2yr old male not eating

[starpiggielove]

My piggie has been to the vets twice now, had his teeth filed down as they were slightly overgrown (he also has not been chewing). He still isn't eating. He doesn't have any sign of respiratory distress. The vet thoroughly examined his mouth as well. I've been offering him his favorite foods in addition to hay, I've cut each into small pieces, but when I put something in his mouth, he spits it out. I don't know if he still has pain when chewing or something else. I've given him an appropriate dose of ibuprofen (per vet suggestion) but no difference. We've also suspected his penmate may be giving him trouble, as he is quite energetic. He also lost his brother a few months ago and has been off since then... I've been giving him critical care daily by syringe, but I feel like he's also been really stressed out by all the poking and procedure. We don't know what to do. Any clue what may be going on? Anything that can help?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear this.

Are you weighing him daily so you can know he is getting enough syringe feed each day?
You should be aiming for a minimum of 40-60ml of syringe feed per day or as much as is necessary to keep his weight stable each day.

When you put veg and hay in his mouth, does he attempt to chew or does it just push it straight out?
Is he pushing it out or is it falling out?
Does he chew and swallow the syringe feed?

I'm just trying to get a sense of whether his teeth may still be causing him trouble.
Is the vet experienced with guinea pig dentals?
What pain killer and dosage is he on? Piggies in pain are usually given metacam twice a day.

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

 

[weepweeps]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I hope your piggy perks up soon.

 

[starpiggielove]

I’m sorry to hear this.

Are you weighing him daily so you can know he is getting enough syringe feed each day?
You should be aiming for a minimum of 40-60ml of syringe feed per day or as much as is necessary to keep his weight stable each day.

When you put veg and hay in his mouth, does he attempt to chew or does it just push it straight out?
Is he pushing it out or is it falling out?
Does he chew and swallow the syringe feed?

I'm just trying to get a sense of whether his teeth may still be causing him trouble.
Is the vet experienced with guinea pig dentals?
What pain killer and dosage is he on? Piggies in pain are usually given metacam twice a day.

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

I gave him about 40-50ml of critical care last night, and about 25ml of unsweetened applesauce this morning just to get something in his system. I haven't been weighing him daily

He does attempt to chew things but very lightly. He seems as if he is in pain when attempting to chew. His brother would gnaw syringes till they had bite marks but he doesn't.

He swallows most of the syringe feed.

He gets .2ml children's ipuprofen as needed

 

[starpiggielove]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I hope your piggy perks up soon.

Hello. And thank you.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I gave him about 40-50ml of critical care last night, and about 25ml of unsweetened applesauce this morning just to get something in his system. I haven't been weighing him daily

He does attempt to chew things but very lightly. He seems as if he is in pain when attempting to chew. His brother would gnaw syringes till they had bite marks but he doesn't.

He swallows most of the syringe feed.

He gets .2ml children's ipuprofen as needed

I would not give apple sauce - it’s still too sugary even unsweetened and doesn’t contain any of the fibre he needs. I would give him additional critical care.

Please do start to weigh him daily as it is the only way to know he is getting enough critical care.

If he is in pain then I would return to the vet and ensure he gets a good dose of metacam every 12 hours to keep his pain under control.

 

[starpiggielove]

I would not give apple sauce - it’s still too sugary even unsweetened and doesn’t contain any of the fibre he needs. I would give him additional critical care.

Please do start to weigh him daily as it is the only way to know he is getting enough critical care.

If he is in pain then I would return to the vet and ensure he gets a good dose of metacam every 12 hours to keep his pain under control.

will do. thank you

 

[starpiggielove]

I gave him about 40-50ml of critical care last night, and about 25ml of unsweetened applesauce this morning just to get something in his system. I haven't been weighing him daily

He does attempt to chew things but very lightly. He seems as if he is in pain when attempting to chew. His brother would gnaw syringes till they had bite marks but he doesn't.

He swallows most of the syringe feed.

He gets .2ml children's ipuprofen as needed

I'm with him right now. He has an appetite, he's trying to eat, but it seems as I'd he can't chew or bite down hard. Any idea why this is?

 

[Sara’s Piggies]

I know you said the vet looked his mouth over real good but did they do a sedated exam? It can sometimes be really difficult to get a good look at their back teeth. In the past a number of my piggos have had mild short sedation to look at their mouth or file broken teeth.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I'm with him right now. He has an appetite, he's trying to eat, but it seems as I'd he can't chew or bite down hard. Any idea why this is?

We can only guess but it could be because he is in pain (they can be sore after a dental), they can also lose their confidence after a dental, or because the dental hasn’t been done properly and his teeth are still incorrect

 

[starpiggielove]

I know you said the vet looked his mouth over real good but did they do a sedated exam? It can sometimes be really difficult to get a good look at their back teeth. In the past a number of my piggos have had mild short sedation to look at their mouth or file broken teeth.

Yes, he was sedated.