• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

"Bony changes"

W

Wildflower86

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Dec 7, 2023
Messages
30
Reaction score
37
Points
175
Location
United kingdom
Hi so my guinea pig seems to have problems eating...I was quite sure it was a tooth issue...exotic vet said that he isn't convinced it is (no signs) tho he said lots of the teeth are under the gum so would need to sedate her to get good look. He said he will do xray and bloods too ...but I'm worried about bloods as she is fairly old (7 in April) and heard it is quite invasive. At the same time I want to know what is wrong with her and don't want to carry any what ifs, Any advice please?
 
We have had elderly piggies that have had bloods and x-ray at 7+ years. They were all fine. It is just a light sedation and they are only under for few minutes at most. Of course there is always a risk, so it is a decision only you can make. Do talk to your vet about your concerns.
 
Hi everyone
I have posted on here already but trying to gain more thoughts from guinea pig lovers and experts.
My guinea pig (Daisy -7 in April) i believe had teeth problems. Symptoms included slow eating, weight loss, gagging type noises, avoiding hay and nuggets, bringing food out of her mouth.
Vet trimmed front ones left back ones, she said she wasnt confident doing them, advised exotic to do back she thought they wernt extreme...said not trapping the tongue.
Booked exotic he pressed tummy and is thinking there is another issue as she looked uncomfortable when he felt her. He said could be teeth but don't look overly bad, tho a big % is under the gum (which is what vet said).
Daisy is still not right, tho she actually wheeked today for food and is managing harder foods (if I break them up).
Thing is exotic wants to sedate her tomorrow to test everything (blood test and xray) I'm so worried about her going backwards but know its got to get sorted as she is still underweight. I have syringe feed her for nearly 2 weeks tho she eats the nice things independently.
My partner feels she is at an age where she won't have long anyway and is saying quality over quantity and it will be best to pts .
My head is thinking she has made progress I can't give up on her but get where he is coming from. It is so hard but feel I also need answers of what is causing this.
Just wondered on peoples thoughts...what else could it be? What would you do?
Thanks if you made it this far
 
I’m sorry Daisy is poorly. If it was me I’d go for the tests as she seems to still have a will to live. Once you know the diagnosis then you can decide if treatment is an option. Good luck today at the vets. It could just be a tooth trim and a UTI. 🤞🏻🤞🏻
 
So my poor girl had xray and bloods today to find out why she is loosing weight. He said he jaw is having age related issues (she's nearly 7). He said its like the jaw has 'erosion' and likely get abcesses. She also has arthritis in her legs... I will be picking her up tonight but does anyone know what exactly he means?
 
I’m sorry to hear that.

The best thing is to have a proper chat with the vet.

Is she in pain relief?
 
Thank u. She is on metacam which i will be upping following his advice and gabapetin. Poor girl. On my way there now.
 
My bunny has erosion of her jaw due to malocclusion of her teeth.
She is currently on treatment for her second dental abscess.
On an x ray the bone of her lower jaw around her teeth is thinner than normal as the roots have been growing into it and eroding it away. As the bone wears away, the space around the tooth increases, allowing material in and an opportunity for infection and abscesses to form.
Likewise the roots of her upper teeth are growing upwards and compressing her tear ducts.
Of course things may be different for your piggy! I hope this gives you a bit of an idea of what the vet may mean.
She is doing really well though and still loving life so far🤞

I'd also have a chat with the vet about glucosamine for her joints, that can really help 😊
 
Thanks thats helpful. Bless your bunny, sounds simular to what he was saying. The vet was busy but assistant vet is going to get him to send an email to me tomorrow to explain it.
 
Just a little update the exotic vet said she has age related jaw problems seen on xray, there are two areas in her jaw that are a concern. Basically he said they are eroding? And are likely to get abscesses. I have asked for him to email me the technical word for it. He seemed to believe she could be helped with higher doses of pain relief. I'm going to see how she gets on. Thanks everyone
 
So my guinea pig has had xrays by the exoctic vet after some changes in her eating habits and he has said she has got "bony changes" seen in her inner jaw -he said it was due to old age. He explained it was like erosion and would become more prone to abcesses. I asked for a technical name and was told that is what is called. She also has arthritis in her legs. I wondered of anyone has any experience in bony changes? Someone suggested on another post it could be secondary renal osteodystrophy . But her bloods were clear. Anyone experienced this...what could be done to help her? Thank you.
 
Our vet once used the term “bony changes” to refer to the changes you see on X-ray with arthritis.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top