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Arthritis - self barbering

bxth98

bxth98

New Born Pup
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one of our boys, carlo (1yr 8m) has started self barbering over the last couple of weeks and it’s getting increasingly worse despite xeno 450 treatment which was prescribed by the vet despite no signs of mites. the pictures below are only 2 weeks apart and he’s started to chew at the skin now. he’s going to a specialist thursday but is there anything we can do the deter him from making it worse in the meantime?80E059AE-8F57-4432-A523-0B102ED6774B.webpA9E621D5-6744-43D0-B22A-4B467BF7A190.webp
 
Claire W said:
Aw bless him. Could he be in pain at all in that area? Sometimes they self barber and chew at themselves as a pain response or it could just be a bad habit he has developed
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he doesn’t seem to be in pain he’s not any less active and still eating/drinking as normal so not sure what it could be 😩
 
bxth98 said:
he doesn’t seem to be in pain he’s not any less active and still eating/drinking as normal so not sure what it could be 😩
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The barbering alone can be a sign of pain or irritation in the area even though he isn’t limping etc, please do have a vet check him out
 
Piggies&buns said:
The barbering alone can be a sign of pain or irritation in the area even though he isn’t limping etc, please do have a vet check him out
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he’s got an appointment with a specialist thursday morning so i’ll be sure to update on the situation
 
bxth98 said:
he doesn’t seem to be in pain he’s not any less active and still eating/drinking as normal so not sure what it could be 😩
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Best to have a vet examine him to make sure so it's good you have him booked in but it's good that he doesn't appear to be in pain and that he's eating and drinking as normal. It could just be a bad habit
 
Claire W said:
Best to have a vet examine him to make sure so it's good you have him booked in but it's good that he doesn't appear to be in pain and that he's eating and drinking as normal. It could just be a bad habit
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yeah he’s going thursday morning for some investigative tests to make sure it’s nothing worse
 
My boy barbered a lot when he was in pain with his UTI. He used to barber my hair and clothes also!

So I agree with the others re a vet check up.
Hope all goes well 🤞🏻🤞🏻💕
 
Bradshaw Piggies said:
My boy barbered a lot when he was in pain with his UTI. He used to barber my hair and clothes also!

So I agree with the others re a vet check up.
Hope all goes well 🤞🏻🤞🏻💕
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Did he have any other symptoms with a UTI?
Thank you, i’ll update once he’s been
 
bxth98 said:
Did he have any other symptoms with a UTI?
Thank you, i’ll update once he’s been
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He had the usual signs of pain when passing urine/faeces and not being “quite himself”.
Apologies I didn’t mean to make barbering sound like a symptom specific to UTIs alone. I just meant that it can be discomfort related for a number of reasons, not specifically a UTI. Only a vet can diagnose.
It could just be behaviour related, but it’s always best to rule out medical issues first.
Hope you get some answers at an appointment
 
My piggy with arthritis barbers her leg, she doesnt show many other signs of pain except being a bit slow to get going on cold damp mornings and occasionally a bit grumpy. If its mostly the one leg that would suggest to me some pain in the leg, perhaps the vet could do a conscious xray to see whats happening? Doesnt really look like skin irritation from the photos...
 
PigglePuggle said:
My piggy with arthritis barbers her leg, she doesnt show many other signs of pain except being a bit slow to get going on cold damp mornings and occasionally a bit grumpy. If its mostly the one leg that would suggest to me some pain in the leg, perhaps the vet could do a conscious xray to see whats happening? Doesnt really look like skin irritation from the photos...
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it’s both legs with that one being far worse
hopefully he might be able to have some done at the appointment to see if that’s the issue
 
bxth98 said:
it’s both legs with that one being far worse
hopefully he might be able to have some done at the appointment to see if that’s the issue
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Both legs might indicate pain in the hips perhaps, but that's just a suggestion based on the barbering pattern. If you are seeing a specialist no harm in asking for a conscious xray of the lower body just in case- an xray from above and from the sides can usually be done with no sedation. Best of luck, hope you get some answers x
 
UPDATE:
Carlo went for his appointment at the specialist this morning who found out that sadly the poor man's got arthritis in both his knees 😢 He's a rescue and didn't have the best start to life so they said it's more than likely a developmental issue (e.g. a vitamin deficiency at a young age) which has caused him to have it so young. He's now on long term pain relief which should stop him barbering so his fur should hopefully start growing back soon-ish and he'll be feeling better soon x
 
