Sunrise's Medical Thread - Possible foot spurs?

Phantomhorse

Post   » Sun Feb 18, 2018 10:17 am


Hello! One of my guinea pigs has an unusual spot on her front left foot. She seems to be walking ok, but it's a bright yellow, almost pus-colored small spot. The foot looks slightly flaky on the other side of it, and none of the other feet appear to be affected. This is a two and a half-year-old spayed female pig. I send images to Lynx - please let me know if you guys know what it is, I have no clue!

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Lynx
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Post   » Sun Feb 18, 2018 11:36 am


You need to include the name of your guinea pig in the title of any post in the medical forum and then post ALL questions about that guinea pig on that thread.

Since you didn't, I can't tell if there are other threads on this guinea pig that would help give a history of its health.

I am posting the pictures you sent me but they are not clear and do not seem to show what is going on. Look over the info on spurs on this page:
feet.html









bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Sun Feb 18, 2018 12:13 pm


It looks like a spur. Is it rough, like a wart? If so, see https://www.guinealynx.info/feet.html#spurs

Phantomhorse

Post   » Sun Feb 18, 2018 4:35 pm


bpatters - it almost reminds me of a callus. She has never had this issue before and doesn't live on any hard bedding or surfaces. How should I handle this? On the other side of that foot it is starting to become flaky, but none of the other feet have an issue. I've always been curious about her feet because her front feet have nails that curl under her feet in the shape of a half circle, even when they are clipped as short as they can go. They are also a yellow color (not like her back toes) and her back toes are straight. I've always wondered about that, but I've never actually found a problem until now.

Lynx - I have posted many times, but looking back over I have never posted about her as far as I can tell, only the boys. Past medical history would be pneumonia (recurred twice) and an inbred pregnancy + a second inbred pregnancy that was back-to-back (which was emergency spayed in an attempt to save her life).

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Feb 18, 2018 7:25 pm


Thanks for adding some details about her. Sorry if I seemed harsh but the one thread one guinea pig system we finally fell into really does work the best.

Do keep her nails clipped. Some guinea pig seem to have curving nails - routine clipping is mainly important to prevent twisting of the toes and eventual curvature into the foot.

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mmeadow
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Post   » Sun Feb 18, 2018 7:37 pm


Callus-like spurs as in your photo are very common and no big deal. Just clip them carefully if they seem like they might catch on something. Pig nails vary and some are naturally curved and twisted. As long as they do not poke into the pig's foot, it's OK.

(ETA-duplicating what Lynx was posting at the same time as I was.)

Phantomhorse

Post   » Thu May 03, 2018 7:15 pm


Hello guys! I disappeared from the forums for a while after the loss of one of my girls, but I'm back again! I'm having a bit of a problem with Sunny.
When she was younger (she isn't that old, almost three) she used to eat all of her hay (timothy and alfalfa when she was pregnant). About a month ago we brought a new hay into the house (an orchard/timothy blend) and she has stopped eating her hay. Both of the boys prefer it to the timothy and have gained weight, but Sunny is barely eating her hay now. I brought her into the vet about a week after it started and she nibbled on the hay there, but as soon as we came home she stopped again. I can't seem to find anything wrong with her, but I'm concerned. I'm going to bring some timothy home and see if she'll eat it (it's what the vet had) but she has been less active. She sits in her poop sometimes and her nails have poop on them. It looks like I don't clean their cages, but I do! I'm not sure what to do...

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Thu May 03, 2018 7:58 pm


let us know if the change in hay helps.

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Lynx
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Post   » Thu May 03, 2018 8:45 pm


I hope so! Eating hay should help get her digestive system back on track. You've had guinea pigs for a while so at least you know what to look for!

Phantomhorse

Post   » Fri May 04, 2018 8:23 pm


So - I brought the hay home today, it's nice and fresh! She ate it! Well, most of it anyway. It wasn't much... I gave her a handful to see if she would eat it. She ate it, but she isn't very interested in her second handful. We'll see if she eats it in the next few hours. I'm very concerned about her poop though, when I got home today it looked abnormal. It looks very similar to the mouse droppings that you might find in a shed or garage - it's very small and dry. Her poop over the past few days has been soft and caking her nails, but normal sized. She is eating her salads and all treats, but I don't like this. Any thoughts?

Phantomhorse

Post   » Fri May 04, 2018 9:04 pm


I also wanted to note that she is really dehydrated. The past day or so she has looked dull, and her eyes are sunken into her head today. I haven't taken her to the vet because she is still eating and isn't fluffed up or squinting her eyes at all (she isn't in pain) - the only thing they could really do right now is sub cue fluids until her digestive tract balances out. I refilled her water bottle a few hours ago and a fourth of the water is gone already. I think I'll syringe feed her water if needed for the next day and see if she becomes more hydrated. If she is taking this much in and is still dehydrated tomorrow, I have a big problem (and will be at the vet). She has eaten most of the second pile of hay, so I'm a bit encouraged that she might improve now.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Fri May 04, 2018 9:09 pm


You could try syringing her some diluted pedialyte. Most pigs love it, and it would help rehydrate her. Mine, when ill, have willingly taken 15-20 cc at a time.

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