My overweight guinea pig has sore feet

OUR Vet David Grant works his animal magic

PAIN The guinea pig like the one shown has sore feet PAIN: The guinea pig, like the one shown, has sore feet

QUESTION:

I HAVE two four-year-old guinea pigs. They are female litter mates but one is heavier than the other and has developed slightly sore feet. Could being overweight be the cause and have you any suggestions as to what could be wrong?

David, Northumberland

ANSWER:

I WOULD have both guinea pigs checked over and weighed. Your vet will want to examine their diet and the cage that you keep them in. Good quality hay and special commercial guinea pig food plus greens should contain adequate amounts of vitamin C. Deficiency in this vitamin is quite common in poorly fed or sick guinea pigs and causes scurvy, just as it does in people. One of the possible signs of scurvy is swelling of the joints. If your guinea pig is overweight she will need to be checked for any internal growths to be sure that the problem is not just overfeeding. If the flooring is wire mesh or too hard this may also make the feet sore.

Once the diet, bedding and flooring have been checked I would want to look at the sore feet in detail. There is a disease called pododermatitis whereby the feet, most often the front ones, become infected by staphylococcal bacteria. These can get into the feet as a result of abrasive wire flooring for example and the problem is more likely in obese animals. The feet swell, may become reddened and then develop ulcers. To prevent this early treatment is essential with antibacterial soaks and antibiotics.

David Grant MBE has been a vet for 41 years and works at the RSPCA Harmsworth Hospital for Animals. Write to him at Express Yourself, 10 Lower Thames St, London, EC3R 6EN. He is unable to enter into individual correspondence.

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