? sick

Question
hi and thank u for your time so much. my daughter guinea pig seems to be sick. he didn't want to move his back legs this morning and seemed to only be chewing out of one side of his mouth. we lost power and heat for a while last night with all this cold but ive brought him downstairs and hv made sure he is warmer now. he seems to be moving and eating a little but im not sure what else to do. he was a neglected pet I couldn't stand the thought of living like that so we saved him but I am out of work with abroken back and don't really hav the money for a vet right now. hav u heard of this happening and could u give me any advice. my kids mean the world to me and I just want the little guy to feel better. again thank u so much for taking ur time. I hope u uguys r all very happy. thanks

Answer
I'm so sorry to hear about your little pig. It's heart sickening when something happens to a pet. Let me assure you this isn't a result of the cold. They actually do quite well with cold, it's heat that is their danger.

Yes, I have heard of this happening and is usually a result of spinal injury which causes pressure on the spine. The chewing from just one side of the mouth may be something unrelated. Are you sure he's only chewing on one side? If there is no evidence of facial or eye drooping it's not likely it's a stroke related type thing.

I certainly understand and empathize about the cost of the vet. Sadly most vets know little or nothing about guinea pigs. Not because they didn't learn or study small animals while in school, but there is little funding for research on cavies. Rabbits are much bigger industry and have the privilege of lots of literature and studies about their needs. But with guinea pigs not so much. Few vets ever see one actually come into the office for health care, so the lack of experience and opportunity prevent those clinics from gaining the experience needed.

If the injury was recent there is a chance that as the spinal swelling goes down he will regain some strength and movement. If there was a spinal injury sufficient to cause damage to the cord he will remain paralyzed.  In other words it's a wait and see situation. In any event even a trip to the vet and $$ spent would probably not give him any more than what he is getting now.  

I'd suggest that when you daughter holds him she wraps him in a blanket or towel so the back legs are supported. Girls like to do that anyway as it's a maternal thing so if you tell her that's how she had to hold him she probably won't mind.

I know this isn't a great deal of diagnostic help but I hope it gives you some comfort knowing that money is not going to solve this problem. Only time will tell. Remarkably, animals with handicaps don't stop to feel sorry for themselves. They just go forward and learn to live with their disabilities.