Advice on overgrown terth

[loopyhoop]

Hi,
I have just had a phone all from a friend. She has been away on holiday and on return has found one if her piggies to be very underweight and not eating.
They have looked in her mouth and she has one of her lower teeth grown far too long.

I have told her to get hold of the vet ( but to be honest the emergency vets this end are more like signing a death warrant ).
I have told her to get sone liquidated pellets into her with some piggy pooh soup as she was wondering how to feed the pig as she is limp and not doing well.

She was asking if the tooth could be clipped at home rather than by a vet? Tbh I've never heard of someone doing it so just told her to get to the vet .



Is there anything else I can advice her ( assuming te pig makes it through the night after seeing the non cavy savvy vets ( sometimes completely uncaring ) emergency vets on this area

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

For now she needs to syringe feed as much as possible into the piggie. If the piggie isn't eating anything, approx 120 mls of syringe food is needed in about 24 hours. The worry is that something else is wrong with the piggie and that the teeth have overgrown due to not eating because of another issue. I really think a vet trip needs to be sorted asap.

I wouldn't let a vet who isn't cavy savvy do any dental work on the pig, but I think other issues need to be checked for. If the only problem is the teeth then as long as enough syringe food is given it will be okay to wait until an appointment can be made with an experienced vet.

 

[loopyhoop]

For now she needs to syringe feed as much as possible into the piggie. If the piggie isn't eating anything, approx 120 mls of syringe food is needed in about 24 hours. The worry is that something else is wrong with the piggie and that the teeth have overgrown due to not eating because of another issue. I really think a vet trip needs to be sorted asap.

That's what I was thinking
Really hope that piglet will be ok



Sorry for all the typos. My pc had gone kaput and my phone is naff at changing what I write and I can't edit a whole post as I can't scroll

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

I hate typing long posts on my phone. You did very well to be honest

 

[CandyFloss]

Yes, I agree with the posts above. The piggy needs syringe feeding and seeing a piggy vet asap. One of my pigs, Toffee, had overgrown front teeth .... but this was down to her back teeth causing problems so its not always the obvious thing thats the problem.

Clipping them at home could do no end of harm IMO. As far as I understand they should be filed and not clipped but I wouldnt think thats something to be done at home but more by somneone qualified.... and the sooner the better,

Hope they can be sorted soon,

x

 

[loopyhoop]

That's what I thought, I said that I'm sure they get filed or kind of tiny saw type dremel equipment and that the pig needs to be sedated not GA'd . She has agreed to leave the teeth but will syringe feed up to tomorrow and Hooe againt hope the better of the piggie vets is at the clinic . She doesn't drive and has really erratic hours ( however her clients are pretty good so piggy can go to work with her ) so getting to an out of area cavvy savvy vet is pretty nil
She isn't one to not seek treatment so it's hope against hope that the better vet is at work in the morning

 

[ellie_jo3213]

Just an interesting fact on the subject of teeth and dentals - Exotic specialist are now recommending burring rather than filing these days. Filing can cause the teeth to jarr in the socket and cause more problems. Also if the file slips too far back, it can pierce the back of the mouth and damage blood vessels and brain.
Whereas burring has far more control and is less traumatic to the teeth.

 

[Freela]

As others have said, syringe feeding should be started, and a vet appt with a knowledgeable vet should be made as soon as possible. Clipping the teeth at home is not a good idea- in the first place, without knowledge about how to clip teeth she may do far more harm than good, and in the second place it may not address the actual problem, since generally by the time the front teeth noticeably overgrow, the back teeth are already in very rough shape and simply clipping the front incisior will not fix the molar. The piggie needs a thorough going over to check molars and check for other problems. Poor piggie- I hope that everything works out well. We lost a pig to dental issues last summer and now I am super-paranoid about teeth!

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

Just an interesting fact on the subject of teeth and dentals - Exotic specialist are now recommending burring rather than filing these days. Filing can cause the teeth to jarr in the socket and cause more problems. Also if the file slips too far back, it can pierce the back of the mouth and damage blood vessels and brain.
Whereas burring has far more control and is less traumatic to the teeth.

The dental burr can only be used with the piggie under GA. The incisors can be burred with the guinea pig conscious but the guinea pig would need to be anaesthetised to use the burr on the rest of the teeth. Therefore not really an option when the teeth need to be filed regularly.

The Dental Sanctuary piggies have their teeth filed and the incisors burred every 10 to 14 days.

 

[loopyhoop]

Sorry to say that this little Piggy didn't make it. She perked up a little over night but had a stroke when she got into the vets. The desicion was made to have her PTS there and then. Her owners are truly devastated

 

[doglovinpiggylover]

aww i just caught up with this...another little shiny star gone over to the bridge rip baby piggy x

 

[Freela]

Awwww... poor little thing. I hate teeth issues. We lost a young piggie (18 months) to teeth issues last summer. My sympathies to your friend- RIP little piggie!

 

[lily 74]

That's sad

I also lost a elderly piggie to dental issues