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Getting My Piggie To Eat Again! Advice Please ):

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lennypiggie

lennypiggie

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Hi all,
My otherwise healthy guineapig stopped eating properly over the recent weekend and we managed to get him to see a vet on the 24th. His back teeth had grown over and he needed anesthetic so they could be worked on.
Over 24h later I'm worried sick about him. He really hasn't returned to his normal self and I'm very concerned about how little he is eating and his lack of interest in food. I've attempted syringe feeding him but he is not as cooperative as past pigs and although I am doing my best, he still isn't getting nearly enough. He has only passed one poop since having his teeth done which is obviously not good. I've just tempted him with some grass which he did eat but whilst he has been eating he keeps squeaking which suggests to me he is in pain.

Does anyone have any advice on how to encourage him to start eating properly or ?! Is it normal for him to be sore in the mouth still and will this pass pretty soon or should I be looking to get him painkillers? I'm thinking he won't start eating properly until his mouth stops hurting but waiting wont do him much good. Only so much I feel I can do and he doesn't seem interested in helping himself either so any help would be greatly appreciated ):
 
I have a dental piggy myself but as we have always managed to get his teeth fixed before he actually stopped eating, he has always just continued eating after his work. My vet uses a gas mask on him, not a GA, so don't know if that makes any difference. Also my Peanut Butter never squeaks when resuming eating after dental work so I think your piggy may be in pain. Please consult your vet - painkillers might be in order. Paediatric tramadol is what my vet gives me.
 
It's essential that you get food into him. I've had similar experience with Minky over the last month. Even though I couldn't get the full recommended amount of Critical Care into her I was managing to get 1 to 2 1 tablespoon mixes of Critical Care into her daily which kept her alive while we were trying to get her better. Painkiller may be an option. I was using 0.25ml of Loxicom or 0.3ml of Metacam (for dogs) twice a day. Has your piggy been on antibiotics for a prolonged period leading up to this. Minky was & it turned out that she wasn't eating mainly because of a badly ulcerated mouth due to oral thrush caused by the antibiotic. Once I get the right medication for this, she was off the Critical Care & eating veggies naturally within 2 days. You'll need to consult your vet either tomorrow or ring out of hours number for advice. If you've got some painkiller they may be able to advice on the phone. I'm not keen on the out of hours services myself because they charge the earth even if they're not expert on piggies. I would get as much Critical Care fed as possible. A 3 tablespoon mix is the recommended daily amount but try and get at least half this amount fed. Please don't use the big 15 or 20 ml syringe that is usually provided but use a 1 ml syringe with the end cut off & try to feed in at least 1/2 a syringe at a time. With practise you'll be able to get a syringe full at a time which is better for the piggy as the syringe is going in & out the mouth less times. Also try & get the syringe as central as possible into the mouth & not too far in, either just left or right of the front teeth to try to avoid contact or hurt the gums & inside of cheeks etc. As far as other foods, trya little cucumber or melon which are soft & may promote a little eating.
 
Thanks so much for your responses Lilly, Stewybus + Claire.

I tried him with cucumber and am pleased to say he snatched it right out my hand and is going to town on it but it is taking him quite a while to eat/chew it so I'm certain there is still a problem with his mouth. He is nibbling on hay and has shown interest in dried food but still won't eat any of it. My piggie has never been on antibiotics so I don't think it would be what happened with yours but thank you for mentioning it!
Does anyone know if the Royal Vet College might be worth a ring? Can't get a hold of my local vet and would really like to try and get him some relief today even if he can't be seen by someone. Otherwise, would paediatric nurofen be safe for him to take? 0.2ml?
I think I have some smaller syringes lying around somewhere so I will give him a go with one of those because I do agree the ones the vet gave us seemed a bit too big for such a little mouth!
 
I run a sanctuary for guinea pigs with dental problems www.teasnorthampton.co.uk. There really is no pattern to how guinea pigs start to eat again following dental problems. Some start immediately, some a day or two later and some can even take months. However, you need to remember that while they aren't eating well their teeth will start to overgrow again. Where about are you based? The vet the sanctuary use is Simon Maddock of the Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic, and he is definitely the best vet in the country for dealing with guinea pig dental problems. He has worked wonders with so many of the piggies here at the sanctuary. The reason we get such good results is that Simon can do the work with the piggy conscious, which means that the teeth can be rechecked and tidied up every couple of weeks in the early stages, until the guinea pig is eating more proficiently.
 
Thanks for your response, I am in south hertfordshire and don't drive so at the moment so Northampton is just a bit too far for me although he sounds wonderful. I wish my vets could do his teeth without knocking him out! His appetite is returning but it is evident eating is still difficult for him.
 
I would always come and meet you at the railway station if you wanted to come up by train. I am also able to offer temporary sanctuary places to piggies to enable them to get treatment from Simon if the owner isn't close by. Just a couple of things for you to think about, if your piggy doesn't start to make any significant improvement. I am also always happy to have a chat on the phone, my contact details are on my website. xx
 
Is there anyway you could blend / purée his veg to make is softer for him?

I know that some members have offered baby food to their piggies (fruit / veg varieties) but I don't now much about it so wouldn't want to advise further.

If you are able to take up furry friends offer, I would seriously consider it x
 
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Hi all, sorry for no updates on Lenny's progress. He and family commitments have kept me extremely busy over the last few days and have not found the time to access the computer.

5 days after having his back teeth done by the vet, he was still not able to eat properly and becoming very weak. Last night we took him to the lady we bought him off (and who has helped us numerous times with our piggies) who took him to see Vedra in Cambridgeshire this morning.
I am very upset about the news I have just got back about him. His back teeth have been left extremely jagged and his bottom front incisors are too long. Not only this but he has a very severe case of oral thrush (his throat is red raw). This explains why he has not been eating and how much he has been drinking. Vedra has sorted his teeth out but now the biggest problem is the thrush and getting him to eat at the same time. He is on an anti-fungal and is going to stay away from home for the next day or two (he is better off in more experienced hands).
All I can do is hope that the drugs work and clear up the infection so we can save Lenny. I am so cross with the vet who he has been to see three times and not only have they not noticed or corrected his dental problems, but failed to notice the thrush.
He is in the hands of people I trust more than anyone else, I just wish we had taken him to them sooner ):
 
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Lots of healing vibes to Lenny, hopefully he will start to get better with the treatment. Please keep us updated on his progress.
 
Hi sorry, have only just seen your thread. Is good that he is on an antifungal now, is it Itrafungol? did Vedra's vet prescribe it?
 
Thanks all for your support!
I don't know exactly what anti-fungal it is as the only communication has been over the phone (I've little experience with animal medication so I can only trust what has been prescribed!) Should be going to see Lenny or pick him up on wednesday so will find out then.
I think Vedra herself did all the prescriptions and dental work (I'm not 100% sure as this as all being done via another experienced person who was lovely enough to take him up to cambridge for me and is looking after him for a few days!) (:
 
Sadly, its not good news. Lenny has gone very downhill overnight and is not expected to make it.
I'm going to pick him up this afternoon and although I still hope he may have a chance, his condition has only worsened and its possible he has something else wrong with him that no one has managed to pick up on.
I'm heartbroken ):
 
Lenny passed away earlier this evening, he will be missed so much. He was such a special little piggie and I can't believe I've lost him.
Thanks everyone for your advice and support x
 
I'm so very sorry for your loss.
RIP precious Lenny.Run free x
 
I'm really sorry he lost his fight. Night night lovely Lenny. Hope you're ok.
 
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