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Paralyzed Back Legs

E

ESeidel

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jun 10, 2017
Messages
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Location
Southern USA
You all have been so helpful and I need some words of wisdom and any advise! Let me start by saying that I'm in the US and finding a good vet for my elderly pig has been very difficult! My most recent vet moved, so I went back to a practice I'd been to before but switched vets within that practice because of friends advice. All was going ok-They diagnosed her with arthritis and put her on metacam. Yesterday we went back to get a hormone shot (her old vet had done this many times for her crusty nipples and it always worked and we never had a problem). They took her out of the room to give her the shot, came back in, put her in her cage and i came home. We got home and i reached into the carry cage and put her into the cage at home and immediately knew something was wrong! She was in extreme pain-almost having seizures, squealing! I got her in a towel and tried to calm her down. She was flinching! I gave her her metacam because it was time and I thought that would help and held her while I called the vet. They told me that the injection maybe was a bit painful and give her a couple of hours and see if she's better. so I did. Well, she wasn't! In fact she'd hardly moved. And the little that she did she was dragging her back legs! I called the vet back and they said I can bring her back but in my head I'm really thinking they hurt her so no way am I taking her back to them! So, my daughter gets on the phone and calls a friend who recommends another vet. We take her there. A wonderful, very thourough young vet looks her over very good. Says her lungs and heart sound good. She feels all along her spine and back legs. Rosie weeks a bit but nothing like before. They take a simple xray of her back (the vet said at her age and with the pain she was in she didn't want to do any more xrays that may cause more harm). So, she couldn't find any obvious fractures or dislocations. She said that something my have gotten sprained or pinched and to keep up with the pain meds and try to get her to eat and drink and make sure she's peeing and pooping. She doesn't want to eat anything! This morning I got a couple small pieces of carrot, a couple small pieces of cucumber skin and a little bit of critical care in her. She has peed but no poop since yesterday morning. She just lays there and doesn't move and I feel absolutely terrible because she was fine before she went to the vet! I'm trying to decide if we should have her put down and the tears are falling as I write this! I don't want her to be in pain! She's 7 1/2, I want to do the right thing!
 
Would your vets agree to an ultrasound? it may show more than an xray like a pinched nerve maybe? It is hard to know what to do for the best, especially if she is not eating for herself. Did your vet say whether there is scope to increase her pain meds? does there seem to be a pain response or has she lost all feeling?
 
is it possible that the injection touched some nerve? also the poo blocked in the gut can cause a sort of "paralysis", it happen to a rabbit I know. Unfortunately the painkillers often block the gut... if there is any hope and any cure for her I would suspend the painkiller as the owners did with that rabbit (and it worked, he made a lot of poo, his legs recovered and he started eating again).
Of course if there was a nerve damage due to the wrong injection it is all another story...
 
rome_italy said:
is it possible that the injection touched some nerve? also the poo blocked in the gut can cause a sort of "paralysis", it happen to a rabbit I know. Unfortunately the painkillers often block the gut... if there is any hope and any cure for her I would suspend the painkiller as the owners did with that rabbit (and it worked, he made a lot of poo, his legs recovered and he started eating again).
Of course if there was a nerve damage due to the wrong injection it is all another story...
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She actually has. Even on the painkiller for a couple of weeks for arthritis and been pooping fine. It's obvious she's in so much pain that I hate to do away with the pain killer!
 
helen105281 said:
Would your vets agree to an ultrasound? it may show more than an xray like a pinched nerve maybe? It is hard to know what to do for the best, especially if she is not eating for herself. Did your vet say whether there is scope to increase her pain meds? does there seem to be a pain response or has she lost all feeling?
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I asked about more pain meds and she said no. I think she's I. Pain because she won't eat or move.
 
I've read Osteocare is good for back leg paralysis, but this sounds more like an injury really :/ Perhaps your young vet is right and she's just sprained herself a bit!
Could you get hold of any fibreplex? As well as the critical care, it'll help keep her guts moving x
 
She hasn't pooped since yesterday morning but I'm thinking it's just because she's hardly eaten anything.
 
ESeidel said:
She actually has. Even on the painkiller for a couple of weeks for arthritis and been pooping fine. It's obvious she's in so much pain that I hate to do away with the pain killer!
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when things are like this I would try everything and the pain caused by an arthritis is not an oncologic pain. Now that her gut is blocked the main problem to solve is not the joints or the "pain".
 
rome_italy said:
when things are like this I would try everything and the pain caused by an arthritis is not an oncologic pain. Now that her gut is blocked the main problem to solve is not the joints or the "pain".
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Do you really think her gut could be blocked? This seems like such a direct result of the morning vet visit yesterday.
 
Update-she has pooped (quite a bit) and peed but now her little bottom is a mess because she just sits in it! I've carefully washed it off as best I can and her little back legs are just curled up. She did eat a bit of green leaf lettuce on her own just now (supplemented with a bit of critical care).
 
