My guinea pig fell and is dragging its back legs. What should I do?

Question

my guinea pig fell and is now dragging his back legs. I took it to the vet saturday and he isn't in any pain and has no damage to his legs so he hadn't given me anything's. my guinea pig is eating, pooing and weeing fine. my vet asked me to take him back Monday (today) but I'm struggling to raise the funds at short notice...does my pig need an x Ray or is his recovery more a waiting game. I can find anything online that would suggest a different outcome agree an x Ray. Pet's info: Small Animal | Unknown - Small Animal | Male | unneutered | 3 months and 24 days old

Dr. Strydom, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. So sorry this happened to Jingle. Are you sure the paralysis is related to the fall? Dragging the back legs can be a sign of scurvy which is a vitamin C deficiency. Very common in guinea pigs if they are not on a supplement. Does he take a vitamin C supplement? If not, he needs about 50mg per day and you will usually see improvement in a week or so. I suggest this one: ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-Science-Vitamin-Supplement-Count/dp/B00E0HQA7G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522060364&sr=8-1&keywords=oxbow+vitamin+c ) It's common for injury to the spine, pelvis, or limbs to result in hind leg paralysis. Sometimes administering corticosteroids can help the guinea pig heal. You will need to get these steroids from your vet. Back injuries can occur very easily occur in guinea pigs. A twist the wrong way while playing or a fall can fracture the pelvis or some vertebra. X-rays would detect these conditions. Does he have feeling in the feet if they are pinched? The sporozoan parasite, Encephalitozoon cuniculi, is yet another possibility. It is treated with anti-parasitic medications, such as febendazole. Some bacterial infections can also result in paralysis. There are no tests to detect these. Some vets simply treat with febendazole and a safe antibiotic in case these conditions are to blame. You may want to speak to your vet about that possibility. Did you use a vet that is used to treating guinea pigs? If not, I suggest you find one. Guinea pigs are not small dogs or cats, they are different and have different conditions/diseases. A vet that is not used to treating them may not know what to look for or how to treat them. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

My guinea pig fell and is dragging its back legs. What should I do?

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