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Guinea pig fell & injured - devastated

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Nibby&Sprout

New Born Pup
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One of my boys (Sprout, 1 year old) jumped when being put down today, was less than a foot off the ground but still. He immediately started dragging his back legs and we knew something was wrong. Managed to get him to the vet within a hour where he had pain meds and an X-ray. Legs not broken and can’t see any fractures in the spine but obviously he’s done some nerve/muscle damage.

We’re back home with pain meds and anti-inflammatories and are doing round the clock care - but I’m just devastated :( I was initially terrified he wouldn’t come out of the vets so at least we have him home now. His brother (who doesn’t like to be alone) is running round the cage looking for him and wheaking. Sprout is in his own area just lying, as we’ve been told. He’s eating small bits if coaxed but is silent/still. He’s pooing and we think weeing.

He’s such a character, very independent, likes exploring and a percher. To think he’s in pain and might be paralysed (or a worse outcome) is really really upsetting me, the whole family is devastated. We’ve had them since babies. I’ve read various similar stories on here and useful to know what’s worked for their care.

Dont know why I’m posting, maybe just so others who have guineas know. Feel like people think only owners of larger animals care about their pets.

Really hope he pulls through X
 
Nibby&Sprout said:
One of my boys (Sprout, 1 year old) jumped when being put down today, was less than a foot off the ground but still. He immediately started dragging his back legs and we knew something was wrong. Managed to get him to the vet within a hour where he had pain meds and an X-ray. Legs not broken and can’t see any fractures in the spine but obviously he’s done some nerve/muscle damage.

We’re back home with pain meds and anti-inflammatories and are doing round the clock care - but I’m just devastated :( I was initially terrified he wouldn’t come out of the vets so at least we have him home now. His brother (who doesn’t like to be alone) is running round the cage looking for him and wheaking. Sprout is in his own area just lying, as we’ve been told. He’s eating small bits if coaxed but is silent/still. He’s pooing and we think weeing.

He’s such a character, very independent, likes exploring and a percher. To think he’s in pain and might be paralysed (or a worse outcome) is really really upsetting me, the whole family is devastated. We’ve had them since babies. I’ve read various similar stories on here and useful to know what’s worked for their care.

Dont know why I’m posting, maybe just so others who have guineas know. Feel like people think only owners of larger animals care about their pets.

Really hope he pulls through X
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Hi!

BIG HUGS

I am very sorry; freak jumps and falls can happen.

Please take the time to read these care guides here; your care at home can make all the difference if there is a chance of recovery. The bruising itself can be more painful than a break because of the swelling, so you have still got all to play for. ;)
What dosage of painkiller has he been prescribed (cat or dog strength; the latter is 3 times stronger)? General vets often underdose as they calculate down from cats.

Please step in with syringe feeding care to replace the 80% of hay he is not eating and the water he cannot drink as he cannot reach a bottle.

You can find all the necessary practical information for your crisis care in these guides here:
Looking after guinea pigs with limited or no mobility
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Fingers firmly crossed. The coming days will tell. Until then, please don't give up and hang in there.
 
Thank you for the links and kind wishes :) I will read up more in syringe feeding in case that’s needed tomorrow.

He’s been given:
0.16ml twice daily of Meloxidyl
0.15-0.25 twice daily of Gabapentin

he weighs about 1300g

How can I calculate the titration to check his dosage?
Thanks
 
Hi. First the lady above @Wiebke who has given you advise and links . . Is a wonderful piggie person and I myself been helped by her. .
Ok. . Try not to panic. . Massive well done getting piggie to vets so quick and great news no broken bones . .
Piggies wriggle and accidents happen. . So pls don't blame yourself. . .
I'm sure with your tlc Sprout will be back with his brother. . Soon. . Lots piggies have fallen and be stories etc on here. .
Keep us informed and best wishes to you and healing vibes to Sprout. . Take care. X
 
So sorry to hear about Sprout. Thinking of him and you all at this difficult time. We have everything crossed for little Sprout and his recovery 💕
 
I'm so sorry to hear of his accident. I can understand if the vet said to keep him separate but is there a possibility of putting the 'cages' together so they can see each other and maybe contact through the bars? Perhaps @Wiebke can advise as to whether this might help them both be less stressed 💕
If there is any chance of you being able to get a bit of fresh grass for him? (dog/cat pee free - give it a little wash to make sure there's some water on)
When mine have been serious they can often be tempted by grass more than anything else. Thinking of you little Sprout x
 
Nibby&Sprout said:
Thank you for the links and kind wishes :) I will read up more in syringe feeding in case that’s needed tomorrow.

