[Gpdd] [HEALTH] Single paralysed back leg

[DebJonSara at aol.com]

Panic stations! My Cherry, aged 4 1/2, didn't come out for food this  
morning. When I got her out and put her beside the food, I noticed one of her  rear 
legs was outstretched behind her, abnormally. Long story short - this  single 
leg seems to be "paralysed", in that she seems unable to move it at  all.
 
She can scoot around with it just dragging behind her. I have put her in  
with Claude and put both on vet bed. She hasn't lost weight or appetite, all  
seems normal apart from this leg.
 
I know slaves have posted before about rear end paralysis, and I have Peter  
Gurney's "Piggy Potions", so know about administering calcium. I have some  
tablets that have 800mg calcium plus Vitamin D. Peter says 500mg calcium, so do  
you think half a tablet would be OK? I'd rather underdose than overdose. I 
was  thinking of crushing it and putting it on a bit of banana?
 
But is this likely to be a calcium deficiency? Has anyone seen this happen  
in just one leg? I know an X-ray would seem an obvious next step, but even if I 
 could persuade my local vet to do one (and strap the piggie to a pillow so 
she  didn't need an anaesthetic - I've read the CCT advice!), I don't think 
either of  us would know what to do when we saw the result, whatever it was. She 
doesn't  really live in an environment where a fall would seem possible. They 
do throw  the houses about though - could a wooden house have landed on her 
leg and broken  it?
 
Cherry was diagnosed as having a weak heart over a year ago when the Cavies  
Castle rodentologists visited. She is occasionally rattly, but so often with 
no  ill effects that I just accept she is like that - Peter Gurney talks about 
such  piggies. Could she have had some kind of stroke?
 
What should I do? Could the calcium do any harm, or is it a good idea to  
try? I have some alfafa powder from Galens Garden - should I syringe feed her  
some of that? Anyone any other bright ideas? This is so scarey!
 
Debbie