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GA's for dental work - Wilfie's Story!

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furryfriends (TEAS)

furryfriends (TEAS)

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We are always being told that GA's are NEVER necessary for dental work on guinea pigs. Well we should never say never, as each case needs to be treated according to the need, as Wilfie's story will show.

Wilfie's previous owners had tried absolutely everything possible to get him the treatment he needed for his dental problems. He was treated by his own vet, and after that was unsuccessful and they had suggested he should be pts, they travelled to the CCT to see Vedra. Although it was only days after he had received treatment by the vet, Vedra said his teeth were really bad again and she did his teeth and said that they would need doing weekly. Following this visit, Wilfie continued to deteriorate. As it was a long journey to her, Vedra suggested a rodentologist who would be able to see him. After having further dental work done by the rodentologist who said he would need his incisors filing daily, and said the owner could get the instruments necessary to do this, which was something the owner was very reluctant to do, without proper training :..., and with Wilfie getting progressively worse, they made the difficult decision to bring Wilfie to me. My vet, Simon Maddock of the Cat and Rabbit Clinic in Northampton has successfully treated many guinea pigs with dental problems. Although it was heartbreaking for them to give their much loved piggie to me, it was because they loved him so much that they needed to give him a chance and he arrived here just under three weeks ago.

As soon as Simon saw him, he detected the problem. Wilfie's jaw was being forced open due to a massive overgrowth of the teeth at the very back of his mouth. Although work had been done on some of the teeth it was evident that the back teeth had never been reached. Even with daily filing of the incisors, Wilfie would never be able to eat again, whilst his jaw was being forced apart. Simon tried to reach these teeth with Wilfie conscious but the overgrown was so massive that it was impossible.

Wilfie was admitted the following day for a GA and Simon used the dental burr to get these teeth back to a normal length and enable Wilfie to close his jaw. There was still concern that this overgrowth had damaged Wilfie's jaw and he would still struggle, but immediately he was able to manage soft foods. He was seen by Simon a week later and had gained over 100g in weight. Simon spent a few minutes doing a small amount of filing of his teeth and by the next day Wilfie was managing to eat grass and very finely chopped veggies. Again this week Simon needed to do a small amount of filing of Wilfie's teeth, but since Wednesday he has been managing to eat everything and doesn't need any softened food at all. For the immediate future he will be seen weekly, but we are hopeful that eventually he may only need fortnightly or even monthly treatment.

Whilst Wilfie will always need a small amount of regular work on his teeth, there is no reason now why he shouldn't lead a completely normal, happy life.

I keep in regular contact with his previous owners and they know they can visit him anytime.
 
Thank you so much for this post Debbie. Well done Wilfie, hope you continue to get better and better now.
I have always completely disagreed with people who say GA is NEVER (and they always put it in capitals) necessary for dental work. As you say 'never say never'. I think it has put numerous people on here, myself included for a short time, under uneccessary pressure when at the vets, when a GA has been suggested, and caused immense worry whilst it has been happening. GA is not always necessary maybe even not often necessary, but sometimes it is.
Brilliant news for Wilfie. Will we be having some photos soon? x
 
It is good to hear what's been happening with Wilfie.

I am wary to say that GA is never necessary (although I've probably slipped a couple of times in the past) as I've also advised on a pig who needed molar extraction, which most certainly did require GA. The very large majority of dental cases can be dealt with without GA, but I agree that "never say never" does apply.
 
Thank you for this. Very interesting reading. I try and keep an open mind when reading advice on the forum and as an inexperienced piggy owner it's good to hear about a whole range of options. It's also encouraging to hear positive comments about vets who really know their guinea pig stuff.

Great result for Wilfie. I hope he continues to improve and live life to the full. x>>
 
Huge thanks to Debbie. It was such a hard decision to give Wilfie up, but we know we made the right choice as he was just losing weight and none of the treatments helped at all. It's been so good to hear about the progress he's made as we never thought he'd be eating grass and all his proper foods again. We all miss him, especially my little girl - but Debbie is a star and has been sending us pictures of him wiht his new friend which Lola has been printing out and sticking next to her bed. xoxo
 
Although I couldn't be happier with the progress Wilfie has made and I love the little guy to bits already, I find it so sad that a little girl had to give her piggie up because there wasn't anyone who could help him in her area.

Are we our own worse enemy in all of this I wonder, by making people feel that conscious dentals are the only way, and therefore people aren't giving vets the chance to learn better skills? As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, but many vets aren't getting the opportunity to perfect their skills because they aren't given the chance to try. I'm sure Simon has learnt such a lot over the years because he treats so many guinea pigs.

