Satchmo's broken leg

Windpixie47

Post   » Sun Aug 07, 2011 2:37 am


Satchmo is a 10-week old Aby male. I fumbled him from about 24 inches while setting him down for floor time. He began limping immediately, but the emergency vet clinic said they didn't know how to treat him. I restricted his movements and got him to the vet the next morning. She did x-rays to identify a simple tib-fib fracture. They taped his leg in a kind of cast, no splints, just taped straight. He had pain killer yesterday for the x-rays and had a shot of Metacam before he was discharged. The vet admitted she has never treated a cavy's broken leg, so she referred me to another vet 80 miles away. It will be 48 hours before I can get in to this exotics vet.

In the meantime, I am giving Metacam 1x a day (.1ml), restricting his movement, feeding him Vit C rich veg. He's eating, but mostly veg and a little hay. He is not drinking much, so I keep dipping his treats in water. His poops are normal so far. He is really subdued, not talking much (he normally talks constantly). Earlier today he seemed upset and stressed, but he seems more relaxed tonight. Is there anything else I can do to make him more comfortable before getting better vet care? Does he actually need the "cast," or is restricted movement adequate? Is he getting enough pain med? All advice welcome. I am so upset about this!!

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gvstate01

Post   » Sun Aug 07, 2011 2:56 am


Oh no! We all have our accidents though. Glad to see he's eating ok :) I don't think restricting movements would be a problem at all for a couple days and the cast couldn't hurt. Does it bother him? I've never heard of a broken bone in a gp and haven't experienced it. But I do have a couple older pigs on medacam for arthritis and they take .1 twice a day. Since it's very well handled in guinea pigs (I've been advised for up to 1.0 twice a day in severe cases) and they have a fast metabolism I don't see why .1 twice a day would be a bad idea :) But I'm not a vet and don't know his pain level. *disclaimer* :)

My vet said her 4 year old daughter drank an entire 4 oz. bottle (omg expensive! lol) but didn't have to take her to the er since it's not toxic or harmful. I hope he recovers ok; well wishes for Satchmo!

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Sun Aug 07, 2011 7:01 am


Ditto. What is the concentration of your Metacam, and how much does Satchmo weigh?

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Catie Cavy
Supporter 2011-2020

Post   » Sun Aug 07, 2011 9:26 am


I’m sorry about your accident. I’m not one of the experts and have no direct experience with broken bones, but from years of reading these forums I know that broken legs and guinea pigs can have a very good outcome. It looks like you’re doing everything that’s usually recommended: x-rays, Metacam, restricting movement, making sure he’s eating and drinking, and extra vitamin C. Here’s the link to the section on broken bones, which may be helpful:

https://www.guinealynx.info/records/viewtopic.php?t=121

Windpixie47

Post   » Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:31 am


Satchmo weighs about 560 grams. The metacam label says .4 metacam solution-1.5 mgs/ml.

He seems a bit perkier this morning. He's trying to move more. I still wonder if he's getting enough pain relief though.

Thanks for links!

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:32 am


Do weigh daily to ensure your pig is getting enough food. The meloxicam and restricted movement should definitely help.

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gvstate01

Post   » Sun Aug 07, 2011 2:11 pm


He's a little guy! I don't think more pain meds would be a bad thing until he can see a vet. Every pig is different. I have 2 with elongated roots and have just been upping the doses until they eat more and stop drooling. The doses turned out to be different for both of them. If he seems to be doing better on what you have him on, that should be fine :) And ditto with Lynx, weight is a really good indicator of how they're doing.

Just incase you think he needs more meds, it should be fine to give up to .4 twice a day for his size (but wouldn't imagine he'd ever need that much). Glad he's doing better ^_^

Hilary Holmes

Post   » Sun Aug 07, 2011 4:37 pm


I'm sorry to hear about poor Satchmo's injury. Please remember in people, Meloxicam is a "gastric irritant". I see no reason why it should be any different in cavies. For this reason, could I suggest trying to give it with or after food.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Mon Aug 08, 2011 12:33 am


I'd start with 0.1 mL of the 1.5 mg/mL suspension *twice* a day and see how he does. If your vet has only given you 0.4 mLs of it to start, though, don't hesitate to ask for more of it if he needs it.

Any NSAID is a gastric irritant (to just about any animal, as far as I know, human included). Giving with a little food may help and can't hurt.

Glad to hear he's doing better.

Windpixie47

Post   » Wed Aug 10, 2011 8:52 pm


Six day post-accident update:

After a miserable first 48 hours, Satchmo is definitely perking up. His most endearing quality may be the fact that he talks constantly. He was morose for two days, quiet for two more--and now he's talking again. His main challenge now seems to be the itching caused by the cast. After a consult with the exotics vet, my vet will change his cast on Friday. The challenge is now to keep him from running around too much and to keep him from chewing off the soft cast material. When he gets the twidgets from the itching, laying him on a warm rice bag helps a bunch. He has even managed to gain a few grams, now up to a whopping 590. I may even try him without Metacam pretty soon as his pain levels seem very improved.

After reading about fractures on this and other sites and discussing the situation with other cavy fans, I do wonder whether the cast is essential for healing. I think he could immobilize it pretty well himself if left to his own devices. I think doctors are using fewer casts on human fractures as well. But this is the conservative line, so I'm pretty sure the only harm will be the itching.

In case this helps inform others treating simple fractures, I will update occasionally. Thanks for the great support!

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gvstate01

Post   » Wed Aug 10, 2011 11:57 pm


SOOO happy he's doing better! That really put a big smile on my face. I've been thinkin about him :) It'd be great to hear updates on Satchmo! What a wonderful story <3

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Catie Cavy
Supporter 2011-2020

Post   » Thu Aug 11, 2011 8:06 am


Thanks so much for the update. Glad to hear he is getting better. Can you put him in a small pet store cage for now to restrict him from running around? Put his food and water close by so he doesn't have to move to get them.

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