need serious help LIFE OR DEATH

[sosborne26]

Hi im compleatly new to threads and have never used these before but i just didnt know what else to do or who to turn to. I have a beautifull guieanpig called gp she is female now she had saw feet like 2 weeks a ago just red and saw so i rang my vets and asked there advice they said to rap her foot up and treat with some gel type stuff.
i got to her in the morning and a non serious matter had turned serious over night she had chewed her toes and all her skin off and the bandage there was blood eveywhere i panicked and rang my vet they told me there was nothing they could do over the phone and put the phone down . so me going hysterical phoned another vet she told me to bring her in so i did in seconds we where in the car 45 mins later we got there the towel was covered in blood i never knew a gueanipig could bleed so much .
they had a look and cleaned her up, they told me it was the worst thing i could have done is bandage it up.
she has lost curculation in her feet they gave me baytril at 1ml a day and some metocam at 0.05 a day. she didnt seem to bad she wasnt moving much and wasnt her hungry self so i took her back they said there wasnt much more to do but wait.
so i kept her at home i have time off work and i am sittin with her day and night she is eating little bits but having to be suringe fed mostly. her feet started to look worse and they have gone black on her right foot and she cant feel them anymore. and her left is black but also weeping and smells terrible and they are swollen terrible so i took her back she is now in intensive care on morphine and being suringe fed. the vet keeps telling me that its looking bleek and that gueanipigs cant survive with only two front feet . i cant let her die i just cant. he seems to think we should put her to sleep i said no and told him to carry on with treatment her feet are terrible she has lost all feeling and they are black they think its gangreen and they will fall off. i need some help and reasurance i just cant let her die she means the world to me she even has tea with me she isnt just a gueanipig how people keep saying she is my gueanipig who means the world and i feel so guilty i shouldnt have bandaged her feet in the first place. i cant let her die because of something i did . if ANYONE and i mean ANYONE has had this happen or has any information or any better treatments or centers please contact me money isnt an option i just need her better thank you for reading and please get in contact soon . regards susan

[sosborne26]

Also does anyone know of gueanipigs living with only there two front feet ?

[Orlaith]

I don't know if this is helpful to you, but here is an article by a girl whose piggy had paralysis in her hind legs: link

If there's an infection setting in, which it sounds like if there's a bad smell, then I don't think it looks too good for your piggy but you might get lucky and have a good response to treatment. You shouldn't feel bad about bandaging your piggy's feet - you were acting on the instructions of a vet, who is supposed to be a trained and qualified professional. You should be able to trust the advice of your vet and it's not your fault at all that your vet got it wrong. It's their mistake and not yours.

[sosborne26]

thank you so much for your reply i was actually wondering weather or not she could cope and this article proves they can. not sure on if i should get them aputated off or leave her feet to rot so she will still have legs but no feet.any answers would be dearly appreciated thanks again .

[sosborne26]

ok update on gp she still isnt eating and she is still being syringe fed and she is still on her morphine she chewed a bit more of her feet last night at the vets, but they think that her feet look dryer this morning and not so soggy they still smell sadly. also there is more black appearing which the vet seems to think that it truly is rotting away they have given me the choice of amputation but im just not sure apprently that can cause problems in its self for her. But she is still fighting on which i knew she would she is a fighter .
the worst part is if it spreads up her legs this gangreen then she may loose her legs too which makes me think aputation is a good idea but she is on her own she did have a house mate but they had a bad fight , dont know if she could cope on her own with all this and only me by her side .

[caroline]

Cant be of much help I am afraid but I hope all goes well for your piggie - it sounds as though she is having a horrendous time poor little thing. I would seriously consider putting in a complaint about the first vet you used. You would need to write to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons www.rcvs.org.uk/
It sounds like your first vet was seriously negligent. Good luck with your little girl

[Niki]

I too am very sorry to read this & have had no experience with foot problems with my own piggies. I agree that the blackened bits indicate gangrene & also think amputation would be the only treatment.
Where are you? Your vet, in my opinion, wasn't great in the first instance & if you can i would look for a guinea pig savvy vet who is likely to have more experience with them.
I do hope she pulls through, please let us know how she goes on.

[sosborne26]

well the vet i was with was very unhelpfull and thats why she is not there she is at cook and timpson vets in louth i am based in lincoln area i will keep you updated on everything and if anyone has any information please let me know im open to all sugestions.
thanks susan

Also i do have a question does anyone know of any disability like wheels or fake feet for her or should she just be left to sort of drag her self if she gets them amputated off. thanks again.

[sosborne26]

this is a beautifull picture of gp i will send some of her feet and her self when she gets back she has been gone 5 days now miss her so much. And i will keep you posted.

