are rough with your guinea pig. Most injuries to a guinea pig’s legs are caused by improper handling. If you don’t support a guinea pig’s back legs when you hold it or you are too rough with the animal’s body, it can seriously injure your pet.
What should you do if your guinea pig has a leg injury?
Pay attention to changes in the animal’s movement. When a guinea pig has an injured leg, the animal will likely move as little as possible. This allows the guinea pig to avoid painful movement and to not show signs of injury that may make it more susceptible to predators.
What to do if your guinea pig has Bumblefoot?
Often guinea pigs in pain will not eat well and that leads to poor gut motility, bacteria overgrowth and serious intestinal disease. If we catch bumblefoot early it is highly treatable with excellent nursing care, proper antibiotic therapy and keeping the feet clean.
Why does my guinea pig keep limping on her feet?
It causes swelling, erosions, crusts, draining, possible abscessation and thickening of the foot soft tissues. They will often limp quite badly with it. Guinea pigs can also get callouses on their feet which will just lead to thickening of the skin on the bottom of the feet and possibly some cracks.
Can a guinea pig get Bumblefoot on his feet?
Guinea pigs can also get callouses on their feet which will just lead to thickening of the skin on the bottom of the feet and possibly some cracks. The feet won’t be swollen or draining however. If he really has bumblefoot the concern will be how severely he is affected, how deep the infection is and how much of the foot is affected.
What should I do if my guinea pig’s foot is swollen?
In some cases the infection can become so severe amputation is required. For tonight if you do see any sores or swelling of his foot I do recommend soaking his feet in a very dilute solution of epsom salts and warm water. This is antibacterial, will help to decrease swelling and will make him feel better.
