Guinea pig injured by rabbit

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Elly

Post   » Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:38 am


On January 26 2005 I pulled from a backyard a Male Guinea Pig and two Rabbits (male and female), survivors of Hurricane Katrina and the last survivors of 11 rabbits and 3 guinea pigs.. The rabbits were transported north where they would have a chance of adoption. The male Guinea Pig stayed with me.

Gumbo, as the guinea pig was renamed, was in good/poor condition. He was a bit underweight, dirty and his nails were overgrown and curling around. He also had a large foot spur. Under loving care he quickly put weight back on and his injuries and issues from neglect were soon healed.

Gumbo's physical appearance was starling. He has a general tattered look to him.

Upon investigating the story of his life before the storm I found out that Gumbo was housed in an outdoor hutch with at least one rabbit. The hutch he and the rabbit lived in was inadequate. It had a wire floor, no resting boards, no enclosed housing for the animals to get out of the weather or stay warm in and was open to the wind on 3 sides. The only furnishings in the hutch was a cinder block, a plastic milk crate and a bowl of scummy water that once held food. A couple of handfuls of poor quality hay and pine needles along with newspaper were thrown into the hutch as their only means of burrowing for warmth and relief from the wires. Gumbo's feet were red and inflamed but luckily he did not yet have a full blown case of Bumblefoot.

The hutch where Gumbo lived
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On Gumbo's health check with the vet several old and healed injuries were found. All of the injuries are consistent with damage a rabbit could inflict upon a Guinea Pig if they shared a cage.

All over Gumbos body are scars of various sizes including one or two that could have been from ruptured abscesses. I could not get clear pictures of those because of his hair coat.

His ear is torn and tattered.

His torn ear
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His healthy ear
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He has a great deal of scarring on his left eye. The vet suspects a traumatic injury caused this rather then a simple infection. Once again the vet said it is consistent with an injury that can be inflicted by a rabbit. The scarring covers so much of the guinea pig's field of vision that it is suspected he has no real vision in that eye at all.

Left eye with scar tissue
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The middle digit of his left hind food has been amputated. The vet concluded that is was a traumatic amputation. The cause could have been getting it caught somehow or bitten off by another animal. Considering the other injuries and scars the vet believes it was probably bitten off, most likely by a rabbit.

Amputated middle toe
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The owner of the rabbits and guinea pigs told me that Gumbo and his rabbit companion were 'best friends'and that they got along wonderfully. All evidence points to the opposite. These injuries may not even have been caused by fighting between the animals. It could have been, in the rabbits mind, playful tussling. Unfortunately a Guinea Pig is not equipped for such rough handling and the injuries Gumbo suffered are proof of that.

Please NEVER house guinea pigs and rabbits together.
Last edited by Elly on Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:47 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Elly

Post   » Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:39 am


Lynx, I placed this here. Move it if you wish. You have my permission to edit also.

I am going to try to get a better picture of his eye scarring. That one doesn't do it justice.

Brandilynn
Who's your Branni?

Post   » Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:42 am


Oh Gumbo.. you are a brave and smart and lucky ol boy to have found yourself an Elly to take care of you until you get a forever home that is not a crappy one!!

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smiley
Just Do It

Post   » Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:46 am


Poor little guy. Glad you saved him.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Feb 27, 2006 11:52 am


Thanks! I take it I have your permission to put the pics on this server? It will make them more reliable in the future.

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Mon Feb 27, 2006 12:09 pm


Oh poor little guy. How wonderful that he's now safe with you!

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Gary M houchens

Post   » Mon Feb 27, 2006 12:16 pm


Glad to hear that he is Safe

Gessika

Post   » Mon Feb 27, 2006 12:19 pm


I love his name!

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luvmypigs2

Post   » Mon Feb 27, 2006 12:21 pm


Could be me but I can't see the pics - I get a X.

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Elly

Post   » Mon Feb 27, 2006 1:50 pm


Yes Lynx, the pics and text are yours to use as you choose.

tcarey
The Zen of Pigs

Post   » Mon Feb 27, 2006 2:46 pm


I'm so glad Gumbo is with you now Elly! I don't understand why people would think to put rabbits and guinea pigs together, but it sure seems to happen a lot. The two pigs I adopted were also housed with a rabbit in an outdoor hutch.

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rachelm

Post   » Mon Feb 27, 2006 3:21 pm


Great idea for a thread Elly. Over here pigs are housed with rabbits in the pet shops - it makes my blood boil.

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