[Orlaith]

Aw, that's a gorgeous picture. She's a beautiful girl.

I think she would probably have to drag herself around, i'm not sure if you could get her a chair or something. She'll be really intensive to look after in that case. She won't be able to reach to eat her poop so you'll have to help her by collecting it and offering it to her. Also, you'll have to keep her cage impeccably clean since she'll be lying down all the time and make sure she can reach everything.

[sosborne26]

Update , she is still really the same as yesterday but her feet are drying out which means they will crumble off. it all seems confuseing really the vet said you can either have her amputaed or let her feet come off by them selfs but there is a big diffrence she will still have her legs if they come off by them selves so is that better or will it be painfull for her walking on stumps? And yes i know she will need allot of care round the clock but i dont mind i will work my job around her my boss doesnt mind she loves her to bits.So yes it will be hard but its worth it if she is still with us and happy.

( gp no1 fighter)

[abby]

Surgery would be quicker but also more stressful to her, she may not survive the aneasthetic (not to mention expensive) whereas letting it happen in time may be less stressful all round. It sounds like such a bizarre, awful thing I am so sorry for GP and for you. She will learn to adjust and to drag herself around (she'll probably move a lot less than she used to so make sure everything she needs is within easy reach) and you will need to keep checking that her wounds are not getting infected and damaged. She will need to be on vetbed or fleece from now on (vetbed would be better as it's thicker) not sawdust or anything that could irritate her wounds, even once healed. I know what you mean about wheels, i have seen little dogs that manage without the use of their back legs because they are strapped onto wheels but of course it would be difficult to find anything. You'd probably have to get someone to make something made to measure but then there's lots to think about- how easily would it work within where she lives etc. It might be better to see how well she copes first. Good luck!

[Niki]

She is sooo pretty I too hope she carries on fighting for you

[sosborne26]

hello , update she is still there and there keeping her in for a while yet . shame really im missing her so much, they seem to think one of her legs are healing up and look allot dryer which maybe good news she may only loose one sadly they think one has no chance the gangreen has just got worse, but atleast they may save one . so fingers crossed.

[sosborne26]

hi update she is really the same she still isnt eating her self and is being syringe fed, her left foot has got allot smaller and the swelling has gone down we are going to pop and see her tommorow i think i have to go see her i miss her too much.and will see for myself.Also we have had a thought would it be better if she had a house mate to help her threw this time like a neauterd male?

[diamondsareforever]

Whilst she is ill I wouldn't introduce another pig, it would just add stress and they may also try and 'help' her wounds.

If it makes you feel any better I had a piggie who was caught by the dog and ruptured her abdomanal wall, underwent two operation and didn't eat for a month. But she is now fat and podgy and happy. It cost a fortune but was worth it So they can make it through it is just tough.

[sosborne26]

Great news we asked our vet if we could go and see her and he said you can bring her home today .
so we will be picking her up today and i will be able to post some pics of her feet on here also i will give you all an update on how she is when she comes home
(Im so excited)

[diamondsareforever]

O that is good news

[Orlaith]

Yay!

[Kayleigh]

thats fantastic news

[sosborne26]

not very good news im afriad she is worse now then wen she went in we are not very happy at all it cost a fortune and they did nothing im trying to post pictures but it doesnt seem to want to load them

[sosborne26]

picture hopefully will work this time

[sosborne26]

and another one

[sosborne26]

sorry for having to do it sepratly it wouldnt let me do them together

[diamondsareforever]

ooo ouch poor piggie that looks horrible!

[Niki]

I can only see the first pic & OMG that looks awful!!!!

[alie]

OMG i feel so sorry for you and your poor little piggie!! i really hope she pulls through this.

i seriously urge you to make a complaint / report the original vet involved in this. i had a similar experience for a cat related misdiagnosis and treatment (my cat ended up with irreversible blindness and frequent seizes which seriously impacted upon her quality of life) and do not wish that sort of heartache on anyone.

my thoughts are with the both of you.

[sosborne26]

Hi i have rang somone from the british association of rodentoligy and they are coming to look at her as they think it is urgent and they are from cambridge 3 1/2 hours drive away from me so hopefully they can help

[Orlaith]

That's good news that she's getting looked at. It looks awful, your heart must be breaking to see her like that.

[sosborne26]

yes it really is hard every time she tries to walk on them she squeals and when u pick her up she squeals and she just sleeps all day unless im feeding her its very hard to watch sadly my partner cant as its his guineapig and there very close and its ovious that she is hurting and not happy she is enjoying her food she doesnt even let you take the syringe away to fill it and she is say suckling again we just have to build up her weight again what the vets have lost .
i cant undertstand how she lost that much ?? was they not feeding her at all she is so bad you can feel her bones