Hamish has a bad toe/foot

[AidaB]

We noticed last week that Hamish had a bad toe, as the weeks gone on it got worse, not better.
We went to the vets this morning.
Lovely vet thinks he may be in pain & might have an infection.
We have been given dog metacam & sulfatrim.
Also told to carry on with salt water bathing. ( I have done this for the last week).
How long would do you think we should keep his foot in the foot bath? So far it’s been as long as the piece of lettuce lasts! (With a rinse after).
Do you think we should give him fibreplex too?

 

[Viennese Furbabies]

Billie tolerates the soaks for 5 minutes. In the beginning I tried for 15 minutes, but Billie's internal alarm clock is set at 5 minutes.

 

[Betsy]

When RB Piggy Pretty Patsy had bumblefoot I set the timer at 5 mins in the Epsom salt bath and 5 mins in the plain water bath to soak off the salt. I gave her recovery food in a bowl so that she would keep still.

 

[AidaB]

Billie tolerates the soaks for 5 minutes. In the beginning I tried for 15 minutes, but Billie's internal alarm clock is set at 5 minutes.

When RB Piggy Pretty Patsy had bumblefoot I set the timer at 5 mins in the Epsom salt bath and 5 mins in the plain water bath to soak off the salt. I gave her recovery food in a bowl so that she would keep still.

Thank you, think I had better think of something that lasts longer than a piece of lettuce!

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you, think I had better think of something that lasts longer than a piece of lettuce!

Give her a little recovery mix or mushed up pellets with a pinch of plain probiotics, fibreplex or bene bac mixed in - fibreplex doesn't taste great to piggies but it goes well when mixed into some feed.
That catches two flies in one swat, as we say in German...

 

[AidaB]

Give her a little recovery mix or mushed up pellets with a pinch of plain probiotics, fibreplex or bene bac mixed in - fibreplex doesn't taste great to piggies but it goes well when mixed into some feed.
That catches two flies in one swat, as we say in German...

Thank you, Hamish is a little strange, and likes fibreplex, usually balanced on a pellet like icing on a cake!
Will certainly try recovery mix to encorage him to sit still with his foot in the water for longer.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you, Hamish is a little strange, and likes fibreplex, usually balanced on a pellet like icing on a cake!
Will certainly try recovery mix to encorage him to sit still with his foot in the water for longer.

There is always the odd one out... You just have to love guinea pigs; they are so full of individual quirks!

 

[Bill & Ted]

I don’t have any experience of this but just wanted to send Hamish loads of healing vibes x

 

[AidaB]

So, this morning I have learnt that dried on recovery mix is like dried on weetabix….cement!
Luckily Hamish ate his mush a lot tidier than a small child eats weetabix.
On the plus side it lasts longer than a piece of lettuce and Hamish successfully soaked his foot for 5 mins.
I also learnt I will need to be more organised tomorrow morning before work.

 

[Betsy]

I never worry about cleaning up piggies after recovery food. The clean up crew (the other piggies) do that.

 

[Merab]

Hope Hamish’s poorly foot gets better soon.
Like @Betsy I never clean up the piggies after recovery feed - I have a very enthusiastic husboar for that job.

 

[AidaB]

Just a little update. Hamish has been off all medication for a week, We had a vet trip today to check how he’s doing.
Vet thinks it looks better, even if I am not sure. Hamish is eating well, and mostly being himself, just a little reclusive sometimes!
The vets advice was to keep monitering, and if it still seems to be bothering him, we need to consider an x-ray, to check nothing else going on.