I recently posted about Carlo starting to self barber his back legs quite severely and was waiting for his appointment at a specialist today after only being previously seen by a general practice to find out what the issue was. Carlo went for his appointment this morning who found out that sadly the poor man's got arthritis in both his knees 😢 He's a rescue and didn't have the best start to life so they said it's more than likely a developmental issue (e.g. a vitamin deficiency at a young age) which has caused him to have it so young. He's now on long term pain relief which should stop him barbering so his fur should hopefully start growing back soon-ish and he'll be feeling better soon x
 
Poor fellow. Let’s hope that you can keep him comfortable with the Metacam, and hopefully he will stop barbering his legs.
 
bxth98 said:
I recently posted about Carlo starting to self barber his back legs quite severely and was waiting for his appointment at a specialist today after only being previously seen by a general practice to find out what the issue was. Carlo went for his appointment this morning who found out that sadly the poor man's got arthritis in both his knees 😢 He's a rescue and didn't have the best start to life so they said it's more than likely a developmental issue (e.g. a vitamin deficiency at a young age) which has caused him to have it so young. He's now on long term pain relief which should stop him barbering so his fur should hopefully start growing back soon-ish and he'll be feeling better soon x
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- wrong thread oops!
 
I was thinking arthritis with the area he’s barbering, poor lad at his age though :(
My RB Jess (who was 7 so a bit older!) started on metacam (same as loxicom just a different brand) for her arthritis and it worked wonders, definitely got a spring in her step in her final months!
Really hope he’s feeling better with his meds and he stops that hair munching ❤️x
 
Self-barbering legs is not common in piggies with arthritis; I've seen it a few times in my own oldies and it is the first thing that springs to mind in that location.

The barbering should stop with him being on meloxicam (i.e. metacam, loxicom, meloxidyl etc.) and the hair will grow back. :)
 
Glad you found what was causing the barbering, I’m sure he’ll stop once he’s pain Loxicom is great !
 
Our boy carlo got diagnosed with arthritis in both of his knees today and is now on long term loxicom for his pain. I was wondering if there’s anything else we can do to make things a bit easier for him?
His cage his already on one level so he doesn’t need to worry about ramps.
I’ve seen mixed things about letting him soak his legs in warm water - i’ve read that it can soothe their aches but also seen that it’s best to keep them dry and warm?
Would heat pads do him any good?
We’ve already been monitoring his weight which he’s maintaining at the moment and he doesn’t seem to have lost his appetite.
Any other advice would be great!
 
bxth98 said:
Our boy carlo got diagnosed with arthritis in both of his knees today and is now on long term loxicom for his pain. I was wondering if there’s anything else we can do to make things a bit easier for him?
His cage his already on one level so he doesn’t need to worry about ramps.
I’ve seen mixed things about letting him soak his legs in warm water - i’ve read that it can soothe their aches but also seen that it’s best to keep them dry and warm?
Would heat pads do him any good?
We’ve already been monitoring his weight which he’s maintaining at the moment and he doesn’t seem to have lost his appetite.
Any other advice would be great!
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Hi!

I would try glucosamine supplement like the joint supplement from Oxbow.

If you want to use heat pads, please do not heat them fully and always make sure that a piggy can move off if they are overheating. And don't be upset if a heat pad goes ignored.

But mainly - please do not panic and feel like you have to throw the kitchen sink at your poor piggy or to wrap them in cotton wool. The more normal and enriched a life they can live, the better.

What you want to check is that any water bottles are low enough to use without lifting from the back legs or the need to lift the head (which is often a problem with the elderlies). Also make sure that any hay is easily accessible - you adjust and adapt these things only at need and as the arthritis progresses.

You may find these guides with lots of practical care tips helpful:
Caring for Older Piggies and Facing the End - A helpful and supportive information collection
Looking after guinea pigs with limited or no mobility
 
bxth98 said:
Our boy carlo got diagnosed with arthritis in both of his knees today and is now on long term loxicom for his pain. I was wondering if there’s anything else we can do to make things a bit easier for him?
His cage his already on one level so he doesn’t need to worry about ramps.
I’ve seen mixed things about letting him soak his legs in warm water - i’ve read that it can soothe their aches but also seen that it’s best to keep them dry and warm?
Would heat pads do him any good?
We’ve already been monitoring his weight which he’s maintaining at the moment and he doesn’t seem to have lost his appetite.
Any other advice would be great!
Click to expand...
tried to make a new thread but it got merged 🙄
 
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