Bumblefoot not getting better

[RosiesWalk]

We have been treating our piggies paws with Flamazine (applied twice daily), Metacam (once daily), daily foot soaks and bedding changes and we have also reduced veg rations, but there has been no change (if anything, some areas look more inflamed) in over 6 weeks - all prescribed/recommended by the vet. I have forwarded these images to our vet as well, but I am starting to feel a bit hopeless, so would value any recommendations from anyone who has experienced something similar.

 

[weepweeps]

Bumping your post up

 

[CTWC]

I did read that it can take a long time to heal a marathon not a sprint someone said

 

[LucyP]

I’ve heard that too. It sounds like you’re doing all the right things and working very hard on this so well done. hopefully the vet or someone here with expertise on it will have some words of wisdom.

 

[Viennese Furbabies]

Bumble foot takes a long time to heal but the pictures don't look so bad. Is your vet piggy savvy?
Battling my late Billie's bumbe foot taught me that if one treatment doesn't work to try a slightly different approach.
Bepanthen cream (plus) can work instead of Flammazine. Or you could try manuka honey.

Soaking the feet can work, but sometimes it can cause more irritation. What do you use for soaking?

Vitamin C is extremley important. Don't reduce vets that are high in Vitamin C. Only high calory vegs like carots should be reduced.

What's most important is to keep the paws dry and clean and to use a soft bedding.

 

[RosiesWalk]

Bumping your post up

Thank you!

 

[RosiesWalk]

I did read that it can take a long time to heal a marathon not a sprint someone said

Yes, I have heard this also. but I think I expected to see a little improvement after 6 weeks. The good news is that the piggies are otherwise behaving completely normally - bright eyed and bushy tailed.

 

[RosiesWalk]

Bumble foot takes a long time to heal but the pictures don't look so bad. Is your vet piggy savvy?
Battling my late Billie's bumbe foot taught me that if one treatment doesn't work to try a slightly different approach.
Bepanthen cream (plus) can work instead of Flammazine. Or you could try manuka honey.

Soaking the feet can work, but sometimes it can cause more irritation. What do you use for soaking?

Vitamin C is extremley important. Don't reduce vets that are high in Vitamin C. Only high calory vegs like carots should be reduced.

What's most important is to keep the paws dry and clean and to use a soft bedding.

Thank you, that's really interesting to know there are other treatments out there. I think our vets are pretty piggy savvy - they were very amazing when one of our piggies was poorly a few years ago, but they haven't offered any alternative treatments up until now (they have got back to me this evening - they have a new topical product for me to try and they suggest vitamin C too).

I've been wondering if the soaking has been having an irritating effect - we were using water only, then water and epsom salts.

I've been asked to reduce their veg intake because the piggies are a little overweight, which can in itself trigger sore feet, but I do wonder if they are not getting enough vitamin C. Their dry food contains vitamin c, but It's hard to know how much they are each getting.

I will continue with the daily fleece changes. Thanks for all your ideas.

 

[Piggies&buns]

The feet don’t look terrible to me - was it worse
Previously?

Soaking can soften the skin too much so there is a balance to be found.

Guinea Lynx :: Pododermatitis

Regarding the diet and being overweight.
How did the vet determine they were overweight? Was it purely by the number on the scales or was their heft checked?
The number on the scales actually doesn’t mean anything in terms of what is healthy for them - there is a huge range of adult weights. One of my boars was 1550g in his prime, anything less and he would have been underweight as his ribs would have greatly showing. One of my other boars only just hits 1000g and would be overweight at anything more as I wouldnt be able to feel his ribs .

Piggies generally only become overweight if they are largely overfed in pellets, and left with constant access to pellets. Yes, over feeding veg particularly sugary veg such as carrots (which shouldn’t be in the diet anything more than a tiny piece no more than once a week) will also have an impact but it is harder to become overweight on the recommended leafy veg.
If their diet was a recommended one of unlimited hay, one cup of leafy veg per day and one tablespoon of pellets per day, along with getting exercise then it’s unlikely a piggy will become overweight. It’s also highly unlikely they won’t get enough vitamin c.
Please do tell us about their diet and we can see if we can help.

Our weight and diet guides are below

Weight - Monitoring and Management
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

 

[Freela]

Luckily the feet don't look too bad. Bumblefoot can be slow to resolve, particularly is your piggie is on the older side... the circulation/immune systems just isnt' as good anymore. Personally the best thing I have ever used for bumblefoot is over-the-counter betadine ointment. It worked a lot better than flamazine from the vet for our past pig who got bumblefoot in old age. Hope this helps and keep giving it time!

 

[Trish B]

I have a 7 year old piggie who has arthritis and the early stages of bumblefoot like your piggie. I'm just making sure that I'm making his hutch substrate as soft as possible and making sure that he's not sitting in soiled bedding. If things develop further then I'll use OTC betadine but I'd rather keep his feet dry and clean at this stage.