Red Sore Foot

[gpmum2]

Please can someone help advise me on what I can do for Ranger. I have kept piggies for 7 years and never had any problems before.

In their beds they have hay and in the run they have sawdust/chippings - untreated. In the igloos they have fleece or towels. Which are changed daily and the cage spot cleaned daily then they whole thing has a complete clean at the weekend.



When I took Ranger to the vets last week with his abscesses, I noticed his back foot stopper looked quite red. This seemed to heal whilst he was on towels but since Monday evening the vet said he could go back onto hay - which he loves to bury himself in. Just had him out and noitced it is all red again.

I have put him back on towels again. Is there anything I can bath his foot with? There isn't any cuts or pus, it just looks red and sore.

Thanks Karen

[jessegee]

It doesnt sound pee related, but Heather told me about Aloe Vera Gel, this helped Farleys foot once when he pee'd on a shiny floor then stood in it
His foot got a bit pink, but a wash and some Aloe and it was fine the next day

Another thought - Is the hay any different? Thistles are out this time of year, maybe there's some thistle hairs in it

I dont know if infection could travel to the closest extremity, is that what you were thinking?

jessegee

[gpmum2]

You could be right about the hay! Come to think about it as I have had bits left in my hands after filling hay racks etc Although it is the same make of hay I have used for years and Chips doesn't seem to be affected by it! So I assume we would have thstle before at some point or maybe due to the changing weather conditons there are more about now!

Ranger is longhaired are their feet softer than the short haired I have always previously owned?

[jessegee]

That I dont know, but if he has pale feet the skin might be more sensitive than thicker black skin?

jessegee

[gpmum2]

The foot that is sore is a pale foot but the other back foot is black which seems ok!

[heatherjhenshaw]

Aloe Vera is wonderful

With Rangers foot I wonder if perhaps its because he has been on towels for a while, and then gone back onto shavings. When you think of farmers they have tough caloused hands, but someone who does office work would get sore hands if they did farm work, I wonder if his skin needs to toughen up again

The aloe will help anyway, fab stuff

[gpmum2]

Thanks

We will try and get some Aloe Vera tomorrow - would that be from a chemist or health food shop - do you mean the normal stuff I would use as hand cream?

[jessegee]

Myself I go to Holland and Barrett, or any health food shop, and buy the edible juice, then you can give it to them to drink aswell

They sell the gel in a tube, thats topical only, and very good also, bit thicker

jessegee

[rayfay]

Asia has had some reddness on her foot before and I soak it in warm water. Then I dab it dry (not rub) and then she goes back in her cage. That only happened when I had her on shavings. Now she is on fleece and vetbed. I don't think the sawdust is good for his feet. Even just the towels are a better option than the sawdust. I would think the sawdust would make in infected or more irritated.
Let us know how his foot heals.

[heatherjhenshaw]

I use the Holland & Barrett Juice as well, unless I break a stem off my plant and use that lol