Feet Related Issues:
Fungal Feet • Bumblefoot • Spurs/Callous/Corns • Arthritis
Foot Fungus Infections
AKA "Fungal Feet"
Guinea pigs are prone to fungal infections such as ringworm, but those fungal infections can also present themselves in other ways and in other areas, such as on their paw pads/feet. Fungal infections on the feet are much more common in guinea pigs than people realize, but if caught & treated early, they can be easy to clear up!
What is "Fungal Feet?"
Fungus on guinea pig feet commonly presents itself as dry, flaky, irritated skin. It usually starts out in the nails and spreads to the rest of the paw pad and foot. The nails can become chunky, yellow, flaky, and brittle. As it becomes more severe, more severe symptoms occur such as hair loss on the paws and cracking. This exposure and cracking can easily become a doorway for more serious issues such as bumblefoot, which is a painful bacterial infection that affects their paw pads.
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Typically your piggy’s feet should be soft, smooth, and a healthy light pink or black color (depending on their paw pad color), not red or inflamed.
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Below are some examples of fungal infections, some turning into bumblefoot:
Common Causes & Prevention
â—‹ Fungus
â—‹ Improper bedding/wet and dirty bedding
â—‹ Lack of activity, arthritis, obesity, & senior pigs that sit in their urine for long periods of time as a result.
Preventions: Keep the cage clean, dry, and use proper bedding.
Treatments
Of course, always consult your vet if you suspect your piggy's condition is severe and needs veterinary attention.
However, if your piggy has a mild fungal infection, such as dry, flakiness on the paw pads or around the toenails, you can easily treat it at home with over the counter antifungal creams.
Since the fungus that causes these issues is the same as the fungus that causes athlete’s feet in humans, you can use pretty much any athlete’s foot cream.
These are the product's we trust when treating fungal related infections, including ringworm (linked below):
â—‹ Tolnaftate Antifungal Cream
â—‹ Miconazole Nitrate 2% Antifungal Cream
â—‹ Clotrimazole Antifungal Cream
â—‹ Blis-to-Sol Antifungal Liquid
â—‹ Miconazole Shampoo (good preventative treatment)
Bumblefoot AKA
Ulcerative Pododermatitis
What's the Difference between "Fungal Feet" & Bumblefoot?
What is Bumblefoot?
Bumblefoot is a very painful bacterial infection that affects the paw pads, often presenting as ulcerated wounds on the bottom of the feet. The paw pads become red, swollen, and inflamed. Bumblefoot does not go away on its own, and if left untreated the infection can spread to other parts of the body such as the bone (aka Osteomyelitis), which might require amputation and can even cause death. There are many causes of bumblefoot, so it's important to check your piggies feet regularly and to start treatment as soon as you see any signs of it, as well as determine the cause so it does not continue to happen.
For those interested in more of the science aspect, bumblefoot is often caused by different enteric bacteria, such as Clostridium difficile and most commonly Staphylococcus aureus.
Unlike fungal feet, bumblefoot is caused by a bacterial infection, and cannot be treated by antifungal products.
If you suspect your piggy has bumblefoot, it is crucial you get them seen by a vet to get on antibiotics as soon as possible. If the infection is not treated, it can spread farther into your piggy’s system and can even be fatal.
Below are some photos of bumblefoot, ranging from mild to severe cases:
Common Causes & Prevention
â—‹ Fungal infections left untreated. Can cause cracks/open
sores on their paw pads, allowing bacteria to enter.
Prevention: Keep cage clean, dry, & use proper bedding.
â—‹ Abrasive & rough bedding. Hard or improper surfaces
can scrape against your piggy’s feet and create open
sores or inflammation on their paw pads.
Prevention: Make sure your piggy has proper bedding.
â—‹ Lack of activity. This can be caused from obesity, less
active older piggies, and piggies with arthritis that
struggle to walk around.
Prevention: Proper diet, pain management (pet CBD),
use soft cozies to lay in, and keep the cage dry & clean.
â—‹ Overgrown Nails. They can grow into their pads
and cause arthritis.
Prevention: Regular nail trims.
â—‹ In some cases, bumblefoot may also be a symptom of
other health conditions, so it’s important to discuss with
your vet especially if your piggy gets chronic infections.
Prevention: Regular check-ups with your veterinarian.
Treatments
â—‹ Very mild cases of bumblefoot, or the start of
bumblefoot, can often be treated by soaking your
guinea pig's feet in warm water mixed with Epsom salt.
