Possible Bumblefoot/urine scald?

[moodysuzy]

I’m phoning the vet tomorrow morning for an appointment

But in the meantime, my poor Prawn, it’s one problem after another. He’s just recovering from a hay poke and today I have him his usual check over and noticed the pads on his back feet look sore

He’s arthritic and epileptic, and he spent much of January recovering from a nasty bout of seizures. He also had a vit C deficiency in January which he’s had daily vit C syringes for since then.

He’s doing so well in himself but he does tend to prefer a couple of spots in his cage. He’s bedded on human bed pads with fleece sewn on top and these are changed every couple of days - more often if they look gross.

I feel awful, I try so hard to look after him as well as humanly possible, I don’t know how this has happened.

How bad does it look? hopefully we’ll be able to see a vet tomorrow although it will be our local vet rather than the guinea pig specialist we see for Prawn’s more complicated problems because she’s quite a drive away and I can’t get the time off work last minute!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Please don’t feel bad. You are clearly a wonderful owner.

It does look to be bumblefoot to me.
Being arthritic and perhaps not moving as much won’t help - it’s not lack of care so please don’t blame yourself.

I assume he is on painkillers for the arthritis?

Looking After Guinea Pigs With Limited or No Mobility

 

[weepweeps]

Poor Prawn. I hope the vet can help tomorrow. Can you get some small “pee pads” and change these a few times a day? I use bobble bath mats. I cut them in half. They are a good size and wash and dry easy.

 

[moodysuzy]

Please don’t feel bad. You are clearly a wonderful owner.

It does look to be bumblefoot to me.
Being arthritic and perhaps not moving as much won’t help - it’s not lack of care so please don’t blame yourself.

I assume he is on painkillers for the arthritis?

Looking After Guinea Pigs With Limited or No Mobility

Yes he’s already on metacam so hopefully he’s not in any pain. I just wish I’d spotted it earlier

 

[moodysuzy]

Poor Prawn. I hope the vet can help tomorrow. Can you get some small “pee pads” and change these a few times a day? I use bobble bath mats. I cut them in half. They are a good size and wash and dry easy.

We use pee pads already, but I’m going to start swapping them morning and evening. We’ve got some bobble bath mats so that’ll help our supply of them!

 

[moodysuzy]

We have a vet update! My husband ended up taking him.

Prawn has a mild case of Bumblefoot, there’s no open sores and the vet said it doesn’t look particularly infected.

We’ve been given flamazine cream to use 2-3 times a day for 2-4 weeks. If it gets any worse we’ll whisk him back and they’ll give oral antibiotics.

Fingers crossed

 

[Jelly/Jam]

We have a vet update! My husband ended up taking him.

Prawn has a mild case of Bumblefoot, there’s no open sores and the vet said it doesn’t look particularly infected.

We’ve been given flamazine cream to use 2-3 times a day for 2-4 weeks. If it gets any worse we’ll whisk him back and they’ll give oral antibiotics.

Fingers crossed

I’m phoning the vet tomorrow morning for an appointment

But in the meantime, my poor Prawn, it’s one problem after another. He’s just recovering from a hay poke and today I have him his usual check over and noticed the pads on his back feet look sore

He’s arthritic and epileptic, and he spent much of January recovering from a nasty bout of seizures. He also had a vit C deficiency in January which he’s had daily vit C syringes for since then.

He’s doing so well in himself but he does tend to prefer a couple of spots in his cage. He’s bedded on human bed pads with fleece sewn on top and these are changed every couple of days - more often if they look gross.

I feel awful, I try so hard to look after him as well as humanly possible, I don’t know how this has happened.

How bad does it look? hopefully we’ll be able to see a vet tomorrow although it will be our local vet rather than the guinea pig specialist we see for Prawn’s more complicated problems because she’s quite a drive away and I can’t get the time off work last minute!

