Dave has hard lump under his eye and drops food

[sebz]

Hi guys, this is my first post regarding my guinea pig, Dave.
His right eye started running and we assumed he had an upper respiratory tract infection as he had been treated for this in the past. At the vet it was pointed out that his face was asymetric and he had a large bulging and hard lump under his eye which was preventing him from closing it. The vet said he may have a problem with his back tooth and prescribed him antibiotics.
Prior to taking him to the vet he was popcorning and seemed relatively ok. After the vet he took a massive down turn and has not been eating properly and dropping food from his mouth, walks like he is almost drunk and has been very listless. The bump does not seem to have gone down much either.
We are extremely worried and are shocked that he was so much better just a couple of hours previously and wonder if the meds have caused that reaction? Does anyone have any similiar experiences? Also, because of his weight loss we want to start syringe feeding him so would appreciate tips from anyone who has experience of this.
Help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Freela]

I would wonder if there is an overgrown tooth root or an abscess in one of the back molars. Did the vet take a good look at his back teeth? Abscesses in guinea pigs usually do not clear up with antibiotics alone- most need to be lanced and drained or treated surgically. What antibiotic was he given? Some can affect the digestive tract. I've never had a pig act 'drunk' for antibiotics, but have had Baytril give them upset stomachs, reluctance to eat, and diarrhea. Sometimes probiotics can help. It might also help to change up the antibiotic if it's not agreeing with him... my vet often uses chloramphenicol for abscesses, and this one seemed to really well tolerated by my piggie while she was taking it. Zithromax is also being used more often for abscesses and is supposed to give good results.

Honestly, I think he needs a more thorough assessment, because throwing an antibiotic at an infection without any further treatment usually isn't enough for guinea pigs. Is your vet an exotics or small animal vet? If not, I would try to find one... my experience is that vets who don't specialize in exotics or small pets sometimes aren't as knowledgeable about guinea pigs as they should be.

 

[sebz]

Thanks for your reply!
It wasn't an exotic animals vet. She did check his teeth but wasn't able to get a good look. She suggested bringing him back for x-rays if it didn't clear up but I think I'll go with your advice on booking him in to a specialist vet.
He was on Baytril but finished the course yesterday. I've been syringe feeding him pellets melted down and pureed carrots this morning and he is taking it well. He has started wheeking again when he hears the rustle of plastic i.e. veg time, so that is a good sign I guess.
Thanks again!

 

[Connie]

I would definatly get him booked in to a cavvy savvy vet. Unfortunatly regular vets dont get any training in guinea pigs.

If you give us your location you may be able to recomend a vet for you. Alternativly there is a recomended vets thread at the top of our health and illness section.

 

[Freela]

I'm glad that he is eager for his syringe feeds- that's a good thing! I would definitely take him to see an exotics vet as soon as you possibly can. It's the kind of thing that can nasty fast- though I've read about lots of pigs who made full recoveries after this kind of illness, I lost a pig to complications from a dental abscess that spread to the jawbone and caused septic shock, so it's not something that you want to leave untreated! Best wishes for a good recovery- keep us posted!

 

[sebz]

I'm in London, in Brixton. I looked online and the nearest vet is Woolwich by the looks of things.
He WAS eager for his syringe feed, by the final syringes he's getting a little peeved now! It's been heart breaking to see him so low and his little brother has been quite depressed too.
Fingers crossed we can get it all sorted. He's my favorite little guy and I'm keeping fingers and toes crossed for him!
Will keep you posted with how he gets on!

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

It sounds very like what Archie is currently going through.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Th...-guinea-pigs-with-extra-needs/231938713527009

Pics of him can be seen here. He had a tooth root abscess that was lanced and drained a few weeks ago. Archie has severe dental issues and is a very small, fragile looking piggie, but he has battled his way through such a lot.

The very best antibiotic for dealing with abscesses is Zithromax. I would get him to a vet very soon to confirm exactly what the swelling is.

 

[Freela]

It sounds very like what Archie is currently going through.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Th...-guinea-pigs-with-extra-needs/231938713527009

Pics of him can be seen here. He had a tooth root abscess that was lanced and drained a few weeks ago. Archie has severe dental issues and is a very small, fragile looking piggie, but he has battled his way through such a lot.

The very best antibiotic for dealing with abscesses is Zithromax. I would get him to a vet very soon to confirm exactly what the swelling is.

Poor little guy! That's just what my Frenzy looked like when she had her abscess lanced and drained. I'm glad that Archie is doing well. I always wonder if Frenzy would have recovered if her vet was more up to date on antibiotics and such. I've since switched vets to one who specializes in small animals only, but it was too late for her.

 

[sebz]

Hi again guys. That pic pf Archie really looks like what Dave probably has. Dave has gotten worse so we've booked him in with a guinea friendly vet this evening to have some x-rays. Could anyone tell me how much on average the x-rays and dental surgery cost?

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

Costs vary greatly from one vet to another.

How did the appointment go?

 

[julez120]

Our guinea had same symptoms - our vet wasn't sure and reccommended a x-ray. We went to another vet found online by reccomendations. They gave him a local anasthetic and checked lump with a needle - it did turn out to be an abcess, they then lanced it and gave us antibiotics - £50 consultation lancing advice on care and meds - pig is much better now and on the mend, as per x-ray fee which would have been £80 before any treatment. Thank you Taverham vets.

 

[sebz]

Sadly Dave was so poorly that the vet recommended he be put to sleep. Because he had neurological symptoms i.e. falling over when walking/scratching the vet said he most likely had a tumor and was too weak to do anything with. So so sad, he was a lovely little guy. At least I'll know in future to bring our boys to a cavy savy vet.