• 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

Can't eat but teeth are fine?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Pigalig

Pigalig

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jan 14, 2011
Messages
115
Reaction score
0
Points
165
Location
Sussex
Hi all
My pig Dylan was diagnosed with a small respiratory infection last week, and was put on antibiotics, which seems to have cleared up the majority of snot etc. Over a month he has lost just over 100g in weight, which I put down to the infection, however today I was watching him eat and all he did was pick things up and seemingly drop them again.
I sat him on my lap and offered him some cucumber, which he tried to take, but it was just sitting in his mouth not going anywhere, even though he was chewing.
Just took him to the vet who says his teeth are actually very good (after cursing at the lumps of cucumber that were still in his mouth blocking his view of them) but when I watch him move his mouth I can't hear his molars touching.
Am currently syringing Rescue fibre formula into him as pescribed, which he is happy to take, and seems to lick his way to swallowing it.
Any suggestions as to what could be the issue? The vet suggested to bulk him up on this stuff to make him strong enough for a general anaesthetic to 'have a dental', but if his teeth are fine front and back is that really necessary? His other worry was that the URI is secondary to something underlying due to this eating problem too, which obviously I hope is not the case.
If he wasn't trying to eat, I'd blame it on the antibiotics, but the fact that he is taking the food and its just not going anywhere baffles me.
thanks for any ideas
x
 
I would think about getting him over to see Simon Maddock in Northampton (cat and rabbit clinic) who can do dentals without GA. Picking up and dropping veg is common for mouth problems - oral fungal, abscess, ulcers, poor alignment - there are a few things that can cause enough discomfort to interfere with eating so worth getting him seen sooner rather than later.

Suzy x
 
Bearing in mind I live on the South East Coast?! I'll pack him full of this Rescue gunk and if he's still not eating I'll have to book him in on Friday. Poor Pig. And poor bank balance...
 
I had a pig with dental issues, she had her teeth looked at twice and x-rayed and her teeth seemed fine. It was only after we ruled out everything else and her symptoms started leaning more towards dental issues than anything else that I agreed to have her put under GA to have them looked at properly and filed if there was any sharpness. Once under they were able to see that there was a sharp bit on one of her back teeth, filed it down and she's fine now.
If you can get someone to do it without GA that would be recommended.
 
I send any dental pigs I have come in to the rescue over to see Simon as he is one of the best around and I trust him and his techniques - I live in South Wales.
 
Picking up food then dropping it sounds like dental issues. When we where in the same situation over a year and a half ago, I rang around every vet in the area asking if they has anyone with dental experience on Guinea Pigs. We dropped lucky and found an amazing vet. Would definately advise you to do the same. Your vet seems to have contradicted themselves by saying teeth are fine then lets bulk him up to do a dental.

In the area you live there may be a vet that can do concious dentals so GA isn't needed, you would need to ask this on the phone as not all vets are trained in this. I have found a thread http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=62438 which gives details of a rodentologist in Sussex they maybe able to recomend a cavy savy vet to you and also Lily posted a thread on a vet http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=73241 both maybe a good starting point for you.

If you can get to Simon however, he is widely regarded as one of the best piggie vets around but if you can't ringing around may bring some joy. Dental problems only get worse and do need sorting ASAP.

Hope Dylan gets better soon.
 
You could try to contact the lady who runs a dental sanctuary/boarding home in Northampton (in conjunction with Simon Maddock) and who may be able to take in your boy and care for him for the duration on his treatment, as it often takes more than one visit. She has turned around several forum piggies, some of which were in a very bad state.
http://www.teasnorthampton.co.uk/

Dental piggies really need expert treatment, but when done properly, the results can be amazing.
 
Hi! If you would like your piggie to see Simon Maddock I could offer a temporary place at the sanctuary. As has already been mentioned, Simon and I have had fantastic results with dental piggies.

This thread shows how quickly we have turned around a couple of cases

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=88213
 
Thank you for your help. After looking on one of the links I've found that there is a supposed cavy savvy vet in the town next to me - I will phone them tomorrow and enquire if they do dentals with no GA. If I don't feel happy with them you will be my next port of call, even though Northampton is bloomin' miles away from me (the things we do for our squeaky friends).
 
I use a vet in Ewell, Surrey for dental work. Anne O'Meara does dentals without GA. This would be closer for you than Northampton. I have also seen info somewhere before for someone in Worthing?, Littlehampton? somewhere like that. I'll try and find the details for you
 
I'm looking at Coopers Vets in Hastings, East Sussex. Any reviews?
 
Sorry didn't put the name of the vet in Ewell. It's O'Mearas, now part of the Goddard group.
 
He's booked in to go under tomorrow, as his teeth are visibly fine they need to aneasthetise him in order to work out what the problem is. I hope he's strong enough, he's still shaky when he moves and only eating what I syringe him...
 
