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Getting worried about Sundae's teeth

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Freela

Freela

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I'm worried about Sundae's teeth. She has dropped a little bit of weight over the past couple of weeks, and though she still seems bright and active and interested in food, she seems to be taking a long time to chew any of it. Her front teeth are straight and look normal (though of course the issues usually start at the back.) I can't feel any masses along the jawline. She does eat, but it seems to take her longer to chew food than usual, and she occasionally will act as though something is stuck in the back of her mouth. That to me says molar issues. I'm very freaked out because my last piggie, Frenzy, died from complications of a really nasty dental abscess. It seemed to pop up overnight, was deep in the roots of her tooth, and in spite of the fact that I did everything I knew how to do at the time, the infection ended up in her bone and then in her blood and she passed away. It was heartbreaking. I am terrified the same will happen to Sundae. 8... Anything that I can do to help her out while I wait on the vet (should be able to take her on Saturday.) In the meantime, I am giving her treats (which she eats), I am monitoring her to see that she is taking in some pellets/hay (and have given her a separate dish, because with two dishes in the cage Linney is less likely to shove her out of the way if she is taking too long at the food bowl.) I haven't supplemented her with anything, as she is eating and drinking on her own. I really just want her to be okay... I love her, my kids love her, I've had so many small animals over the years and I'm not sure how many more times I can get my heart broken by pets who don't live out their expected lifespan due to medical issues.

As an aside, I am starting to feel like I am doing something wrong. I take great care of my pigs, and yet seem to have health issue after health issue (Frenzy and her teeth, Linney had a large abscess removed, both have had UTIs in the past six months, Sundae has a small bladder stone.) It seems like I am doing everything right and my pigs are sick, whereas I know tons of people who have kept their pig alone in a tiny cramped cage and fed them the cheapest pellets available and given them very little attention and have had their pigs live to be 8 years old with no health issues. It's not fair. I love mine... why can't they stay well? :(
 
Have you felt her tummy to see if there's anything inside. If it's empty she'll need to go to the vets asap or at least try to give her food through a syringe so that you know there's definitely some intake. You can get emergency supplements from your vet or try grating a mix of carrot, a little apple, red pepper or any other veg she would normally eat & feed her a little, often. It's essential to keep her weight up so check it daily while she's ill. What is her normal food intake & does she have access to plenty of hay which should be at least 3/4 of her diet.

I do hope she pulls through.
 
I agree you should be weighing daily at the moment. If she's not maintaining her weight then you need to hand feed too. Is your vet experienced with guinea teeth to be able to have a proper look at the back teeth? There can be other causes for reduced appetite etc too so maybe it's not teeth.

I find guinea illnesses come in batches too - we had nothing for ages & then last year we had 2 pigs really ill who both died or pts & a baby piggie who needed 2 x surgery! Our piggies are indoors, fed a carefully balanced diet, closely monitored etc, they just get these health problems. It's difficult I know.

Good luck at the vets.
 
Shiny is right, it's not always teeth. Someone once told me teeth problem's are almost always secondary. My Wilma was slowly losing weight she had a dental and just never picked up it was heart breaking, she'd just sit in the cage hunched. We did every test going, I was convinced it still had to be teeth. Weeks later she began to smell - really pungent I took her back to the vet's and we decided we'd try Baytril before doing any more invasive tests turns out it was a bad urine infection. For 3 weeks, she didn't eat her problems started with gradual weight loss, getting food trapped and eating very slowly.

My Fred on the other hand has had teeth problem's for 2 years with no other health complaints, he's only recently got over a dental abscess in his bone, I understand your worry as you lost your little one previously but that doesn't mean you'll lose Sundae, stay positive, weigh her daily and if she's losing top her up as she will need her strength to overcome whatever illness maybe going on.

I guess if your doing something wrong so am I considering how many illness I've had of late, UTI's, teeth problem's, diabetes and stones I could go on, all it show's is your a caring guinea pig slave who notices when their pig's are poorly. Sundae needs you and you aren't responsible for your guinea pig's illness, they are just extremely lucky to have found an owner who is observant enough to notice they are poorly. :) x
 
Thanks everyone! You're quite right, it may not be her teeth. It's that 'something stuck in the back of my mouth' face-pull that makes me think that it is. At any rate, she is booked to go in on Saturday for a check, and I will weigh her daily until then and top her up if she loses. She has actually eaten a good bit today (hay, some pellets, and some carrots- those are the ones that seem to stick in her teeth occasionally.) I'll keep you posted.
 
Quick update- no weight loss from yesterday's weight. I did see her eat a good amount today- she ate quite a bit of hay in the morning, plus some lettuce and carrots for an evening snack. She did make the 'something is stuck' face several times while she was eating, especially the carrots and lettuce, but she did eat quite a bit. What she seems to be avoiding most is the pellets. I'll keep watching her and weigh her again tomorrow. Hoping I can hold out until Sat, which is when the most experienced vet can see her. He's really good... it is a practice that does exotics/rodents and he's the head vet there and has seen her before for other issues.
 
