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Advice Needed Please - Dental Misalignment

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CVO27

CVO27

New Born Pup
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May 4, 2014
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Location
Halifax, West Yorkshire
We have just been told by the vet after having one of our piggies in for his molars rasping down, that it is likely that he will never eat properly again. This is due to the fact that both his incisors and molars are growing at the wrong angle. Its tragic to see him go up to the fresh food I put in and see him trying to eat it but he just can't. I'm syringe feeding him with his mushed up pellets but hes struggling to chew even that. Hes gone from 1430g to 1050g in 7 months (he was eating normally up to about 10 days ago).
What is your advice? My husband and I work full time so while I can feed him before work, he is not going to munch hay or his pellets during the day until we get home and can feed him again. I cannot bear the thought of him wanting to eat yet unable to so ultimately starving. Is it kinder to him to put him to sleep? I know this is an easy option and don't want to do it unnecessarily but I can't help thinking of his current quality of life.
 
What a worrying time for you.
I would strongly recommend getting a second opinion from a piggie savy vet.
We have had several members on here who have had similar experiences, and after seeing a good guinea pig vet come away with a totally different diagnosis - hopefully this will be the case for your boy too.
If you can update you profile with details of where you are located, then we can help you find the best vet for your boy and his dental issues.
 
Hi! Could you please add your location to your details, as any advice and the amount of help we can give you largely depends on where you are. We have got members from all over the world. Please click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. Thank you!

If he has misaligned teeth, then he will need dental treatment regularly, but if his teeth are being kept under control, he can still enjoy a happy and enriched life. It very much depends if you have access to a good vet.

Please continue to syringe feed 2-3 times daily; mush up the pellets and grate any veg or serve in small strips. Our syringe feeding guide has a section for dental guinea pig care: Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

I am tagging our most dental savvy members for you: @furryfriends (TEAS) @MintyAndGarry (TEAS)
 
Wiebke said:
Hi! Could you please add your location to your details, as any advice and the amount of help we can give you largely depends on where you are. We have got members from all over the world. Please click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. Thank you!

If he has misaligned teeth, then he will need dental treatment regularly, but if his teeth are being kept under control, he can still enjoy a happy and enriched life. It very much depends if you have access to a good vet.

Please continue to syringe feed 2-3 times daily; mush up the pellets and grate any veg or serve in small strips. Our syringe feeding guide has a section for dental guinea pig care: Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

I am tagging our most dental savvy members for you: @furryfriends (TEAS) @MintyAndGarry (TEAS)
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We are in Halifax...I've just fed him and he's only taken 5ml and then just started spitting it out. They also told me that he can't close his mouth either.
 
CVO27 said:
We are in Halifax...I've just fed him and he's only taken 5ml and then just started spitting it out. They also told me that he can't close his mouth either.
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It sounds like his teeth have already overgrown again. Give him syringe feed little but as often as you can. Could you take him to work with you if necessary?

Can you get your boy down to Northampton to the Cat&Rabbit Care Clinic - there is a vet that is familiar and experienced looking after the dental guinea pigs of The Excellent Adventure Sanctuary and treating dental guinea pigs from all over the country. He has saved the lives of a goodly number of guinea pigs where local vets have given up, including several forum guinea pigs. It is your ownly chance - but Simon Maddock has the magical touch AND the exerience that not many vets in country have when it comes to dental issues.
 
Best of luck with your guinea pig, i really hope he gets to see the good dental vet. I had experience of having dental issues with 2 of my previous guinea pigs and have never forgotten how particularly painful that was. I really feel for you and really do hope your boy can get better. Good luck little guy! :hug:
 
I can confidently say, without the risk of being sued for slander, that Simon Maddock is the only vet in the UK who has the experience and skill set to successfully treat dental disease in guinea pigs. A guinea savvy vet will have more understanding about pigs than others, but you really need that dental knowledge. Unfortunately in the veterinary world, there is a severe lack of knowledge regarding dentistry in guinea pigs and many vets generalise about a subject they are unfamiliar with - it certainly sounds like this is happening here. If he can't close his mouth, it would seem that his molars are still too long, or haven't been corrected properly.

Once a pig's teeth go wrong, many vets will tell you that they don't need treating again for several weeks, but given the fact that their teeth grow at a rate of 3mm a week, the ideal scenario is to be able to go back into their mouths after a few days/a week, to be able to 'tidy up' regrowth. This cannot be done when using general anaesthesia, which is where conscious dentals come in.

The problem is, Simon is the only vet in the country who is firstly willing to do this type of procedure and secondly is incredibly competent and can achieve fantastic, long term results. Simon has over a decade of experience of carrying out conscious dentals. He sees several guinea pigs every day, knows exactly what he is looking at as soon as he looks at a pig's teeth and prescribes appropriate medications that will work. Initially, treatment would be fairly regular, with the hope that the time between dentals can be extended pretty quickly. Simon is the reason that our sanctuary for dental pigs exists and the reason why we are the only dental sanctuary in the country.

There is no need to give up on your boy at this time. A lot will depend on how he responds to treatment, but most cases are now manageable. Some pigs will never stretch beyond a fortnight between dentals, yet most do, with some curing completely, or only needing a check up every three months or so. The biggest issue at the moment is keeping up his food intake. You can try putting some of his softened nuggets on a plate for him to attempt while you aren't there. Did the vet give him any pain relief? If not, they should have done. Often, due to the nature of the teeth and how they overgrow, ulceration will occur in the mouth; the pain is another reason why they become reluctant to eat.

