Advice?

[wheek!guinea]

Hello wonderful fellow piggy owners,

I have two 3 year old sweet wonderful boars, both of them turned 3 this year! However, unfortunately Glacier has developed early onset of arthritis in his back and knees. The vet has given him medicine and suggested to keep him in a smaller cage or area so that he may heal. He struggles to get around with his back legs but he still eats, drinks, is very active and alert. The medicine keeps him comfortable. I have the boys in a 2x6 C&C with a loft. I split the cage to make it into a 2x3 for each boar, where the boys can still interact in the middle. I made the loft inaccessible by putting the ramps up. Koji (other piggy) and Glacier can still interact through two grids separating them. The vet said that Glacier is still considerably young for developing arthritis and that it was sad to see in a “younger” pig, and while not uncommon it’s definitely not normal. So a few things:

- Has anyone ever dealt with this before? What things seemed to really help? Right now I give them both the Oxbow joint supplement treats daily. I have a pet safe heating pad, as well and let him sit on that while with me for 10-15 minutes a day.

- If your piggies or piggy had arthritis in that was 3 years old or younger (or even around 4) what was the life-span after the diagnosis?

- How do I keep Koji from stressing out? Of course he doesn’t understand why they’re separated and their bond is so strong. He’ll start biting the bars. I’ll replace the hay so they can eat together or give him pets and treats and telling him it’s ok, but I can still tell he is not a happy boar. There may be no way around this. But it is absolutely unsafe for Glacier to have them interact without the bars for the time being.

I’ve had both of them since they were 3 months old, so seeing Glacier go through this has been extremely heartbreaking. Please feel free to add any ideas or experiences you may find useful.

Thank you for any ideas, tips, and advice.

 

[Bill & Ted]

I really wouldn’t separate them if their bond is strong and no falling out, they are mates and yes they will both find that quite stressful. I think @piggieminder and @YvonneBlue and several others have piggies that are on anti inflammatory meds such as metacam to relieve painful joints, they may be able to offer tips and some help with supplements

There is a syndrome that can also cause painful joints and arthritis called Satins disease, along with other problems. A satin piggie usually has a very shiny coat but would need a vet to look into the hair shaft (which is hollow) to diagnose this

Looking After Guinea Pigs With Limited or No Mobility

 

[Wheekallweek]

My Larry passed at 3 years old, he had many issues including diabetes, spondylosis of his spine, quite severe arthritis and bladder issues (the reason I eventually lost him ). With regards to his arthritis he was on metacam long term which kept him comfortable, I also gave him the oxbox joint treats and he was also on Cystease for his bladder. This contains glucosamine which I believe also has an added side effect of helping lubricate the joints!
I kept him in with his brother in a 5x2 c and c and had vetbed down to make a nice soft surface for him to walk on, as well as nice soft beds to lie on.
I put their hay in very low cat litter trays that were easy for him to get in and out of, you could even just put a great big pile or two (or three!) of it on the floor.
I'd pop them back in together
Best of luck with your boys!

 

[Swissgreys]

Unless there is a genuine medical issue and they are fighting or being together is causing him issues, I wouldn't separate them.
Companionship is so important.
I also wouldn't try and keep them in smaller cages either, as Glacier will only walk around as much as he is comfortable with.
Just make sure there are hay piles and water bottles everywhere so he doesn't have to go far for food and water.

 

[YvonneBlue]

I have three piggies with arthritis two are oldies at almost 7 years of age but one is a 5 year old skinny pig. All are on Metacam (Loxicom) twice daily and 4Joints (0.4ml once a day). The piggy with the most severe arthritis is also prescribed Gabapentin (1 tablet per day 1/2 morning/eve). The 4Joints supplement, which i buy from Amazon, does make a huge difference but you need to use it for a few weeks to see the improvement.

Our vet advised that keeping them mobile and moving around is very important so i would not move to a smaller cage. I was actually told to encourage them to move around by putting hay piles in different areas of the cage.

I also agree with @Swissgreys that unless your boys have fallen out i would keep them together.

Hope all this helps but do ask if you need more information.

 

[piggieminder]

I have a 4 year old and a 5 year old, one with arthritis in the spine and hips and the other has it in his spine and knees. They are both on Metacam 2 x daily and Johnsons 4joints supplement. Brillo the 4 year old also has gabapentin on the days the Metacam does not completely wipe out his pain when pooping. The vet and I think sometimes he is uncomfortable with the position he stands in to poop (about one day a week).
I was told by the vet to remove any ramps in the cages but to make sure they had plenty of room to move around to keep their weight down. My boars are a fallen out pair who were already living side by side. The 4 year old has a 4 x 2 with an attached 1x 5 extra bit that he can race (and he does!) up and down and the 5 year old has a 5.5 x 3. The only big change I've made to their environment is they have supermarket display cardboard boxes for beds and hay because I can cut the openings to floor level so they can just walk in and out rather than have to jump over a ledge.
I would not separate them if they get on well or keep them in smaller cages.
Mine are both still with me so I don't know what their life span will be. The vet and I have agreed that as long as we can keep them pain free and they are happy and eating well we shall keep them both going. They both still do zoomies and popcorns.