He’s been given:
0.16ml twice daily of Meloxidyl
0.15-0.25 twice daily of Gabapentin

he weighs about 1300g

How can I calculate the titration to check his dosage?
Thanks
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Gabapentin is used for neuropathic pain - in case of injured nerves. I have never been prescribed it so I cannot comment on the dosage but hopefully another member with experience with it can relate which dosage they were given.

Please check whether the meloxidyl is for dogs or cats. It is one of the brand names for metacam. A 1 kilo piggy can have safely have 0.4 ml of dog or 1.2 ml of cat meloxidyl twice daily because guinea pigs have a much higher metabolism and tolerate metacam much better than cats or dogs. If you have been given cat meloxidyl, then you have been prescibed the equivalent of about 1/2 tablet of paracetamol for a human patient in severe pain; whichever variety it is, it is very low - even more so as you have a fairly chunky boy.

PS: We only recommend separation if absolutely necessary as it is an added stress factor; most companions are supportive will ill companions that are not an infection risk.
 
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The active ingredient in Meloxidyl is Meloxicam which is generally well tolerated and works well with guinea pigs.
But without knowing the strength of the Meloxidyl it is difficult to comment on the does, but it does seem quite low given his injury and weight.

Can you post a picture of the box?
Guinea pigs can have up to 1mg per kilo twice a day, and in the short term I would consider asking for him to have the maximum possible dose to try and address the swelling and improve his mobility.
Of course I am absolutely not a vet, and any change or increase in his medication needs to be discussed with them first.
I hope your boy feels better very soon.
 
This is very helpful, thank you everyone. I can put them in together with a separator so will do that.

Looks like I have Meloxidyl 1.5mg for dogs.
 

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Nibby&Sprout said:
This is very helpful, thank you everyone. I can put them in together with a separator so will do that.

Looks like I have Meloxidyl 1.5mg for dogs.
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Thank you. It is good to hear that while the dosage is on the lower side, it is not so low as to be cosmetic. We sadly see this quite often. Meloxidyl/metacam is not just a painkiller but also an anti-inflammatory that helps with reducing any swelling in bruises etc.

@furryfriends (TEAS) has been using gabapentin with her piggies if I remember correctly, so she may be able to advise you how the combination of both meds should be handled.
 
Thanks everyone, I feel a little better having a plan:

- boys in together
- Sprout has his own area with everything within reach
- I’ve managed to get him to eat parsley a few times (a favourite) doused in water and nibbles of hay afterwards. I’ll monitor during the night
- He’s not had any pellets since it happened 10 hours ago and way less hay/food than he’d normally so I’m gonna syringe feeding tmrw if he’s still not proactively eating
- I’ve reviewed the doses so will call the vet in the morning and increase. Next few days are critical and he needs best shot at recovery
- we’ll clean him throughout the day to prevent sores. I didn’t want to move him much today. Will see how he goes and whether a bath would be good for cleanliness and also a bit of hydrotherapy. He might not be ready for that for a while

Fingers crossed and will keep you posted X
 
I know you want to fix him. . .
You have a good plan and I hope all works out ok.
Time will help.
Sprout you in good hands. .xx
 
Wiebke said:
Thank you. It is good to hear that while the dosage is on the lower side, it is not so low as to be cosmetic. We sadly see this quite often. Meloxidyl/metacam is not just a painkiller but also an anti-inflammatory that helps with reducing any swelling in bruises etc.

@furryfriends (TEAS) has been using gabapentin with her piggies if I remember correctly, so she may be able to advise you how the combination of both meds should be handled.
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No, I've never used it for guinea pigs. It was my cat who had it, to help with anxiety, associated with visiting the vet. @pig in the city is the one who has used Gabapentin for piggies!
 
Yes l have used Gabapentin a lot for bladder issues and in the case of Ozzy for spinal pain. It seems to be very effective and can be titrated up until you get a response, sedation is reported as a side effect but l haven't had a problem with it in my piggies. It can be given 3 times a day.
 
