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Specialist Blind, No Front Teeth, But Molars Working Well

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Gdpuppywalker

Gdpuppywalker

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hand feeding Caramel is very time consuming but rewarding as she has so much trust in us. She is six and a half and small, 0.6 kg, we have been feeding her recovery food as we can use a pipettes to feed this to her. however this is expensive from the vet. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can get nutrients into her as she cannot eat enough by picking up nuts we normally feed. She gets tired as eating is so slow with just molars, and she finds it difficult to pick up things with her lips.

Snowy her large fat five year friend who guides her round, has bumble foot and has a very swollen foot which is also ulcerated. We are treating her with Baytril , antiseptic foot soak, metacam and sudacrem on vets advice but is not improving. In fact I would say it is getting worse. She is now not eating so much either so I think on return to vets on Tuesday , the advice maybe to end her pain.
How do piggies cope when lose their companion after so many years and depend on them?
 
Hi, We have moved your thread for you to this section..


Hopefully you can get some guidance shortly... Hugs to you in the meantime..

In the meantime can you please add your location to your profile as it helps fellow members give any answers to questions you may have that may be area/country specific. This can be done by clicking on your username, then personal details, then add location......https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...cation-and-creating-an-avatar-picture.107444/

Lisa & Ali.. x
 
Thanks and done that. These two were rescue piggies, caramel we think had had babies very young, and was paired with snowy who was smaller but is now three times her size. Different breeds obviously. Partner is muttering about cost as spent 150 at vets already on mess. Luckily vet only charging for medication not consulatation as he has a guide dog that I puppy walked that didn't make the grade .
 
You can make a mush from normal guinea pig nuggets - put some in a mug and pour boiling water on to soak. Mix into a paste (thicker is normally better). Allow to cool. Use a 1ml syringe with the end cut off to syringe it in.

You need to be looking at around 80-100ml of syringe food per 24 hour period. Don't worry about additional water - the water in the mush will contribute to this. You cannot overfeed as piggies will only take as much as they want.

If you have a blender, you can add normal favourite veggies to the mush. You could also chop grass finely and add it to the mix, to encourage molar wear. If she isn't using her teeth to grind up any food, her molars may be overgrown - have you had these checked?
 
I agree with @furryfriends Excellent Adventure Sanctuary to please have her back teeth checked; they can overgrow quite quickly if they are not properly ground down. You can liquidise small amounts of veg and mix those with the recovery food, but fibre should make 80% of what you feed.
Here are our hand feeding tips: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/complete-hand-feeding-guide.115359/

Would your vet consider stronger antibiotics than baytril for the bumblefoot? It sounds advanced. @Pebble

I am very sorry, but you are now at the sharp end of health problems with both guinea pigs, and vet cost are likely to pile up. They are the most expensive budget post in any pet's life. :(
 
Just wanted to add that Bumblefoot can also be linked to heart issues, due to the blood not pumping to the extremities properly. Is worth discussing with your vet when you next see them, especially if antibiotics are not helping.
 
Back molars are fine as had them checked. It just takes her ages to eat as trying to bite with front teeth is ineffective. Will see what the vet says on Tuesday morning and see what they say about Snowy. Will check links posted many thanks
 
Wiebke said:
I agree with @furryfriends Excellent Adventure Sanctuary to please have her back teeth checked; they can overgrow quite quickly if they are not properly ground down. You can liquidise small amounts of veg and mix those with the recovery food, but fibre should make 80% of what you feed.
Here are our hand feeding tips: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/complete-hand-feeding-guide.115359/

Would your vet consider stronger antibiotics than baytril for the bumblefoot? It sounds advanced. @Pebble

I am very sorry, but you are now at the sharp end of health problems with both guinea pigs, and vet cost are likely to pile up. They are the most expensive budget post in any pet's life. :(
Click to expand...

We have treated, very successfully, piggies with severe bumblefoot, using the antibiotic Zithromax.
 
Thanks will take suggestion for new drug to vet. Caramel does not like nuggets mushed down so back to recovery which she wolfed down. Expensive tastes for a piggie!
 
All her food is ground by back molars as only ones left! She is maintaining weight with recovery food. So guessing so far she is ok. Snowy though has very hot foot and leg so not so good
 
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