Only just seen this thread Freela.

Poor little Sundae. I agree with Flintstones you shouldn't feel like you are doing anything wrong, you are just attentive and know your piggies. We seem to have had problem after problem with all our girls after Pitch first had dental issues. I guess we were lucky till that point... Since then it's been Cysts, UTI's, bloaty epsiodes, cystitis issues etc... feels like non stop. It's not because we are doing anything wrong (although it does cross your mind at times naturally) it's because everyone on here is a very dedicated piggie parent - So we know our little one's inside and out and some are just prone to illnesses more than others, so I am thankful they have found their way into peoples lives such as yourself who are utterly devoted to them and notice when things aren't quite right.

It is good news on her weight and hopefully the vet visit can give you some indication of what is going on, the getting stuck face does make you think dental straight away but you do never know with piggies. Sending you a big hug and love to Sundae. Keep us updated x
 
Your piggies are more often ill because you notice things... I am currently a regular guest at the vets, too.

It can well be that something is stuck at the back of the mouth. Good that you have her booked in. Hopefully, it is nothing worse.
 
How is little Sundae? X
 
My appt got moved to Monday- the vet who does all the dentals is not in on Saturday. I could have seen another vet, but I don't want her being treated by a vet who doesn't specialize in exotics and do these kinds of things on a regular basis. I've had bad experiences with inexperienced vets doing dental work, unfortunately. So she goes in tomorrow at 9 a.m. to see the more experienced vet. Right now she is still the same- still eating everything but pellets, still looking somewhat uncomfortable while she does so, and holding even in the weight department.
 
Good luck for tomorrow, fingers crossed for her. Best to wait for the good vet. Let us know how she gets on x
 
Took Sundae to the vet today to get her mouth looked at... looking through a scope the vet did not see anything obviously wrong with her mouth or her teeth. He felt that the best option was to let them give her a whiff of gas and they could then check the back molars more thoroughly and round off any rough or sharp edges. Conscious dentistry really isn't done here in Canada (it's hard to even find vets with guinea pig experience.) So I had to drop her of and am waiting for the vet to call and give me the news. My nerves can't take this! He said that if he finds nothing wrong with her teeth, he will be wondering if it isn't somehow related to pain/discomfort from her bladder issues, but I am kind of doubtful about that, as she is bright, obviously interested in food, and even when he was squeezing/palpating her bladder she had no squeaking or other signs of discomfort. So just waiting for that phone to ring... will keep you posted. Thanks for the support.
 
It is very nerve wracking waiting for that call. I hope everything goes okay.
 
Yeah, it sucks! Plus her sister piggie keeps looking at me with like she's wondering where her buddy went... not helping at all!
 
Finally got a call from the vet! Once she was under and he could examine her better, he did find a spur on her left lower molar, the farthest one back. He filled that down so it was no longer sharp. He said it was digging into her tongue a bit and that would explain her discomfort. She's coming home with slightly increased Baytril and a painkiller. I'm hoping she goes back to eating- if not, I have some critical care and will syringe-feed if need be. They're just observing her a bit longer, and I can pick her up as soon as the kids get off the bus. Poor Sundae... hoping she feels a lot more comfortable and makes a smooth recovery. We've got lots of cuddles and treats for her when she feels up to it!
 
Pleased they have found what is troubling her. Hoping she will eat straight away, but sometimes they are sore for a few days after work done. Keep up with the painkiller and hopefully she'll be doing great. Lots of healing vibes to her x
 
Oh that is brilliant it was a spur and it has been filled. I am sure she will be back to her old self very soon.
 
Great they found this spur & got rid of it. Fingers crossed that will make all the difference for her. Hope she's ok once she's home xx
 
So my little patient is home! The vet tech said that she did well with the anesthesia. She ate a bunch of lettuce and a carrot in the car on the way home. She's been hiding in the pigloo since she got home, but I put some pellets in there with her, and she did eat some more lettuce, some carrot, and some hay. Just trying to give her some time to rest, as I'm sure it has been a stressful day for her! I'm glad she is willing to eat something, even if it is still mostly veg at this point. I'll keep you posted!
 
She's doing great- she seems to have shaken off the anesthesia and has been tucking into the hay with great enthusiasm! No more 'chewing glass' face when she eats. I'm so relieved that she's doing well! :)
 
This s great, really pleased for you. Any chance of a pigture?
 
Is there a way to post pics without having a photobucket account or something similar? I'm not that computer literate!

She continues to do great today... even back to eating pellets and begging for food. It is so good to see her obviously so much more comfortable... does my heart lots of good!
 
Freela said:
Is there a way to post pics without having a photobucket account or something similar? I'm not that computer literate!

She continues to do great today... even back to eating pellets and begging for food. It is so good to see her obviously so much more comfortable... does my heart lots of good!
Click to expand...

No unfortunately not photo bucket is the way :( If you ever want to pop a photo up but dont want to get an account you can always email me your photo and I'll upload it for you, if you wish.

Really pleased she is back eating well, that really is great news. Give her a cuddle for us x
 
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