Guinea pigs and scurvy

Question
About 3 weeks ago someone gave my daughter 2 five week old Guinea Pigs.  This is the first time we've had Guinea pigs, I had nothing.  I had to run to the store to get everything. A couple days ago I noticed one of the Guinea Pigs was acting weird. Sometimes she falls over on her side when walking , she seems to be using her front legs and head to get around like her back legs were hurt. I searched online and came across scurvy ...she has some of the symptoms but she has been eating, nothing wrong with her eyes. I decided to double check the amount of vitamin c and exp date of the food......its hamster/gerbil food! There is NO vitamin c in!! I FEEL HORRIBLE!!!!!!!  There was a whole shelf of Guinea Pig food and this must have been mixed in and I grabbed it in a rush! I immediately  took out the pellets and gave them green peppers and kiwi as the store is closed right now!!  If it is paralysis from scurvy,  is it reversible once her vitamin c comes back up? How long does it take? Please help...I feel terrible,  can't stop crying! :-(

Answer
Christina, in re-reading your post I had overlooked the age of these pigs. The fact that they're so very young is more important in determining that their dietary deficiency (if that's what it is) came from the mother, not from your care. These babies nurse for about four weeks.

If the mother were suffering from a dietary deficiency such as scurvy that would have passed on to the babies.  If the mother were otherwise healthy the babies still should have a large degree of immunity from the sow.

I hope this puts your mind at ease that you did not play a part in this incident. Hopefully this will resolve in a positive way. Please keep me posted as to the status.

Pat


Please let me assure you that whatever is wrong is NOT your doing. Scurvy doesn't come on that quickly. It's a long metabolic process and had nothing to do with 3 weeks of hamster food. So stop feeling that you've done something horribly wrong. You didn't.

You don't say how old your daughter is, but if she's very young this may be an injury accident. Sometimes small children will grab for a running pig and catch them by the leg or legs, causing a dislocation. This isn't the child's fault, sometimes it just happens with good intentions.

If indeed this is scurvy it has been going on for a long time. If you have a Trader Joe's in your area they sell a crystal Vit C that can be added to the water without leaving a vitamin taste or smell that often offends a guinea pig so they won't drink it. I've tasted it myself and it's undetectable. 1/4 tsp in a gallon of water is all it takes. The secret of Vit C is that it degrades quickly, so you need to change the water and put fresh Vit C in each day.

Parsley is the best vegetable resource for C as well. It contains more per ounce than any other veggie. Kale is next. We always think that oranges are the best source but the reality is they are lower on the list. Green vegetables are the best source. Fortunately pigs love parsley.

Whether this is reversible is questionable, but my biggest concern is that you are needlessly beating yourself up for something in which you are not at fault. Naturally we feel totally responsible for our pets. That's what separates kind humans from the kind who don't care about neither man nor beast. It just shows you have a good heart.

So please Christina, don't take this so hard. If you're able to take the pig to the vet they can perhaps put your mind at ease. But there seems to be something else going on, maybe a stroke or possibly an injury.

Just an FYI, from now on don't buy anything but the green pellets. Stay away from the grocery store varieties that have all the colored fruit loops and whatnot in them. That's just eye candy for the owners. A good quality alfalfa pellet is all they need, and some occasional veggie treats. Fresh water and clean bedding and they're good to go.

So my most profound recommendation is that you forgive yourself and absolve yourself of this guilt. You didn't earn it, so let it go away. Sometimes things just happen that are hurtful and out of our control.  This is one of those times.