swollen guinea pig paw

Question
My 4 year old male long haired pig has a swollen and discolored pad on the bottom of his right paw it is a black paw and is swollen pinkish with a cut now on top I have been rinsing it in plain water for about a week and decided to start neosporin on it today when i noticed it was open. he is still eating  and pooping but his poop is sofeter. I am taking out the yesterdays news bedding and just having him stay on newspaper (20 sheets) which I will change daily. any suggestions?

Answer
Hmmm. Are you using a wire cage bottom designed for a rabbit? It sounds like he has "bumblefoot" but if he's being kept on just bedding with no wire bottom, it couldn't be. Could he have cut his paw on something while roaming around? I suggest you keep washing it and putting neosporin on it, and maybe try a little bit of hydrogen peroxide the next time you wash his paw. Maybe even a little bit of baking soda in the water could help. If it doesn't improve in the next couple days, I think he needs to go to the vet. He may have gotten an infection from his open wound. A vet trip is fairly cheap, and preventative medicine in this case, would be a lot less expensive in the long run. If he gets to the point where he can't walk and/or just lays around the cage all day, TAKE HIM TO THE VET RIGHT THEN! Find a vet who treats "exotics" in the phonebook if you can't find one who directly treats guinea pigs. Try using towels or old sheets as bedding. It will be softer and easier on his feet. Make sure to shake out the poop before washing. I find it to be a fairly easy to clean as long as it's done daily. Watch out for sign of puss or other liquid coming out of it. I hope this helps and remember, if you go the vet, nothing made from PENICILLIN. Ask the vet if the medicine is made from penicillin. If it is, don't use it, as it can kill a guinea pig. I'm wishing you the best of luck. A lifetime of health happiness and love to you both. Have a nice day and take care of your pig :)