Poor Prawn

 

[moodysuzy]

Poor Prawn

I guess it’s the way with older pigs, one thing after another I just bought him a whole kg of pea flakes though, so he’s happy as a clam

 

[weepweeps]

Glad he’s ok and getting the right treatment. I’m sure it will clear up in no time.

With lots of pea flakes obviously

 

[moodysuzy]

Just wanted to share this ridiculous contraption we’ve made so we can let the ointment soak into his feet properly full butt support, easy access feet, it does it all.

Prawn seems to quite like it as well haha

 

[Jelly/Jam]

Well this is a wonderful concept! Wow

 

[Jelly/Jam]

I wonder if this could help with nail cutting.

 

[moodysuzy]

We’re seeing some really good improvement - this is a pic of his worst foot. I bought some CLX wipes cos he does have a habit of standing in his own poo…so we wipe him, cream him, and then leave him suspended in his hammock until the cream has soaked in

I’m a bit surprised because I thought it would take longer to see any difference and fingers crossed the improvement will continue!

We’ve also started him on 4joints to try and improve his mobility

 

[Freela]

One of my pigs got bumblefoot in her older age... she just didn't move around enough anymore. She also had some arthritis and I think her resting position may have put more pressure on her front feet (hers was on on the front.)

If the flamazine doesn't help, I would suggest giving Betadine a try... it's over the counter but it's absolutely the best thing I've ever used for bumblefoot. For whatever reason, it marked improved Hadley's bumblefoot when oral antibiotics and flamazine failed.

 

[moodysuzy]

One of my pigs got bumblefoot in her older age... she just didn't move around enough anymore. She also had some arthritis and I think her resting position may have put more pressure on her front feet (hers was on on the front.)

If the flamazine doesn't help, I would suggest giving Betadine a try... it's over the counter but it's absolutely the best thing I've ever used for bumblefoot. For whatever reason, it marked improved Hadley's bumblefoot when oral antibiotics and flamazine failed.

Yeah Prawn was quite unwell earlier in the year and he didn’t move a whole lot back then, so I think that’s what started it.

I did ask the vet about Betadine, we agreed to give the Flamazine a good go first because we didn’t want to soften the skin up too much with foot soaks, but it’s great to know it’s a good option if the Flamazine fails!

 

[Minnou]

Just wanted to share this ridiculous contraption we’ve made so we can let the ointment soak into his feet properly full butt support, easy access feet, it does it all.

Prawn seems to quite like it as well haha

Late but I love the piggy hoist.

Hope he is 100% fighting fit soon. x

 

[fluffysal]

He does look rather content in there. Is he taking the 4 joints nicely?

 

[Posyrose]

Just wanted to share this ridiculous contraption we’ve made so we can let the ointment soak into his feet properly full butt support, easy access feet, it does it all.

Prawn seems to quite like it as well haha

Very ingenious!

 

[moodysuzy]

He does look rather content in there. Is he taking the 4 joints nicely?

Oh man, he hates it I have to dip the end of the syringe in his vitamin c liquid to get him to take it

 

[Wiebke]

Please don’t feel bad. You are clearly a wonderful owner.

It does look to be bumblefoot to me.
Being arthritic and perhaps not moving as much won’t help - it’s not lack of care so please don’t blame yourself.

I assume he is on painkillers for the arthritis?

Looking After Guinea Pigs With Limited or No Mobility

Hi

I agree with @Piggies&buns . Please do not feel guilty. It is not down to bad care.

Bumblefoot in older/less mobile piggies is usually down to them not being able to take the weight off their feet because of the arthritis while they are mostly hanging out in one place and are sitting in their excrement more likely. Then there the blood circulation angle in some frailer piggies; with a no longer optimally working heart the immune system (and the hard skin on the soles is a surprisingly efficient part of the immune system) is no longer able to fend off what gets into tiny cracks. It can happen even with the best of owners and care. I've had it in end of life oldies and in an old piggy with back leg paralysis where the constant pressure on the front legs just got too much because they were no longer able to lie down and get back up again.
In these cases it is usually down to several factors coming together which you can do only so much about.

