Guinea pig with hurt back. Next steps?

cgplover · Post » Mon Mar 25, 2019 12:31 pm

Hi, last weekend my guinea pig, Elvis Pigsly, jumped off the couch, and landed awkwardly, causing some sort of spinal injury. He doesn't use his hind legs to walk, but he can move them a little, it seems to be slowly getting better. I went to the vet and got an anti-inflammatory to give him, and I've been giving it to him every day. Is there anything else I can do to make him more comfortable/speed the healing process? Thanks!

bpatters · Post » Mon Mar 25, 2019 12:55 pm

Confine him in a small area of the cage and keep his food, hay and water close to him so he doesn't have to move around,

And just so you know, you should never have a pig on a elevated surface unless there's some sort of barrier. Like horses, they have eyes on the sides of their heads, so have very poor depth perception. Three inches, three feet -- it all looks the same.

cgplover · Post » Mon Mar 25, 2019 1:10 pm

Hi, thank you very much. I've certainly learned my lesson about high surfaces; I'll keep them on the ground in the future. I'll make doubly sure he doesn't move too much, right now he tries to act like he isn't hurt at all and tires to push through any barrier I use to keep him from moving.

Sef · Post » Mon Mar 25, 2019 1:59 pm

Were x-rays done?

cgplover · Post » Mon Mar 25, 2019 2:39 pm

The vet I went to said that the closest place to do so is Cornell, and they said it would probably be expensive.

Sef · Post » Mon Mar 25, 2019 3:35 pm

You may need to consider it, if there is no marked improvement over the next week or so. I'd continue with the anti-inflammatory (is it Metacam?) and cage rest, and also watch for signs of incontinence which can be an issue with spinal injury. Also be sure to keep bedding clean to avoid urine scald while he's in a confined space.

Accidents can and do happen to the best of us. Fingers crossed that your little guy makes a full recovery.

cgplover · Post » Mon Mar 25, 2019 4:00 pm

They gave me Meloxicam for the inflammation. He's definitely getting better; he's been moving his legs more and such. I haven't notices issues with incontinence or urine scalding, but I'll keep an eye out for those issues. Thanks!

Renonvsparky · Post » Tue Mar 26, 2019 5:40 pm

Don't beat yourself up too much. Owning Guinea Pigs is a never ending learning experience. The first day we had Mr. Bubbles, he jumped out of my granddaughter's hands, 3 feet to the floor and squeezed himself under a dresser. We were both beside ourselves. It took 3 of us to carefully lift up the dresser so we could get him out safely. He was a tiny little guy at 6 weeks old and luckily he was uninjured.

She learned her lesson about holding him against her body with none of his legs hanging. I'm experienced with holding guinea pigs, but she wasn't and I learned my lesson about supervising her better. Pigs don't like their feet hanging. They like them to be in contact with something solid. Best of luck with your little guy. I'd get the x-ray anyway just to make sure everything is okay, but that's just me.

cgplover · Post » Tue Mar 26, 2019 7:00 pm

Hi, thank you so much for your kind words. I'll see about getting the x-ray for him, but thankfully he's already moving his legs more, which is a hopeful sign.

Renonvsparky · Post » Tue Mar 26, 2019 8:38 pm

That is a good sign, but keep an eye on him for discomfort when he's moving his back legs. Sounds like you are on top of this.

Post » Tue Mar 26, 2019 11:12 pm

Some good tips on holding guinea pigs on this page too. I am always afraid they will jump.
www.guinealynx.info/handling.html