I hate to say it but l think they must have injured her spinal cord at the first vets.
This happens a lot with rabbits, they don't always know correct handling procedures.
I hope its just a temporary problem. But l definitely would ask to speak to the practice manager at the practice and find out exactly what happened.
 
pig in the city said:
I hate to say it but l think they must have injured her spinal cord at the first vets.
This happens a lot with rabbits, they don't always know correct handling procedures.
I hope its just a temporary problem. But l definitely would ask to speak to the practice manager at the practice and find out exactly what happened.
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I really think so too! I can really think of no other explanation! Now I just don't know what to do as far as what's best for her!
 
Oh poor little thing, what did the vet take her out of the room for? I'd have been beside my little one all the time. Maybe once your little one has had a ultrasound you'll know more. Hang on in there, none of this is your fault.
 
That's the worst part! It's all my fault because I hate it so much to hear her scream-I asked them to. I'm overcome with guilt! I just never expected anything could happen since we've had this done before!
 
Poor little mite, I really hope piggy heals up soon! Don't feel guilty, you only did what was right for your girl - it's the vet at fault! x
 
You know, I'm hopeful! She has continued to eat every 3-4 hours (1/4 greens/carrots/cucumber skins, and some critical care) and accepting water from her bottle when offered. She actually ate a vitamin C tab last night! Wasn't interested in her hay but I just got back from the pet store with a different flavor and she ate some. I've split her pain meds into 1/2 every 12 hours to try and keep that more consistent. She still does not move her self around at all and needs us to clean up her bottom but she is pooping and peeing. She doesn't seem to have any feeling in her back legs-they don't seem to react to any stimulus but we think this morning she may have pulled them in a tiny bit when we were cleaning her bum. My fingers are crossed! Someone on a USA forum mentioned that if they hit a nerve with the injection and there is swelling that it could take 2-3 weeks for it to go down all the way and that gave me hope! Thank you for checking! Yesterday I had lost hope but today, i have a little!
 
ESeidel said:
You know, I'm hopeful! She has continued to eat every 3-4 hours (1/4 greens/carrots/cucumber skins, and some critical care) and accepting water from her bottle when offered. She actually ate a vitamin C tab last night! Wasn't interested in her hay but I just got back from the pet store with a different flavor and she ate some. I've split her pain meds into 1/2 every 12 hours to try and keep that more consistent. She still does not move her self around at all and needs us to clean up her bottom but she is pooping and peeing. She doesn't seem to have any feeling in her back legs-they don't seem to react to any stimulus but we think this morning she may have pulled them in a tiny bit when we were cleaning her bum. My fingers are crossed! Someone on a USA forum mentioned that if they hit a nerve with the injection and there is swelling that it could take 2-3 weeks for it to go down all the way and that gave me hope! Thank you for checking! Yesterday I had lost hope but today, i have a little!
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Hoping that she continues to improve. Well done for taking good care of her
 
I just wanted to say that you are doing an amazing job with her - well done for being so proactive too.
I hope she continues to improve.
 
Do you all think that if she's started eating good during the day and has access to hay at night that i need to feed her in the middle of the night?
 
ESeidel said:
Do you all think that if she's started eating good during the day and has access to hay at night that i need to feed her in the middle of the night?
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Are you weighing her daily at the same time?
If she is gaining weight or at least not loosing then you don't need to feed her in the middle of the night anymore.
Just make sure she can access food without moving around too much.
 
She took a step today! just a tiny one but it was a real step! Appetite still a bit off but she is eating consistent small meals every 3 hours. She seems so tried! She has lost about 60g throughout this whole ordeal, I hope that's not horrible! I'm doing everything I can to not let her lose any more!
 
ESeidel said:
She took a step today! just a tiny one but it was a real step! Appetite still a bit off but she is eating consistent small meals every 3 hours. She seems so tried! She has lost about 60g throughout this whole ordeal, I hope that's not horrible! I'm doing everything I can to not let her lose any more!
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Fantastic news! Just keep weighing her daily and adjust feeds accordingly. X
 
Update on Rosie-She's taking tentative steps, she can get to her water bottle and hay in her cage. She's eating well! Pooping and peeing a lot! Still soft poops and messy bottom but I'll take that! And it seems the sniffles she had are gone! I think I may have been a bit paranoid on that one! Thank you all so much for all the encouragement! Three days ago I was sure she was a goner!
 
ESeidel said:
Update on Rosie-She's taking tentative steps, she can get to her water bottle and hay in her cage. She's eating well! Pooping and peeing a lot! Still soft poops and messy bottom but I'll take that! And it seems the sniffles she had are gone! I think I may have been a bit paranoid on that one! Thank you all so much for all the encouragement! Three days ago I was sure she was a goner!
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What a little fighter she is! So happy for you x
 
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