Please follow the advice in our mobility care link in the previous post. It has a whole chapter with very practical care tips and possible complications. I would also recommend M&F ointment from Gorgeous Guineas for borderline and mild cases - but only to be used when bumblefoot is actually brewing as overcreaming on spec will soften the thick skin and weaken the defenses, which will promote bumblefoot instead of preventing it.

 

[moodysuzy]

Hi

I agree with @Piggies&buns . Please do not feel guilty. It is not down to bad care.

Bumblefoot in older/less mobile piggies is usually down to them not being able to take the weight off their feet because of the arthritis while they are mostly hanging out in one place and are sitting in their excrement more likely. Then there the blood circulation angle in some frailer piggies; with a no longer optimally working heart the immune system (and the hard skin on the soles is a surprisingly efficient part of the immune system) is no longer able to fend off what gets into tiny cracks. It can happen even with the best of owners and care. I've had it in end of life oldies and in an old piggy with back leg paralysis where the constant pressure on the front legs just got too much because they were no longer able to lie down and get back up again.
In these cases it is usually down to several factors coming together which you can do only so much about.

Please follow the advice in our mobility care link in the previous post. It has a whole chapter with very practical care tips and possible complications. I would also recommend M&F ointment from Gorgeous Guineas for borderline and mild cases - but only to be used when bumblefoot is actually brewing as overcreaming on spec will soften the thick skin and weaken the defenses, which will promote bumblefoot instead of preventing it.

Thank you I’ve given the guide a read, it’s really useful and I’ll pick up some of the ointment so that we have it on hand

I definitely think you right, this feels like a culmination of lots of factors, but hopefully we’re addressing them all as well as we can.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you I’ve given the guide a read, it’s really useful and I’ll pick up some of the ointment so that we have it on hand

I definitely think you right, this feels like a culmination of lots of factors, but hopefully we’re addressing them all as well as we can.

All the best - that is only ever what you can do so please take care of yourself as well. As owners we can only ever make the days we have with our pets with a much faster metabolism happy and good ones as much as possible. That is how they measure their lives by and how we should measure our ownership by because the rest is not in our control. But as long as we give our pets a happy life, we do not fail them - however short or long their life with us is and we do not have to feel guilty when their metabolism is starting to turn against them.

Live in the moment and concentrate on enriching every day you have with your pets with a shared activity; it doesn't have to cost anything. It's the sharing of time that is leaving us with a stash of precious memories we can warm the cold hands of our soul on whenever our life feels cold and dark. If you feel it would help you, start a diary with an enrichment picture every day.

Your piggy is at the stage where the ointment could help because you are dealing with bumblefoot now and not just an irritation of the soles but I hope that the advice will help you feel more in control of the situation.

 

[Wheekallweek]

I actually love your piggy hoist idea so much

 

[Jelly/Jam]

I actually love your piggy hoist idea so much

Me too!

 

[CTWC]

All the best - that is only ever what you can do so please take care of yourself as well. As owners we can only ever make the days we have with our pets with a much faster metabolism happy and good ones as much as possible. That is how they measure their lives by and how we should measure our ownership by because the rest is not in our control. But as long as we give our pets a happy life, we do not fail them - however short or long their life with us is and we do not have to feel guilty when their metabolism is starting to turn against them.

Live in the moment and concentrate on enriching every day you have with your pets with a shared activity; it doesn't have to cost anything. It's the sharing of time that is leaving us with a stash of precious memories we can warm the cold hands of our soul on whenever our life feels cold and dark. If you feel it would help you, start a diary with an enrichment picture every day.

Your piggy is at the stage where the ointment could help because you are dealing with bumblefoot now and not just an irritation of the soles but I hope that the advice will help you feel more in control of the situation.

