My guinea pig jumped and hurt his leg. What if he's hiding pain?

I'm so sorry about Pig. Ideally he needs to see a vet as he may have a spinal cord lesion, pelvic fracture or other fracture. He may have a collapsed disc or broken vertebra. Spinal cord lesions may not always start with full paralysis. He needs to be kept fairly quiet to help allow for healing but knowing the extent of his injury will help determine if he can recover. He also may need pain medication which is only available by a prescription from the vet. After exam the vet may likely recomend radiographs to look for the lesion. The sooner a diagnosis is made and treatment started the better his chance of recovery.

He probably got his leg injured, possibly from the cage, you will need to take him to the vet to get it checked and treated, it's possible that it is a minor injury but it could also be severe and the leg might need to be amputated.

If he is eating and walking normally right now, I would suggest that you monitor him closely for the new few hours. Sometimes after a fall or other trauma, they don't show any evidence of injury due to them being so afraid. But, over time, that can change and you may see him limp or his appetite or attitude become abnormal. If you see any changes, I would recommend taking him into a veterinarian immediately as he may have hurt himself when he fell. Please do not give your guinea pig any human medications, as many of these are harmful for our fuzzy friends.

Unfortunately it is impossible for anyone to know in what condition the leg is without a physical examination at the very least, we won't be able to tell you if it could heal or if it can't without it.

I would endeavour to get her sn emergency appointment tonight to get some pain relief as I imagine she will be sore. However if you cannot I would move her into a smaller area with a soft material on the floor and no loose bedding or objects thst she could catch herself on. Feed and water as usual. Treatment will vary depending on severity of injury, it may be medicine or could be surgery if the leg is broken. Again cost will vary massively depending on the injury.

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.

Monitor Popcorn closely over the next day or two for any signs of decreased activity, limping or swelling anywhere on his body, any reduction in appetite, drinking, urination or defecation. If you notice any of these signs, you should take Popcorn to the veterinarian immediately. If Popcorn is behaving normally then there should be no cause for concern.