3 Days Post Op But Not Eating

Janice C

Adult Guinea Pig
Joined
May 14, 2017
Messages
2,446
Reaction score
2,797
Points
975
Location
Scottish Borders
need some help!
Took rescue piggy Willow to Vet on Monday to have burrs at back of teeth removed.
Still not attempting to eat? Giving her either Critical Care or Fibrbeplex 6 times a day.
Surely she should be eating by now?
Vets again yesterday and given Loxicom, opioids and Metoclopramide with no improvement?
 
@Janice C Do you know what the opiods were? Sometimes strong painkillers can affect a pig, making them drowsy and not wanting to eat. Many vets automatically prescribe these when a pig seems to be in pain, but most of the time it's not needed.

Are you weighing her regularly? If she is losing weight then the amount you are feeding her is not enough and you need to feed her more. It will keep her alive and it will also give her the energy to start to fight back and get better.

If an anaesthetic was used during the surgery, which I would assume it was, this can also affect a pig. Sometimes they seem a bit worse for a few days afterwards as they'll be woozy still and in pain.

Have you been given Loxicom to use at home? She'll need a dose every 12 hours to help keep the pain at bay. Having her back teeth worked on will have been painful if done incorrectly, and it can also cause sores or cuts if the vet isn't experienced at it.

You need to be very aggressive with the handfeeding. Weigh her regularly and make sure she at least maintains weight. If she hasn't started to show interest or be able to eat in a few more days she needs to go back to the vet. If she's declining she needs to go back now.

It's worth noting that only minor teeth issues are fixed first time. It's common for pigs to require another dental in a few weeks, sometimes they need to go back regularly for months. Please be aware of this so you can arrange for a different vet to do the work if she is not recovering well.
 
@Janice C Do you know what the opiods were? Sometimes strong painkillers can affect a pig, making them drowsy and not wanting to eat. Many vets automatically prescribe these when a pig seems to be in pain, but most of the time it's not needed.

Are you weighing her regularly? If she is losing weight then the amount you are feeding her is not enough and you need to feed her more. It will keep her alive and it will also give her the energy to start to fight back and get better.

If an anaesthetic was used during the surgery, which I would assume it was, this can also affect a pig. Sometimes they seem a bit worse for a few days afterwards as they'll be woozy still and in pain.

Have you been given Loxicom to use at home? She'll need a dose every 12 hours to help keep the pain at bay. Having her back teeth worked on will have been painful if done incorrectly, and it can also cause sores or cuts if the vet isn't experienced at it.

You need to be very aggressive with the handfeeding. Weigh her regularly and make sure she at least maintains weight. If she hasn't started to show interest or be able to eat in a few more days she needs to go back to the vet. If she's declining she needs to go back now.

It's worth noting that only minor teeth issues are fixed first time. It's common for pigs to require another dental in a few weeks, sometimes they need to go back regularly for months. Please be aware of this so you can arrange for a different vet to do the work if she is not recovering well.
 
Thanks again for replying. Yes I do know about opiods as nurse for years. Vet did mention effects of this too plus I fortunately had Loxicom and got stimulants at home to give her when necessary. I think I just needed to hear from other piggy owners that I was continuing to do the right thing for wee Willow. I weigh her every morning before and after the first feed and seems to ge getting enough as her weight is steady at the moment.
 
Back
Top