Sole ulcer of the guinea pig relatives
The sole ulcer ( pododermatitis ulcerosa , bumble foot ) of the guinea pig relatives is a common inflammation of the skin ( dermatitis ) of the foot ( Pes ). It occurs mainly in domestic guinea pigs , but less often in degus and chinchillas .
Emergence
The main cause of the development of a sole ulcer are claws that are too long , which lead to incorrect loading of the foot on the ball of the foot . Posture errors such as wet litter, unsuitable subsurface and nutritional errors ( obesity and thus excessive weight load) and other diseases of individual limbs, which lead to the protection of the sick and thus overloading of the actually healthy limb, favor the occurrence of a sole ulcer. Serious general illnesses that cause the animal to deposit urine under its own body can also have a beneficial effect.
After damage to the skin, bacteria (especially streptococci and staphylococci ) invade and lead to a purulent inflammation of the skin of the foot, which can also spread to the tendon sheaths of the flexor tendons or the bones of the foot.
Clinical picture
Sole ulcers have three forms:
- Without bacterial infection in the event of pressure, moisture and incorrect stress
- bacterial infection with abscess formation (due to infections of the skin of the ball and sole)
- chronic with masses (fibrous granuloma formation)
The first signs are thin, dry and reddened skin. As the disease progresses, skin cracks and crusts form, as well as thickening, warming and painfulness of the ball. The general feeling is mostly disturbed and the animals no longer move. In the advanced stage abscesses develop .
The diagnosis can already be made from the clinical picture. An antibiogram is indicated as additional examinations, and in severe forms an X-ray to reveal any involvement of the bones.
treatment
Treating a sole ulcer is tedious. Eliminating the favorable causes must be part of every therapy.
In mild cases, wound and healing ointments can be used. They should be kept on soft litter (sawdust with plenty of hay).
In more severe cases, the chances of recovery are poor. Here is an additionally antibiotic therapy (eg. For example, with enrofloxacin or marbofloxacin ) and a painkiller (z. B. meloxicam or carprofen ) is displayed. Any crusts can be dissolved with chamomile baths . Deep abscesses must be treated surgically under anesthesia and flushed with disinfectants. A foot bandage can be applied to guinea pigs to protect them. This does not make sense for degus and chinchillas, since associations of these are usually not tolerated. The posture should then take place on a towel placed underneath.
For very severe cases involving the bone ( osteomyelitis ) is often used to euthanize advised because a foot amputation usually leads to formation of sole ulcers of the now congested other limb.
literature
- A. Ewringmann, B. Glöckner: Key symptoms in guinea pigs, chinchilla and degu. Enke Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-8304-1055-7 , pp. 198-199.
- E. Wasel: Ball inflammation and ball abscesses. In: K. Gabrisch, P. Zwart: Diseases of pets. 6th edition. Schlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft, Hanover 2005, ISBN 3-89993-010-X , pp. 65–66.
- B. Drescher, I. Hamel: Guinea pigs: pet and patient. 3. Edition. Enke Verlag, Stuttgart 2012, ISBN 978-3-8304-1157-4 .