(2x/day, 10min.)
â—‹ If the sores are actively open and/or bleeding, you can
soak the paws in a diluted mixture of warm water and
betadine. Along with antibiotics... (2x/day, 10 min.)
â—‹ Neosporin. Apply Neosporin onto the affected areas
after the soaking treatment.
â—‹ Antibiotics! If your piggy's bumble feet has reach the
point of having open sores, they should definitely be
seen by a vet and should be treated with antibiotics.
Spurs/Callous/Corns
Guinea pigs are prone to fungal infections such as ringworm, but those fungal infections can also present themselves in other ways and in other areas, such as on their paw pads/feet. Fungal infections on the feet are much more common in guinea pigs than people realize, but if caught and treated early, they can be really easy to clear up!
What is "Fungal Feet?"
Fungus on guinea pig feet commonly presents itself as dry, flaky, irritated skin. It usually starts out in the nails and spreads to the rest of the paw pad and foot. The nails can become chunky, yellow, flaky, and brittle. As it becomes more severe, more severe symptoms occur such as hair loss on the paws and cracking. This exposure and cracking can easily become a doorway for more serious issues such as bumblefoot, which is a painful bacterial infection that affects their paw pads.
What is "Fungal Feet?"
Fungus on guinea pig feet commonly presents itself as dry, flaky, irritated skin. It usually starts out in the nails and spreads to the rest of the paw pad and foot. The nails can become chunky, yellow, flaky, and brittle. As it becomes more severe, more severe symptoms occur such as hair loss on the paws and cracking. This exposure and cracking can easily become a doorway for more serious issues such as bumblefoot, which is a painful bacterial infection that affects their paw pads.
What's the Difference between "Fungal Feet" & Bumblefoot?
What is Bumblefoot?
Bumblefoot is a very painful bacterial infection that affects the paw pads, often presenting as ulcerated wounds on the bottom of the feet. The paw pads become red, swollen, and inflamed. Bumblefoot does not go away on its own, and if left untreated the infection can spread to other parts of the body such as the bone (aka Osteomyelitis), which might require amputation and can even cause death. There are many causes of bumblefoot, so it's important to check your piggies feet regularly and to start treatment as soon as you see any signs of it, as well as determine the cause so it does not continue to happen.
For those interested in more of the science aspect, bumblefoot is often caused by different enteric bacteria, such as Clostridium difficile and most commonly Staphylococcus aureus.
Unlike fungal feet, bumblefoot is caused by a bacterial infection, and cannot be treated by antifungal products.
If you suspect your piggy has bumblefoot, it is crucial you get them seen by a vet to get on antibiotics as soon as possible. If the infection is not treated, it can spread farther into your piggy’s system and can even be fatal.
Below are some photos of bumblefoot, ranging from mild to severe cases:
Common Causes & Prevention
â—‹ Fungal infections left untreated. Can cause cracks/open
sores on their paw pads, allowing bacteria to enter.
Prevention: Keep cage clean, dry, & use proper bedding.
â—‹ Abrasive & rough bedding. Hard or improper surfaces
can scrape against your piggy’s feet and create open
sores or inflammation on their paw pads.
Prevention: Make sure your piggy has proper bedding.
â—‹ Lack of activity. This can be caused from obesity, less
active older piggies, and piggies with arthritis that
struggle to walk around.
Prevention: Proper diet, pain management (pet CBD),
use soft cozies to lay in, and keep the cage dry & clean.
â—‹ Overgrown Nails. They can grow into their pads
and cause arthritis.
Prevention: Regular nail trims.
â—‹ In some cases, bumblefoot may also be a symptom of
other health conditions, so it’s important to discuss with
your vet especially if your piggy gets chronic infections.
Prevention: Regular check-ups with your veterinarian.
Treatments
â—‹ Very mild cases of bumblefoot, or the start of
bumblefoot, can often be treated by soaking your
guinea pig's feet in warm water mixed with Epsom salt.
(2x/day, 10min.)
â—‹ If the sores are actively open and/or bleeding, you can
soak the paws in a diluted mixture of warm water and
betadine. Along with antibiotics... (2x/day, 10 min.)
â—‹ Neosporin. Apply Neosporin onto the affected areas
after the soaking treatment.
â—‹ Antibiotics! If your piggy's bumble feet has reach the
point of having open sores, they should definitely be
seen by a vet and should be treated with antibiotics.