Advice needed for my girls

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pigsforlife3

Post   » Wed Feb 13, 2008 10:30 pm


I talked to the vet this morning and she wants to see her toe so I will be taking her in at 4:30pm today - in about 4 hours. This is the best picture I could get.

Image

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:13 pm


I am guessing foot soaks would help. Dry thoroughly when you're done.

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pigsforlife3

Post   » Thu Feb 14, 2008 12:39 am


I called the vet (as I was given the rest of the day off after a dr appointment) and asked if they could move her appointment forward. They said I could come in straight away and so that is what we did.

It turns out Buttercup has bumble foot. I have no idea how she got it, as she is not overweight and lives with her 3 pals in a 2.5x4.5 C&C cage on towels. The dr suggested that she jumped of one of the bricks, sort of pushing off and this resulted in a scratch and that she then went and stood in some poop. So until I am told further I have taken out the bricks.

I didnt realise how serious bumble foot was until today. She pressed on the toe hard and Buttercup pulled her foot away but didnt squeak - so this means that so far it hasnt gone to the bone.

Therefore the priority is to prevent the bumble foot to going to any other parts of her foot or worse - the bone. She gave me padding, sticky bandage and compression bandage and they go on in that order. Only her middle toe can be wrapped (as it would make her walking lame), so we have to find out a way to wrap her foot (any ideas and especially pictures are welcome). The wrapping will bring the swelling down or help it.

She is also on 0.2 mls of metacam 3 times a day, although I am wondering if it would be ok to put her on 0.3 mls twice a day? This is to help with the pain and to bring the inflammation down. She is on 0.62 mls of bactrim twice a day - which seems like an awful lot to me.

If by next week it is worse or the same she is going to have to have a x-ray (which costs $60 on top of the $200 I have spent since Tuesday). If it has spread to the bone her toe will need to be amputated. If it goes past her leg then is pretty much busted.

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pigsforlife3

Post   » Thu Feb 14, 2008 12:47 am


Well, now this is interesting. I am just reading the page about bumble foot on GL, and it says that pigs with heart problems are prone to bumble foot.

I will mention this to the vet when I talk to her next week.

I would also like to mention that it isnt like their environment isnt kept clean - I completley change their towels and litter box twice a day.

Also, it seems that alot of people soak bumble foot pigs feet. Buttercup doesnt actually have any open sores, just some crusting and swelling (the vet said her foot could get twice the size poor bub) in that toe. Do you think soaking would be helpful? If so, how often and could I just use betadine?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Feb 14, 2008 12:13 pm


Please read the info about Nina. www.guinealynx.info/.html (I think or try antiseptic solutions). You have to be VERY careful not to have the bandage too tight. I also question this diagnosis based on a toe alone. To tell you the truth, it is usually the whole foot pad that swells. Please read Nina's story.

Your vet could be right about this though and the swelling could spread. I did not notice Nina's problems until they were severe.

I managed Nina's problems for over a year. They never completely cleared up. She died from other causes and I do not think had an infected bone.

[too many typos!!!! - Lynx]
Last edited by Lynx on Thu Feb 14, 2008 3:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Thu Feb 14, 2008 2:58 pm


I can't see the pic well, but it doesn't look like bumblefoot.

Some heart pigs have very poor circulation which causes swelling of the extremities. But this is one toe only, right? It sounds as if she may have damaged it.

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pigsforlife3

Post   » Thu Feb 14, 2008 6:51 pm


Sorry about the picture. I had my friends daughter hold her, and we put some tartan cloth over Buttercups stomach to make her foot show up better. I was later told of the macro setting on my camera, and will try to get a better picture later today when I change her bandage.

This is only the middle toe. The vet said we caught it early, and that if we hadnt other areas would swell as the bumble foot spread. She said bumble foot tends to be more common in their front feet, and the pads.

I was very careful when bandaging her foot. The vet said we had to be extremely careful with the gauze as that gets up to 2 times tighter.

I bathed her toe yesterday in warm water and betadine and some of the crust surrounding the toe came off.

I dont question the vets diagnosis. Buttercups toe was not only swollen but it also had crust around it - both symptoms of bumble foot. If she had an injury, there wouldnt be any crust.

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pigsforlife3

Post   » Thu Feb 14, 2008 7:10 pm


This is a picture of her bandaged foot after it had been on overnight (I put it on at about 7pm, and the photo was taken at about 8am the next day)

Image

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pigsforlife3

Post   » Fri Feb 15, 2008 12:14 am


I have some fantastic pictures.

The first one is of my little girl being an absolute angel while I was taking of her bandage (In the photo I was already half way there)

Image

The foot:

Image

Image

Image

Today, the top part of her pad is slightly swollen - as is her right toe (the left toe in the last picture) compared to her other foot.

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pigsforlife3

Post   » Fri Feb 15, 2008 4:09 am


After I take the bandage off, I soak her foot in luke warm water with betadine.

I went to the chemist today to try and find Hibiclen (the solution recommended in the article Antiseptic Solutions). Apparently they are not making that anymore, but they had a kind in that was double the strength. I considered getting this but the bottle was way to large for what I needed (about 500mls) considering it had to be diluted down to 1 part solution, 80 parts water. Should I continue on with betadine, or are there any other brands you recommend?

Do you still think it is an injury? Or bumble foot? Anything I should be doing but am not?

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pigsforlife3

Post   » Fri Feb 15, 2008 9:00 am


Another update -

I gave Buttercup her antibiotics and pain relief and she took them wonderfully. Overall she has been somewhat quiter than normal, but everything else remains a-ok.

I do think that her foot is more swollen than yesterday. The only real difference is that there is no more crust, which came off when I soaked her foot yesterday.

I am starting to question as to whether it is Bumble Foot. It is rather queer to get it on her toe. I think I will continue with the current treatment plan - it cant hurt - and review and possibly get a x-ray next week. What do you think?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Feb 15, 2008 9:44 am


Good pics. Let me know if I can add some to the thread.

I wonder if your pig got a spider bite on the toe or something.

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