[Gpdd] HEALTH: Fugly's feet

Willowstorm25 at aol.com Willowstorm25 at aol.com
Fri Aug 10 12:52:01 EDT 2007


Hi M,
 
Sorry, I wasn't intentionally ignorning you.  I sincerely didn't have  any 
firsthand knowlege and thus input on the issue of Fugly's feet.   Nonetheless, I 
have some speculations I can share.
 
Do you have him on a mesh floor?  This can be causing the soles of his  feet 
to become callused.  Or you may be right, leaving them hangning over  the 
upper level can be doing it.
 
I personally am not a fan of "multilevel" pig dwellings.  Pigs by  nature are 
ground dwelling burrowing animals and are not built for climbing  ramps or 
living at heights.  Even though they may use the upper level in  the cage if 
there is one, being up there puts them at risk of falls and  injuries.  While 
this is only my opinion, the incidence of falls and  subsequent injuries is a 
matter of fact.  But as he is your baby, it  is within your judgement as to how 
you keep his cage.
 
To help heal his feet, you may want to put a Cavy Cozy or a Cuddle Cup in  
his cage.  This way he can give the soles of his feet a break from the hard  
floor.  Rubbing the soles with vitamin E oil might help, too.  I  honestly have 
never used this on a guinea pig, and don't know if anyone else  has, but seeing 
as it works well to heal and soften our skin -- and it's all  natural -- it 
might help Fugly.  Check to make sure, though, before you do  this, that it is 
safe for guinea pigs.  I don't see why it wouldn't be, but  it never hurts to 
double check.
 
The adequate water and Vitamin C questions are normal, but important health  
questions, as a lack of either can cause all kinds of problems in guinea  
pigs.  Make sure you are giving him both.  You can buy children's  chewables and 
crush them with a mortar-and-pestle and add to his water  daily.  Or you can 
syringe feed it to him.  I quarter the 500 mg  tablets, crush one quarter per 
day and feed a half-syringe full to  each of my two pigs.  In the US they sell 
liquid small animal supplements,  but these are expensive, and I have been told 
by numerous sources that they grow  bacteria quickly after being added to 
water.  
 
In any event, I hope this helps.  Feel free to write me anytime if you  have 
any other questions.  Take care, and tell Fugly to feel better  soon!
 
Nicholle, Slave to Ryvvir & Chuqui
 
 



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