Comet And His Teeth

[Lorcan]

I wasn't very happy with Comet on Friday and took him to the vet on Saturday morning. So much money for them just to tell me that he was absolutely fine. Thanks, Comet, you jerk.

However she wasn't 100% happy about his back teeth. He's still eating and everything but his back teeth are apparently gunked up really badly, like he's not been chewing it properly. I'm not sure what to think or do. If he stops eating I'm still not around to notice but if he goes in to have the teeth checked out I'm SOL then too because I can't care for him once he's home.

So really, I'm just looking for advice on how safe it is to put these things off being checked out.

 

[eileen]

if you see commet eating like he is chewing glass,then he needs to be seen by a guinea pig savvy vet.also if possible weight them daily and this alerts you to any problems not eating,a steady decline in weight can suggest difficulty eating.you need critical care if he starts dropping weight.usually there is a primary cause to stopping eating,eg abscess in the mouth,pain somewhere. i would just be vigilant at this stage.Good Luck.

 

[gizzy]

Hi Lorcan, it's not realy safe to put of getting them done especially if your vet have already knoticed problems! Teeth are so very important to maintaining a piggys health

 

[Lorcan]

Thank you. I'm just stuck between a rock and a hard place because I'm only allowed out for a couple of hours a day. He's eating just like he normally does, and his gut is fine, the vet checked that yesterday too. His weight is fairly normal at around 1.1kg and he is demanding his food still.

I'm not having him going in to have his teeth checked when I can't be at home to look after him when he comes out unless I absolutely have to, for his own sake never mind anything else.

 

[Wiebke]

I wasn't very happy with Comet on Friday and took him to the vet on Saturday morning. So much money for them just to tell me that he was absolutely fine. Thanks, Comet, you jerk.

However she wasn't 100% happy about his back teeth. He's still eating and everything but his back teeth are apparently gunked up really badly, like he's not been chewing it properly. I'm not sure what to think or do. If he stops eating I'm still not around to notice but if he goes in to have the teeth checked out I'm SOL then too because I can't care for him once he's home.

So really, I'm just looking for advice on how safe it is to put these things off being checked out.

Comet needs to have a good look at his back teeth as they can overgrow very quickly if something his preventing from chewing evenly.

Weigh him daily at the same time to keep an eye on his weight/food intake. Hay makes 80% of the daily food intake but is often the first food group to be dropped and that suffers if Lorcan is chewing very slowly. You can serve his pellets mushed up and any veg grated or sliced very finely. If necessary, you need to step in with some daily syringe feeds. Our syringe feeding guide has a section on caring for a dental guinea pig.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

I am linking in a forum member that is very local to you if you need some help with looking after during the day in the short term.
@Claire W

 

[Lady Kelly]

He's got a good weight behind him at the moment. I understand your predicament and from being on the forum I know that you would not leave it if you felt it was an emergency or if there were other options. It's difficult as you need to look after yourself as well as your piggies. If it does become an emergency is it possible to admit him to your vets for them to provide the aftercare if you still aren't in a position to do so?

 

[Claire W]

Double post

 

[Claire W]

Hi Lorcan. I have pm'd you xx

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

Backteeth 'gunked up'. This just sounds like they can't see the teeth due to normal food retained in mouth. I have heard that comment so often and it is not something of concern at all. I suggest you find a more guinea pig savvy vet. I am not at all convinced this is a dental issue.

 

[Swissgreys]

Backteeth 'gunked up'. This just sounds like they can't see the teeth due to normal food retained in mouth. I have heard that comment so often and it is not something of concern at all. I suggest you find a more guinea pig savvy vet. I am not at all convinced this is a dental issue.

I tend to agree.
When one of ours needed to have their teeth checked, the vet initially said the teeth and back of the mouth were too full of 'rubbish' to be able to see much, so we were left alone for about 20 mins with a syringe full of water to slowly offer to help clean them out a bit.
Afterwards the vet aid she had a much clearer view (not perfect, but good for a guinea pig), and everything was pronounced fine.

I think if Comet is eating well, and not loosing weight then it might just be that his mouth is full of the normal guinea pig gunk.
How experienced is your vet with piggies?

 

[Claire W]

I tend to agree.
When one of ours needed to have their teeth checked, the vet initially said the teeth and back of the mouth were too full of 'rubbish' to be able to see much, so we were left alone for about 20 mins with a syringe full of water to slowly offer to help clean them out a bit.
Afterwards the vet aid she had a much clearer view (not perfect, but good for a guinea pig), and everything was pronounced fine.

I think if Comet is eating well, and not loosing weight then it might just be that his mouth is full of the normal guinea pig gunk.
How experienced is your vet with piggies?

Lorcan is using the same vet as me. By all means, they are not experienced cavy savy vets but the vet who I use is pretty good with pigs and small animals and will gain a second opinion from the nearest cavy vets if needs be

 

[Claire W]

Backteeth 'gunked up'. This just sounds like they can't see the teeth due to normal food retained in mouth. I have heard that comment so often and it is not something of concern at all. I suggest you find a more guinea pig savvy vet. I am not at all convinced this is a dental issue.

Our neatest cavy savy vets is an hours drive away. If Lorcan chooses to use this vet instead of our local vet, I am more than happy to drive him or his Guinea pig there

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

Our neatest cavy savy vets is an hours drive away. If Lorcan chooses to use this vet instead of our local vet, I am more than happy to drive him or his Guinea pig there

That's really kind of you, Claire. Unfortunately, even some of the most experienced guinea pig vets, haven't got a clue when it comes to teeth. xx

 

[Lorcan]

She did say she wasn't 100% he had a problem and she was very happy to let him go and come back. His gut is moving fine and his appetite is normal and his weight is normal for him, but I was watching him chew last night and it does seem...off, like he's struggling with the food on one side a little.

It may not come to him needing anaesthetic and I'm still hoping it doesn't, but my current circumstances mean I can't get him in again until Thursday and not being at home doesn't help because I can't keep as close an eye on him as I'd like. As long as he's okay to be left until Thursday assuming he keeps eating and drinking, then it's a weight off my mind as well.

He's such a gentle wee thing, I just don't want to be thinking I'm letting him suffer even accidentally.

 

[Freela]

I'm not sure what 'gunked up' back teeth means, exactly. Guinea pigs often chew food for a long period of time and can keep food in the back of the mouth for a long time. It's fairly normal not to be able to see the back teeth for half-chewed food. I would weigh him daily and keep on watching for signs that he is not chewing normally. My pigs with dental issues would often pull their lips back in a grimace while trying to eat, and would sometimes paw at their mouths as if food got stuck. That was probably the first sign, before even weight loss. So I would watch closely for that and monitor weight closely as well.