Wolverines Bumblefoot that wont go away

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laceyjess

Post   » Sat Mar 22, 2003 10:17 pm


Wolverine has bumblefoot and it doesn't look so fun. He doesn't actually seem to be affected by it, he is as active as he has ever been.
The site suggests ointment and a bandage...but I can't seem to keep the bandage on his foot, and he FREAKS out when I finally put him down in his cage to walk with it on.
Suggestions?

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Zoe

Post   » Sat Mar 22, 2003 10:45 pm


I have a major bumblefoot piggy. She was a Hollister rescue with a foot the size of a grape and an open sore.

It's still swollen, but the vet says she's doing great... I do 3 things for her...

1. She's on oral TMS 2x a day until it clears up.
2. I soak her foot as often as I can stand it in a chlorhexidine solution.
3. I don't do a pressure bandage, but I do use NEW SKIN Wound & Blister Dressing.

The dressing is great. After I soak her foot and let it dry while I hold her so it stays clean... I cut a patch of the dressing and cover the sore. It stays on pretty well, it lets the wound drain and it doesn't hurt her when I remove it.

I don't use any ointments. You can't with this dressing anyway.

How bad is it? You need to keep it as clean and dry as possible. If it's super bad and not clearing up, I would hope your vet would prescribe the TMS.

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laceyjess

Post   » Sun Mar 23, 2003 1:09 am


Its actually not "super" bad. Its swollen but certainly not the size of a grape. Another vet visit for the poor guy I guess....

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Mar 23, 2003 8:44 am


Zoe, I added your current experiences on the bumblefoot page, under treatments. Didn't mention bactrim by name as Josephine's recommendation to culture the bacteria is good (don't want everyone to think bactrim is the right antibiotic). And link back to here. Please do let me know how it progresses and how long it takes to get it under control.

critterluv02

Post   » Sun Mar 23, 2003 11:36 am


I have found that they tend to heal up more quickly if the pig is kept on towels (kept clean) rather than other beddings. You have to change the towel as often as necessary to keep it dry. Sitting on moisture will not do the sore any good.

critterluv02

Post   » Sun Mar 23, 2003 11:37 am


I should mention that is in addition to the treatments you are doing with the sore itself.

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laceyjess

Post   » Sun Mar 23, 2003 3:01 pm


Ok, I keep the cage VERY clean, so I didn't think that was the issue. I will put doen some towels in some areas of the cage, see if that helps.

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Zoe

Post   » Sun Mar 23, 2003 5:50 pm


When I first started nursing Magnolia's foot... when some of the swelling went down, I actually plucked out a piece of the end of her toenail that had come off! I've been dealing with hers on a daily basis since I took her in last summer.

Anything that introduces infection could cause it... but the cleaner and drier the cage floor is, the better.

Magnolia's foot looks so much better that it did... she was like the poster child for bumblefoot... the worst that Teresa showed in her selection of pictures on Cavy Spirit. Other pigs had it bad too... I am grateful Mag's was just on one foot. Other piggies had it on more than one foot!

Lynx... I'll let ya'll know when Magnolia's foot is better... if it ever is. I swear I have noticed improvement in the last couple of months, but it is so slow. At least the infection isn't spreading and she isn't in pain. The vet said there is the chance it will never be back to normal again, but I'm not giving up on her!

If it weren't for the NEW SKIN stuff... I think I would have lost my mind trying to bandage her up. The adhesive from bandaging was hard on her healthy skin, I had to keep clipping the fur around her foot... what a pain. Once I got a bandage on as nicely as I could and she was afraid of it... maybe it pinched her hair? She was bolting back and forth trying to escape the bandage... Poor thing.

Let us know how it's going Laceyjess... Also, I love your avatar piggy. Could you post a picture we can see better... I want a closer look at that cool looking piggy!

pinta

Post   » Sun Mar 23, 2003 6:17 pm


I wish I could show you all how to bandage pig feet. I have it down to an art but you have to see it done. My vet is hopeless at bandaging their feet, the bandage is always off within 2 minutes, but she does it like you would a dog or cat foot. Mine stay on for days and the pigs don't mind them at all. They are just as active as before and can even climb stairs.

All I can say is figure eight the gauze around the ankle at least once and attach the tape around the ankle half to fur and half to bandage. The hair pulls out when changed and then you have clean skin for the next bandage.

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melcvt00

Post   » Mon Mar 24, 2003 7:21 am


Pinta, you should let one of the techs give bandaging a pig a try. There are plenty of times us techs can do better than the doctors. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked to rebandage an animal while the vet was busy because the bandage that they had put on came off/was coming off.

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laceyjess

Post   » Mon Mar 24, 2003 11:20 pm


Zoe: posting pictures in cavy chat. I have 4, 400x300 pictures, hopefully Lynx doesn't mind....

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Zoe

Post   » Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:03 am


Yeah! Thanks, Laceyjess... I'll take a look.

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