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Does this walking look normal to you?

LucyP

LucyP

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Hi all

As some of you know, we got a new pig Mabel from a rescue about 6 weeks ago as a new friend for Winnie. Mabel is about 1 and came from a group of 16 pigs that were left behind when their owners moved out of their lodgings. We know very little about her background.

She had a vet check around July which apparently came back fine and she seems well in herself. But we're wondering if her walking is a bit funny? She popcorns now and then and she'll zoom quite a bit too. But I think she sits and lies down more than our other pig and she doesn't cage climb/stand up on her back legs (aware it's early days with us). Her legs seem to stick out strangely when she walks I wonder?

Mabel and Winnie are both due to see the vets on Tuesday for a general check up (with a good, exotic vet) where I'll raise this. I'd really appreciate the views of experienced owners on here about this too.

Here are a few vids on you tube if anyone is willing to have a quick look at a couple of them. I will show them to the vet also.
Many thanks!
Lucy (and Mabel)
 
To me it looks like she has a little weakness in her back legs. Hopefully your vet will be able to give you a clear answer.
 
Thanks, it does seem a bit off doesn’t it.
 
One of mine bunny hops occasionally, in her case she's on the older side and the vet thinks has a little bit of spinal/back leg arthritis. It makes me wonder if she has had some sort of back or leg injury in the past leaving her a bit weaker or more cautious in that regard.
 
I went and looked at my 3 moving about and I can't spot the difference. Mine walk and hop a bit depending on how far they are going and with what purpose - whether just bobbling aimlessly around or trotting from one hidey to another. Arthritic George does bunny hop as he starts to move sometimes to rev up those stiff back legs... I know how he feels! It's something to keep an eye on I think, but personally I wouldn't be worrying too much. Check the toes and soles of her feet at the back too, just in case there's something amiss with a nail or a toe on one side..?
 
Thanks so much for having a look everyone and for checking compared to your pigs too. I’ll see what the vet thinks too.

We’ve had a look at her feet and I think there’re ok but we’re not sure what’s normal as we’ve only seen black feet before, not pink ones! I’ll ask the vet to give that a good check over tomorrow too. As it’s her first check up their policy is a double appointment to look at and discuss everything, so hopefully we’ll have some idea after that. She seems happy enough but we all know they can hide that.

Thanks again - will keep you posted.
 
Mabel looks like me first thing on a morning a little bit stiff in the back legs, hope it passes 🤞
 
Hi again all.

We went to the vets this week and Mabel had a good check up and examination. From looking at the videos the exotic vet team wondered about some issue with the knee/s. When we talked about how she doesn’t ever go up on her back legs and tends to sit on her bum, the vet said that made her wonder about her spine. Anyway there was nothing obvious from her physical exam so what we’re doing is giving her metacam for a week and going to see if her movements change at all. I’m sort of hoping it’s just a funny gait and nothing to do with pain but if there is pain then of course we’d want to know and help her. So I guess we’ll see what the week brings.

They did feel she was otherwise in good nick. She was also complicated for having strong abs!

She also made us laugh by very determinedly dragging her food (a toilet roll inner stuffed with hay) all the way out of the carrier into the middle of the examination table! 😂

Winnie’s health check was fine too.
 
Thanks! She’s settling in well, she very much has her paws under the table here, confidently helping herself to any space or food she fancies and she chats a LOT, which I like.

Haven’t spotted any major changes since she started the metacam but we’ll see how the week goes..
 
Hi again all

Mabel was on metacam for a week (0.36 twice a day) which she took like a pro (if only all medicine was so popular).

I didn’t notice any particular change in her behaviour or movements. She had her last dose on Saturday morning. So I’m thinking that whatever is going on maybe isn’t pain related?

Then on Saturday pm I put the carrot cottage in (not for the first time) and to my surprise she leapt up on it. She’s seen Winnie do that lots but never tried herself. So I wondered if that extra athleticism was due to her being more comfortable on the metacam from that morning.

But then… it’s now Monday pm so at least 48 hours since she had her last dose and she’s back up on top of the cottage again today, looking pretty nimble!

Her walking still looks pretty wonky to me but she has always had the occasional zoom (with or without meds) and she seems to still active since we stopped the metacam, so I’m hoping that whatever the reason for her strange gait is, it’s not pain related. Does that sound like a reasonable assumption? I’ll also update the vet.

(Meanwhile Winnie is VERY put out that Mabel’s learnt the cottage trick, it was one of the few places winnie could go to get peace!) they keep jostling. Maybe it’s best to leave it out altogether but they have such fun with it (they only get them a couple of times a year).
 
It is funny watching them both trying to squeeze on there. I could get them two but they’d still argue over the same one- never seen such FOMO as in piggies 😂
 
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