Wow what amazing words

 

[moodysuzy]

All the best - that is only ever what you can do so please take care of yourself as well. As owners we can only ever make the days we have with our pets with a much faster metabolism happy and good ones as much as possible. That is how they measure their lives by and how we should measure our ownership by because the rest is not in our control. But as long as we give our pets a happy life, we do not fail them - however short or long their life with us is and we do not have to feel guilty when their metabolism is starting to turn against them.

Live in the moment and concentrate on enriching every day you have with your pets with a shared activity; it doesn't have to cost anything. It's the sharing of time that is leaving us with a stash of precious memories we can warm the cold hands of our soul on whenever our life feels cold and dark. If you feel it would help you, start a diary with an enrichment picture every day.

Your piggy is at the stage where the ointment could help because you are dealing with bumblefoot now and not just an irritation of the soles but I hope that the advice will help you feel more in control of the situation.

Thank you again it’s so hard sometimes not to just concentrate on all the bad, but he’s a wonderful little guinea pig who gives me so much joy. It’s been a seemingly never ending litany of problem after problem since December, but he’s so happy it’s worth every second

Please enjoy a new hoist picture, he honestly seems to quite enjoy being in it

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you again it’s so hard sometimes not to just concentrate on all the bad, but he’s a wonderful little guinea pig who gives me so much joy. It’s been a seemingly never ending litany of problem after problem since December, but he’s so happy it’s worth every second

Please enjoy a new hoist picture, he honestly seems to quite enjoy being in it

Bumblefoot is very painful, so having the chance of taking his weight off his feet and feel more comfortable must be a relief to your poorly boy. He is a lucky boy having found such a dedicated owner.

 

[moodysuzy]

I booked an appointment for tomorrow with our usual exotic vet to get another opinion on Prawn’s feet. The receptionist was oddly reluctant when I said he’d seen a local vet. She said to pretend I hadn’t seen another vet for it! Must be some weird policy.

This morning Prawn suddenly started having clusters of fairly severe seizures (he has epilepsy, possibly due to CBS) after a good three months virtually seizure-free. I can’t take him to the vet today because my husband has taken the car to work. So we’ll go down tomorrow. I’m not sure what the outcome will be. Maybe we can try Gabapentin which has been mentioned previously. Maybe it’s time to say goodbye.

I really wanted him to see his 5th birthday, at the start of May. But we’ll do whatever’s best for him, seeing him like this is awful. They might calm down, they often do, although this is the worst I’ve seen.

Here he is this morning. His poor little nose is red from bashing into the sides of his cage . I’ve lined the sides with bath mats now so it’s nice and soft for him.

I can’t even get him out of his cage because when he has a seizure he bolts and he wouldn’t be safe. He nearly flew down the stairs this morning when I got him out to cream his feet.

 

[Wiebke]

BIG HUGS

 

[CTWC]

I booked an appointment for tomorrow with our usual exotic vet to get another opinion on Prawn’s feet. The receptionist was oddly reluctant when I said he’d seen a local vet. She said to pretend I hadn’t seen another vet for it! Must be some weird policy.

This morning Prawn suddenly started having clusters of fairly severe seizures (he has epilepsy, possibly due to CBS) after a good three months virtually seizure-free. I can’t take him to the vet today because my husband has taken the car to work. So we’ll go down tomorrow. I’m not sure what the outcome will be. Maybe we can try Gabapentin which has been mentioned previously. Maybe it’s time to say goodbye.

I really wanted him to see his 5th birthday, at the start of May. But we’ll do whatever’s best for him, seeing him like this is awful. They might calm down, they often do, although this is the worst I’ve seen.

Here he is this morning. His poor little nose is red from bashing into the sides of his cage . I’ve lined the sides with bath mats now so it’s nice and soft for him.

I can’t even get him out of his cage because when he has a seizure he bolts and he wouldn’t be safe. He nearly flew down the stairs this morning when I got him out to cream his feet.

Oh poor sweetheart sending hugs