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Broken Leg

So a little update. Bubblegum (as he was affectionately name by my son) has had a second trip to the vet. She can't feel the break but says there is a lot of swelling, which would indicate a break. She seems to think it is possibly healing itself. She says the bones take 3 weeks to heal so wants to see him again in 2 weeks. He will still be on medication but she has asked me to cordon off his hutch to limit movement. I was wondering if anyone had any safe and effective ways of doing this?
 
Higgins said:
So a little update. Bubblegum (as he was affectionately name by my son) has had a second trip to the vet. She can't feel the break but says there is a lot of swelling, which would indicate a break. She seems to think it is possibly healing itself. She says the bones take 3 weeks to heal so wants to see him again in 2 weeks. He will still be on medication but she has asked me to cordon off his hutch to limit movement. I was wondering if anyone had any safe and effective ways of doing this?
Click to expand...

Can you tell us a bit more about the hutch and layout?
Is it two storey? If it is a two storey hutch, then I’d simply close/remove the ramp so they can only be on the one level.
If it is a one storey hutch, then making the space smaller can cause problems for them.
How much is he actually moving about?

This is going to be a bit of a catch 22 - as they need to stay together, If you limit the movement of one piggy then you are limiting the movement of both. two boars need to be in a 6ft hutch on a single level and if you try reduce that so one piggy can’t move much then they are highly likely to run into space related relationship issues. If you separate so one piggy has less room and the other can still have lots of space, then that can sometimes mean they refuse to live together again when you try to reintroduce
 
If your boys have a good bond it's really worth trying to preserve that. If poorly pig is getting chased all over the place I would be thinking differently! But assuming they get on well I'd be focussing on trying to keep them together but removing things which might cause obstruction or sudden movements like dodging or dashing. So like P&B said removing any ramps etc.
Have a look at this pic here:
three little pigs.webp
I have 2 cages between 3 pigs but they move freely between them - I'm not saying cut holes in your cage if you have this type but can you see that the 'shelf' areas have had the side removed and replaced with a little bit of pegged towel. This means that there is no scuffling and squeezing to get past in an enclosed space or twisting to get in/out. They can just push through the towel cover. So if you have a two piece shelf that could be one modification. If your pigs jump on and off shelves you might think about blocking this by piling on a towel or placing a cushion to discourage them - that broken leg doesn't want a knock. It's great news that the leg is already starting to heal and sounds like it's going OK! Thanks for keeping us updated x
 
Thank you for the replies. It is helpful as I am a first time guinea pig mum. We have a 2 story hutch outside and I did cut off the ramp so they couldn't go downstairs when I found out he broke his leg. I have bought a smaller cage and have brought them both inside. I feel bad for the other piggie but they have such a lovely bond and it is the more dominant one who has broken his leg so he isn't getting chased around. I just couldn’t see a safe way to make the original one safe. It is only for 2 weeks so hopefully they run around more then. 🤞
 
Hopefully they will be ok with the smaller space - how big is the indoor cage?
Is he trying to move around a lot?
As outdoor piggies, make sure they don’t get too warm in the house given the time of year, because piggies shouldn’t be exposed to sudden temperature changes ie the difference between being in the house and then going back outside now night time temperatures are starting to drop off.
Best wishes for his recovery
 
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