So sorry that Sprout has taken a fall, it can happen so easily, so don’t feel bad, sending you hugs. Once any swelling has gone down after a few days things may well improve. Just keep him comfy, watered and fed for now x
 
I can’t add any advice but wanted to offer my support.
Holding you in my heart.
Hope Sprout recovers from his fall
 
Thanks for the kind messages and information links, it’s helping us a lot :)

Update on day 1:
- was up in the night checking he was eating a little and comfy. Woke up to find his brother snugged up next to him :)
- seemed perkier this morning. Managed to give the medication. Doesn’t seem overly drowsy and I upped the dose a little
- he’s doing well eating today so not worried about that. Will monitor his tummy with the meds but don’t think he needs syringe feeding. Normal wees and poos. He did the tiniest purr when stroked :) and whilst not wheaking like he normally does is alert to familiar sounds and engaging with interaction
- at one point his brother jumped in with him and he got out. It sort of looked like he had weight on one back foot for a few seconds rather than just dragging although it was difficult to tell and he was put straight back on bed rest! He’s not actively trying to get out. Still laboured when moving positions relying on his front paws,
sometimes his back legs are under him and sometimes splayed backwards
- vet told us he had some feeling in his feet and he does on his bum too as moved when I cleaned him out

Anyway, long way to go yet but feeling a bit better today. If he’s eating and enjoying his food and interactions that’s a start :)

Hope everyone and their piggies had
a good day :)
 
Things are moving in the right direction! ☺
And it's wonderful that he's eating and enjoying interaction... he must wonder what's going on but he's doing his best! What a brave boy ❤
 
Just an update:

Sprout is now using both legs, to varying degrees. He’s also able to wash with both front paws by balancing on his hips and scratches using one back leg, so overall we’re relieved with his recovery so far :). He’s still on bed rest but we’ve made a small area for him so he can at least get out of the box for a mini walk/change of scene.

Need some other advice please:

He and his brother are in together but with a cage barrier to stop Sprout wandering. When cleaning today we removed the barrier and there was some aggression by Sprout, unusual. His brother is the rumble strutter and ‘alpha’ but would say it’s been pretty even between them and never any fights. Do we need to be careful when we finally reintroduce?
Thanks :)
 
Nibby&Sprout said:
Just an update:

Sprout is now using both legs, to varying degrees. He’s also able to wash with both front paws by balancing on his hips and scratches using one back leg, so overall we’re relieved with his recovery so far :). He’s still on bed rest but we’ve made a small area for him so he can at least get out of the box for a mini walk/change of scene.

Need some other advice please:

He and his brother are in together but with a cage barrier to stop Sprout wandering. When cleaning today we removed the barrier and there was some aggression by Sprout, unusual. His brother is the rumble strutter and ‘alpha’ but would say it’s been pretty even between them and never any fights. Do we need to be careful when we finally reintroduce?
Thanks :)
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I’m glad he is improving. That’s good news.

When you reintroduce them it needs to be done on neutral terrritory. If the barrier is removed and one piggy can simply wander into the other piggy’s cage, then that it will be seen as a territory invasion and will spark some issues.
When you do reintroduce, you are going to see dominance while they reestablish their relationship and hierarchy. It’s important you don’t confuse normal dominance and aggression.
However, due to their separation on medical grounds, you do need to have a plan b if upon reintroduction things don’t work out. Unfortunately theres no guarantee that they will be able to reform their relationship and sometimes medically induced separations can break bonds if there have ever been any underlying issues which are brought to the surface

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Bonds In Trouble
 
Thanks :)

Sprout not finished his medication yet and we’re due to send the vet a video of him walking so she can observe. Think we’ll keep them separated at least another few days and then set something up on neutral territory so they can explore together and see what happens.
 
So the last couple of days Sprout has been stood staring through the bars of the cage and became obviously very grumpy/unhappy about the situation. There was tension between them when they got close. Sprout’s walking is all but recovered so we decided to do the rebonding this morning.

Glad I read up on this! We know their sounds and behaviours very well but I’ve not seen anything like it before. They went right up to wire on dominance with each other multiple times stopping just short of full on fights. Had I not read about it I would have separated them as it was upsetting to watch - except you realise this is normal and what they have to do. We watched them for a few hours ready to intervene but seems to have settled down. They are sleeping near each other, some grooming, sharing food, bit of a play etc. Rumble strutting still but nothing to be alarmed about.

We’ve cleaned everything and transferred them back in together - so far so good. It’s a cage on 2 levels and there are 2 of everything anyway so hoping we’re over anything bad.

Phew! I’m exhausted :) And the washing!

Thanks for all the comments and helpful posts.
 
I’m glad they’ve settled into being together again. I wouldn’t separate again as it can kill a bond.

Additional floors don’t count. But if one level is at least 150x60cm then they should be okay. Piggies are ground roaming animals hence having the minimum space requirement on one level. Also make sure all hides have two exits.
 
Aw, such good news, so lovely they are back together and Sprout is doing so well x
 
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