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Guinea Pig Help

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guineapigmom97

New Born Pup
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Hi everyone! My daughter has 2 guinea pigs. One was injured about 2 weeks ago due to his enclosure(we have fixed this issue and have thrown it away so nobody elses baby could be hurt) he started dragging his hind legs and we rushed him to the small exotic animal vet here in my town, they took x-rays and his spine is all clear. They gave him Prednisone for inflammation. However he's still dragging his back legs and he's beginning to bite his feet. He eats, drinks, plays and goes to the bathroom just fine. Any ideas on what could be wrong or how I can help the little dude. He's about 1.5 years old.

Thank you so much for any insight!
 
I'm sorry your piggy is not improving. Was he prescribed a pain medication? He may be biting his feet due to pain. If there has been nerve damage it can take a long time to get better or it might not improve.

Here is a guide with information on piggies with limited mobility.

Wiebke

Thread 'Looking After Guinea Pigs With Limited or No Mobility'

Introduction
1 Why can guinea pigs stop moving around?
- Animal attacks, severe illness or pain
- Back leg paralysis with list of potential causes
- Post-op, sudden illness or acute pining after bereavement
2 Adapting the living space
- Bedding and cosies
- Everything within reach
- Warmth and stable conditions
3 Weight monitoring and feeding support
- Weighing...
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Also prednisone is a steroid. Guinea pigs shouldn’t be prescribed them orally. Was it injected? If he’s not improving I’d take him back to the vets. Good luck
 
Welcome to the forum, I'm sorry it's in these circumstances. I'm afraid I have no advice but someone more experienced will be along soon.
 
It's orally. He has a few more days left on the RX. The Vet did x rays and said everything looked good. I'm thinking of taking him back. I hate the though that he might be in pain
 
I’m sorry to hear of this.

Oral steroids should not be given to rodents.
There are safe non-steroidal anti inflammatory meds such as a good dose of dog metacam but your piggy cannot have it due to being given a steroid at this point.
Please see the guide below for further information.

Abi_nurse

Thread 'The Problems With Steroids And Why They Shouldn't Be Used.'

Hello all,

I wanted to make a quick post on the use of oral steroids in Guinea pigs (and almost all exotic species) and why they should never be used.

Guinea pigs are very sensitive when it comes to the use of steroids and they should always be avoided. The problem with steroids is that it causes immunosuppression and can cause any current illness or underlying illness (even when there are no symptoms) to become worse with often dire and fatal consequences. Most often than not piggies will have underlying respiratory disease even with no symptoms and taking steroids can often be fatal in...
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Guinea Lynx :: Analgesics

Please make sure you are weighing him daily to monitor hay intake, ensure hay is right beside him at all times and step in with syringe feeding if he is losing any weight.

Wiebke

Thread 'Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support'

1 Weight and Weight Loss
- Why regular weight monitoring matters
- How weight changes over a lifetime
- How to weigh on your kitchen scales (with video)
- The weight loss rules
- How critical is the weight loss for my piggy?
- Possible causes for weight loss
2 Body Mass Index (BMI) or 'Heft'
- Why is understanding your piggy's weight so important?
- 'Average' weight vs. individual weight - the big trip up
- How to check for the BMI
3 The...
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I hope he is ok
 
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