Hi! I’m new to this whole new guinea pig community. I’ve recently introduced a guinea pig, Chamoi, to my home a couple months ago. She would be super curious and walk around, run around her house. Just the other day my nephew accidentally jumped on her (while she was wrapped in a blanket on my bed) and she didn’t squeal or anything that signified pain, although, guinea pigs do hide their pain. That same night, I heard crying and tons of movement coming from her cage. The next morning, she couldn’t move her hind leg. She was limping and couldn’t even get up and would only lay on her side. It looked like she was in pain so I took her to the vet. Apparently, there are no broken bones/fractures and everything looks good except for the fact she can’t walk. They said it could be early arthritis (from strawberries I’ve been feeding her) but it’s nothing serious and they gave her pain meds. The next couple of days and starts getting up, not whining/crying anymore but can’t properly walk. She ends up giving up and lays back down again. I did some research and found that guinea pigs may get a mysterious hind leg paralysis due to deficiencies in their diet. I just thought she was injured from the accident but now I may think this is happening. I just want her to regain movement again of her little legs and run freely! Has anybody experienced this? I’ve read liquid calcium can help them but I’ve only seen Osteocare from the UK being used. What can I do?
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Guinea pig (possible) hind leg paralysis!
- Thread starter florvee
- Start date
Pound Shilling & Pig
Adult Guinea Pig
Hi, given that she couldn't walk in the morning following the accident it is far more likely that her problem is a result of that rather than a dietary deficiency. Xrays will only show damage to bones but not soft tissue. She could have damage to soft tissues such as ligaments, etc, just like when you badly twist your ankle. Such damage causes pain and can take many weeks to heal. Is she still on the pain meds? An anti inflammatory such as metacam will help. Is it just one leg of both hind legs? If both then she could have soft tissue damage to her spine, which will take time to heel. I would speak to your vet again and update them on her progress. Not being able to walk properly is a clear sign of pain that is not being hidden.