As many of you know, Simon really turned around Poppet's dental problems, which were in many ways much worse than Wilfie's. She was first treated in June 2008 and passed away at the end of February this year (not from dental problems). Well maybe it's time for me to be completely honest about something. Although Poppet's teeth were done with her conscious in the main. On two occasions, once at the start when her teeth were dreadful and again a number of months later, Poppet had her teeth done under GA. The amount of work she needed on them was proving much too stressful for her, and a far better result was achieved by doing them under GA. At all other times they were done with her conscious.

Why have I never mentioned this before? Simply because I was concerned that a fantastic guinea pig vet, in fact one of the very best in the country, would be criticised!

Something for us all to think about!
 
Very good points, this thread is important.

I think what could make a difference is a 'shift' in the vets view, in that they should go into treatment with the intention of not using GA, but to be aware and clear with themselves and the owner that there are very specific circumstances where it may be more beneficial to use a GA. It should be general practice to not use a GA unless necessary, rather than using a GA as standard as tends to be the case now.

I can see why you feel Simon could have been criticised for using GA on occasion, it would have been questioned. For me the important thing is that the vet does not use a GA with every dental procedure. Far too risky for those pigs who need very frequent dental work, and the risk leads to pigs being unnecessarily PTS under the illusion that "nothing can be done" for the pig. mallethead
 
Thanks for a very interesting and thought provoking thread! I would never say never, but in the circumstances where GA is for the benefit of the vet rather than the pig i would still say no and find or as we know go the 2.5 hours to the CCT for a check. The difference is checking and minor treatment than major work - but i am a scaredy cat at the dentist. I also think the temperament of the pig needs to be taken into account.
 
In Wilfie's case, we took him to the vet who did GA, then when there was no improvement and I was told that GA was bad and unnecessary - I took him to CCT - but his far back teeth were missed both at CCT and by the rodentologist who saw him a week later. He didn't stop dro0ling, he didn't manage to eat by himself - and he couldn't even close his mouth.

I must admit that this whole experience has made me a bit nervous about keeping guinea pigs and who to go to if one gets ill.
 
Simon looks at each case individually and treats accordingly. In most cases no GA would be necessary, but after Vedra and a rodentologist had failed to get to his very back teeth whilst treating without GA, then it becomes very clear that in some cases it is necessary.

To see Wilfie stood up at the bars, waiting for food is such a lovely sight. I can't provide the food quick enough for him now. He just wants to eat constantly. It's amazing to think this huge turn around has come after just three weeks of receiving the most appropriate treatment for his needs.
 
I agree with never say never, I was dead against GA's but my Harry would go purple when his teeth were clipped while he was towel wrapped and concious - seeing him that frightened in the hands of a stranger was enough to make me have re-think.

My vet uses a burring tool to do his teeth now and apparentley the pitch of the burr is the same as a piggy's alarm call so a quick puff of gas is the kindest way, in my opinion, to get him through it. It has it's risks but I don't want my little man (who's been through the mill enough already) to be scared out of his wits every 6 weeks.
x
 
Just got up and went downstairs to find Wilfie patiently standing at the bars waiting for more food. I guess the little guy needs to make up for lost time. He's even eating quite quickly now. Well you can't let your cagemate get more than his fair share, can you!
 
This is a happy ending to an all too common problem. I agree that sometimes a GA is necessary but you really must trust that the vet knows what they are doing - as in this case.
My experience was not as happy. I told the vet what needed doing- one set of molars needed burring to equal them up. After the procedure the vet told me that the molars were 'fine' and he trimmed the incisors! hence the piggie couldn't eat at all for a few days.
He then also confessed that they didn't have a burr small enough to use on g pigs!
If I ever have this scenario again I would ask to go in and observe the procedure, and check that they have the correct equipment first!
 
This has been a very interesting thread and one I hope that every piggie owner will read. I'm delighted little Wilfie has done so well, and I think it will give hope to other people whose piggies may be having similar problems.

Thank you for sharing the story with us, Debbie.
 
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK so happy to see our newest family member going so well ................

gidday WILFIE THE WONDER BOY x)x)x)x)
 
well in OZ we don't have an exotic vet so far well in victoria that i know of that will do toofies without anaes :{
but i will say they only give a poofteenth......how do i describe that? it's literally a teensy sniff only just to get them thru about 15mins at most..........that's what my vet does unless he thinks it warrants more......BUT i would still like them to consider doing work without anaes............ something i hope the OZ vets will do someday soon :)
 
Thank you for this post. It's good to hear that GA is sometimes good. We don't have any CCT here, my closest cavy savy vet is 4,5 hours away by bus...

I know the rescue I got mine from (not in my city) have found a vet which neuters (boys) without GA. They haven't lost a boar in over a year!

Thanks for the happily ever after! So good to hear!
 
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