If you would like to discuss things further and think about the possibility of a temporary place at TEAS, you can find our contact details on our Facebook page: The Excellent Adventure Sanctuary (for guinea pigs with extra needs) | Facebook
 
:agr: with the abov.Jerry had similar problems to your piggie,and a local vet stated that he would need to be put to sleep,Jerry was seen by simon,and given treatment for a brewing abcess,and Jerry did eat again on his own,with dental treatments at regular intervals.Hope you can sort something out with your piggie.highly recommend Teas.:nod:
 
I wish you could clone Simon Maddock and send his clone to London!
Not very ethical i know, but so very needed.
I don't even remember how many vets i took my previous guinea pigs Douglas & Snowdrop to (years ago now) and again most of their dental work had to be done under anaesthetic. I'm sure all their vets tried their best, but as you say they just don't have the expertise.
I think you all do an amazing job at TEAS, especially for such a small charity. I had really underestimated how serious dental problems were for guinea pigs until I went through it with mine. Seriously, well done for all you do :clap:
 
It is really worth contacting TEAS sanctuary to see Simon Maddock!

My Hywel lived one year longer thanks to Simon and Kim; Hywel died just short of his 7th birthday in September) from another problem. My local vets couldn't cope with dental abscesses.
 
Thank you all for your help and advice. I've contacted TEAS to see if they would help us as soon as they can as hes not eating much at all, even from the syringe. It seems so sad that there aren't more vets who specialise in piggie care here in the UK.
 
CVO27 said:
Thank you all for your help and advice. I've contacted TEAS to see if they would help us as soon as they can as hes not eating much at all, even from the syringe. It seems so sad that there aren't more vets who specialise in piggie care here in the UK.
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Amen to that! :(

All the best! Most vets unfortunately think that dental care without GA is anathema, but they are not aware of just how crucial the aftercare is to get an unbalanced system back to full functionality. Little, but often is the key.

Please keep us updated!
 
CVO27 said:
Thank you all for your help and advice. I've contacted TEAS to see if they would help us as soon as they can as hes not eating much at all, even from the syringe. It seems so sad that there aren't more vets who specialise in piggie care here in the UK.
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That's fantastic news, and i hope it all goes really well now for your piggy - in my view his chances of getting better now has just multiplied massively!
I share your sadness at the lack of expertise like this and totally wish this assistance was more widely available throughout the UK.
Maybe one day it will be - i certainly hope so!
Sending huge hugs your way for your piggy & family :hug:
 
The problem is, pigs don't bring in enough revenue. If done properly, dental treatment should be straightforward and not need expensive scans and tests, which are sometimes added to the treatment bill. There is no money to be made from perfecting a process that will not need additional procedures, nor will it feed an ego.

Pigs are also seen as disposable pets - we have heard on several occasions of members of the veterinary world suggesting people just get a new one...
 
Wow @MintyAndGarry (TEAS) if I ever heard a member of a veterinary clinic say anything like that I think I would like to make a massive complaint and probably have to try very hard to resist shouting some thing unsavoury !
 
MJG said:
Wow @MintyAndGarry (TEAS) if I ever heard a member of a veterinary clinic say anything like that I think I would like to make a massive complaint and probably have to try very hard to resist shouting some thing unsavoury !
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Me too!
How sad is that?
I'd always hoped a vet would have some genuine compassion when I trust them with my furry family member! :rant:
 
I had it happen with my dental boy, Garry. We were referred to the 'exotic specialist' at a vets. They bodged his teeth twice, charged the earth and then said 'we've done his teeth twice and they're still not right, so maybe you should think about starting again. Your only choice now is to put to sleep.'

After this, we started to go to Simon. Simon diagnosed the arthritis G had, which the 'exotic specialist' missed completely. G also had a further 7 months of life, with regular conscious dentals, which is a significant portion of his life. I've never darkened the door of the other vets since!
 
I don't blame you, i would've been livid!

I have all my piggies (and my cat) registered with 2 vet surgeries that i've found to be the most professional, compassionate and clued up around my area. I think of them as my main vet (who are my nearest good vet but limited opening hours), and my small-animal-friendly & more accessible vet (who are a bit further away but open from dawn till dusk weekdays, even open on weekends & bank holidays, very small-pet-friendly even having separate waiting areas for them, and caring enough to stay open beyond their already long working hours for me to see them on more than one occasion when my guinea pig needed emergency veterinary care).

Having them registered at 2 places also means I can get a speedy 2nd opinion if ever I want one. Both my vets know I use the other and have shared my piggies records with each other at my request before. To be honest, having been let down by so many others with my piggies, these are the only 2 vet surgeries I have now come to trust. And i have to say I find them pretty good with most things.

But guinea pig dental expertise there is nowhere close to what Simon Maddock is able to do, as everybody commented above; many vets will do basic dentistry but its quite hard (if not impossible) to get a guinea pig dental specialist locally. And unfortunately, in some cases its a life or death situation for the guinea pig that needs that treatment. As i was heartbroken to discover in both cases with my previous guinea pigs Douglas & Snowdrop.
 
Hi everyone...just to update. We lost our little boy, Pebbles, this morning. We had been syringe feeding him for several days and taking the advice from TEAS. We were just about to request help from The Piggy Train to get him to Simon but sadly, it was not to be.
Thank you for all your help and advice xx
 
I'm very sorry for your loss. It sounds as though you did everything you could for him. ((HUGS.))
 
Oh no! :(

I am so sorry for your loss!

You tried everything possible though, you could not have done anything more than you did, and such an awful heartbreak to go through! One i can truly identify with. In hindsight though, i wish i hadn't written all of my last comment and i apologise so much if this made you feel worse. I am truly sorry.

Big hugs to you and R.I.P to your precious boy Pebbles :hug:
 
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