# Steppe Lemming REALLY Swollen food, Help, advice please!!



## BigC90210 (Oct 20, 2008)

*Steppe Lemming REALLY Swollen foot, Help, advice please!!*

Hi All,

My Steppe Lemmings had a litter the other day, everything fine as normal, but today i checked on them and one of the babies foot is swolen to 3x or 4x the normal size!!!!!!!!

Pics are here, im taking it to the vets first thing tomorrow, but was wondering for some advice if anyone was on here nowish!

I've looked REALLY close to see if theres anything wrapped around the leg cutting off the circulation (as this is what it appears to be) but i cant see anything (even using a jewellers loupe!!!! :O)

Clutching at straws here, ANY help or advice is much appreciated.




























The longer im keeping it out of its cage the more distressed it was getting. Its back in with mom now but im googling everything to see what i can do.

EDIT. Looking at the photos i've just uploaded, it looks like theres something round the hand, but to the eye you cant see it?!?!?!!!?!??

Its like its so swolen you cant see whats in the roll of the arm skin

Col

Can an admin change the thread title to foot and not food, bloody typo!


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## Pliskens_Chains (Jun 8, 2008)

your right there does seem to be something cutting off the circulation but as to what that would be a mystery as you cant see anything.
have a look around where mum and the other babies are, see if there has been anything chewed, cloth furniture, etc, that would give you a clue as to what could be, if anything around the foot.

warm and cold compresses can reduce swelling, however this swelling is localised so i couldnt guess as to what has caused it.
treatment without being sure as to what the problem is, is risky.


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## BigC90210 (Oct 20, 2008)

They only have wood shavings and meadow hay. Everything else is fine. This MUST have happened within the last 48 hours too as i seen all 3 were fine before this


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## RepBex (Jan 17, 2008)

what bedding do you use ?

it lookes like there is a bit or hay or something around it :s 

i would take it to the vets best thing to do i guess


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## BigC90210 (Oct 20, 2008)

yeah, i just need any advice on anything i could do immediately, thats if it is being constricted?


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## Pliskens_Chains (Jun 8, 2008)

hmmm this is difficult but if the blood is cut off there will be gangrene in the foot within 12-24 hours and the option may be to amputate.. many vets would rather euthanise something this young im afraid.
maybe an emergency vets would be best. The sooner this is treated the better.


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## BigC90210 (Oct 20, 2008)

shit. I dont think the blood supply has been "cut off", but its been restricted and swellling by the look of it. i just dont know if its something wrapped around it, or infection, or injury. I cant keep handling it, as it gets restless after a VERY short peroid, and i dont want it smelling of me incase mom disregards it when i put it back, so i need to act quick should i do something myself, but what?


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## Pliskens_Chains (Jun 8, 2008)

im no expert but you need to find out for certain if there is something around it. the localised swelling to me indicates there is something cutting off the blood supply.
if its not dealt with either way you are likely to lose this little sweetheart.
the straw looks incredibly fine judging by the odd strands you can see in the first picture this could be the cause of it.
you could try soaking the straw in luke warm water to loosen it and then carefully pick it off with some fine tweezers.... but thats only if it is straw or something else around the foot. if its cotton its going to be harder as this can tighten in water.
i really dont know what else to suggest other than an emergency vets.


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## JackieL (May 19, 2009)

It looks to me like something is tied around the ankle area.

:gasp:


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## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

somethin might have been wrapped round it but has come off now? might be why you cant see it? poor little baby! i want it! lol


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## BigC90210 (Oct 20, 2008)

UPDATE: Iv just had him on his back having a look with a microscope under a light, gently nudging his hand with tweezers.

On the inside of his "wrist" there is a large "for the size of him" scab, which looks a bit weepy. As mom and dad are now at the stage where they no longer carry them, just drag them by the leg, im guessing one of the parents has punctured and infected its leg/foot.

Im satisfied that there is nothing constricting the leg, but as for antibiotics or something i'l have to wait to see the vet. Poor lil bugger


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## dragonguy (Apr 14, 2009)

How is the little guy doing?


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## BigC90210 (Oct 20, 2008)

foot is still like a big pudding, vets appointment is 5:15pm, so will report back after that


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## taraliz (Aug 10, 2008)

will log back on then to see how he's doing poor baby ! x


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## BigC90210 (Oct 20, 2008)

Ok, back from the vets....

Me n the vet working as a team managed to find that there WAS infact something wrapped round its wrist, but it had cut into its lil arm as it had been growing (lemmings are double in size after around 4 days of being born, and again at around 12), this one is 5 and i last seen it at 2.

The vet managed to cut it off, which looked like a (bloody) thread of hay.

All in all, £20 spent, the hay was removed, although its still swolen and a bit bloody, hopefully it will return to normal (or as close as can be) soon. Hes now back in the nest with Mom n Dad, n i paid careful attention to make sure i was wearing my "hay gloves" n that he had a quick roll around in the nest hay, so to disguise any human smells for when mom finds him.

Moral of the story - Vets Rock!

Will update this in a few days with how it (hopefully) heals


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## dragonguy (Apr 14, 2009)

Thats such good news  hope he gets well soon


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## BigC90210 (Oct 20, 2008)

indeed, even the vet wants me to ring her in a week or so and let her know how its going


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## JackieL (May 19, 2009)

Thats terrific news. I looked really closely at the pictures and I thought I could see something wrapped around the leg but wasn't sure. So glad you got it sorted, poor bugger.


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## BigC90210 (Oct 20, 2008)

yeah, it was the flash that lit up the TINY orange ring round its hand, to the normal eye you couldnt see it cause of the fur etc. Even then, the cut it had where it had cut in meant there was a pus/scab ring round its joint, which is what the hay could quite easily have been mistaken for 

hopefully as is well that ends well


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