Fingers firmly crossed! I hope that your vets can find out what is the problem!
 
Well he got through it fine. All the vet could see was food stuck in his molars and inflamed cheeks. Until about half an hour ago he still hadn't eaten any solids ( his op was over 1pm yesterday) but sitting on my lap just now he ate half a small tomato by himself. This was promising, even though he took a long time, but he then went on to refuse the other half. I've been syringing him blended veg and soaked pellets with probiotic, and leaving him a bowl full just incase he could manage some, which I think he had a few mouthfuls of last night, but other than that he is still not up for much :( which is confusing as he could bite down and chew the tomato.
Fingers still need to be firmly crossed I'm afraid Xx
 
Did the vet not say why his cheeks were inflamed? That, to me, would make me think something was irritating him orally, be it fungal or otherwise? I am not an expert and there are many on here who will be more helpful. But my first thought was, "well there's the cause", and then no treatment for the inflammation. The acid in the tomato may have irritated it? (on this occassion I mean, not caused it!).

Hope he gets better soon!
 
If he is in pain this will be stopping him from eating, has the vet given him any pain relief? After one of our girls had dental work she needed metacam for a few days until the pain has settled down.

It may be worth asking for an xray to make sure their are no jaw problems or root issues. How is his weight? lots of healing vibes x
 
I think the jist the vet was giving was that it was the stuck rotting food that caused the inflamation as the food would have been awkward and rubbing as he ate. He was given pain relief after the op but he's only on antibiotics and probiotic with me since, although I did put bonjella in his mouth to numb any possible pain in there.
I am also thinking it may be jaw problems, however he chews ok on the blended food, just a bit slow, but he might not have chewed something properly for a while :-/
His weight is low, he's dropped from a kilo to just over 800g. I'm glad hes a Peruvian because otherwise I would have to see how skinny he probably looks under it all :(
Do we think the fact he has eaten a bit of tomato by himself is an improvement? Or could he have done that all the time because its not a tough food to eat. Before that he tried to eat a bean but didn't bite down hard enough to bite into it, but i can't work out why :(
 
It seems you need some expertise here. Perhaps try the recommended vets that can look at your piggie's teeth without anaesthetic. Otherwise arrange for your pig to stay at the sanctuary in Northampton. He is fairly low weight right now and will need some intensive care. Good luck
 
I am somewhat concerned about the cheeks being inflammed. It would suggest there is a something rubbing on the cheeks to make it like this. Did they do any work to the teeth or just examine them and consider they looked fine. I am wary that there could be a spur that is rubbing that they have missed.
 
The vet said there were slight spurs on the molars, but I would have thought they had grown due to him not eating properly, I can't see them being the cause. Before the op I couldn't hear his teeth touching at all when he chewed, and now I can, so there's physical improvement.
I've been trying to get hold of Chris and Titch at cavy castle all afternoon, but no-one has picked up or responded to my voicemail. They solely deal with guinea pigs and do so without G.A. I'm hoping I can get through to them. I'm doing the best I can keeping him topped up with food and water for the moment, i hope its enough. Thanks for your opinions, you all seem to feel how I do about his inflamed cheeks - it couldn't have just been the small developing spurs that caused it initially, but would food stuck in the molars cause rubbing either? I guess it could. It's the fact that he's refusing solids that upsets me x
 
If you have no luck with your current plan of action and don't want to send him to the dental sanctuary, I would try Anne o'Meare at Goddard surgery.

My Patrick had an overgrown molar and this was rubbing against his cheek causing inflammation on the gums.

I do so hope you get your little guy sorted soon. X
 
It's amazing what a tiny spur can do. Something like a spur could easily have started this problem in the first place. It may be that it has been removed now and it will just take a while for the cheek to heal, or there could still be something rubbing. It is very easy for a vet to miss a tiny spur if they haven't got a lot of experience of guinea pig dental issues. Piggies can take a while to start eating again after dental work. Some eat immediately, some within a few days or a week or so, and I even had one who didn't eat for 5 1/2 months but then suddenly started again. Obviously while he isn't eating his teeth are going to continue to grow and he is going to need regular dental work. I currently have room for one more temporary dental piggie, but then I will be at full capacity as I am not willing to compromise the care I give any of them by spreading myself too thinly. Therefore if you want Simon Maddock to have a look at his teeth, he could come here as a temporary sanctuary resident.
 
Thanks for everyone's suggestions. I am very pleased to say Dylan is eating solids once more! After staying a couple of nights with rodentologists Chris and Titch in the town next door to me he's slowly munching through a fair amount of dry and fresh food. Now to get him to put on the fifth of his body weight that he lost! They even threw in free health checks for my other two girls, lovely couple x
 
Great news, well done Dylan!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top