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Gucci is poorly

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If the front teeth are slanted then you can be certain that there are problems with the back teeth.
I have seen two pigs this morning with the same problem, in fact I see them every 10-14 days to trim the teeth as and where necessary.
The one pig has molars that grow over his tongue, it takes but a few seconds to put him back to something approaching normal.
Some pigs do have ongoing dental problems, which cannot be "cured" only controlled.
 
My little Poppy has similar problems to Gucci :) Her front teeth were slightly slanted - years of chewing at wire through boredom and neglect prior to being in rescue :( It was not long after we gave her a home we noticed. The rodentologist files all her teeth regularly. She also bunny hops rather than walks normally, it effects her back legs, but she manages to get about quite well despite this. She is taking a joint disease medicine Vedra recommended and she is better for it. I sometimes give her Nurofen also if she is particularly stiff for any pain she may be in.
I do hope Gucci is going to be ok and the vet is helpfull tonight :)
 
tattyruncy, i thou guinea pig doing bunny hop = popcorning? cause my guinea use to does that, but not all the time..but after it got sick its just eat n rest..
 
oh i see. i think mine is popcorning cause it jumps with four legs.. that was long time ago.. is there anyway your guinea pig legs could be treated?.. sound scary from your post....
 
Gucci and I have just got back from the vets.
I explained about her teeth, the bunny hopping and her reluctance to walk. He used a scope to look at her teeth and said her incisors looked irregular. He couldn't see the back teeth, he said there was a lot of food built up. He listened to her chest and said she was a bit wheezy. Ears are fine. He isn't sure why she's reluctant to walk. She has had an antibiotic/anti-inflammatory injection (which made her cry really loud) and I have to call back in the morning. Plan of action is: 1) If she improves we will continue the anti-inflam meds. 2) If she doesn't improve, he wants to give her a general anaesthetic and look at her teeth. Obviously I don't want this. So I'll see how she goes tonight and I'm going to have to try and find a vet/rodentologist who can look at her teeth without a GA. I am in the Wolverhampton area - does anyone know if there's someone close by? I am going out now to get some alfalfa hay, and other chewy, tempting things as Gucci is only 500gms (she's always been tiny, probably 600gms at her biggest) and while we were at the vets she didn't poop the whole time - Skinnies are supposed to eat and poop constantly. She is having banana at the moment but seems to have spent most of the day in bed. I am glad she's been given a painkiller as it was hurting me to see her hobbling around. I don't really know what else to think though. mallethead
 
i feel sorry for your piggy condition but since the vet has given choices, its a good sign which show that your piggy is definitely able to be treated... dun worry or stress yourself out =)
 
"He couldn't see the back teeth"

To be polite (for once) you should have insisted that he looked and looked again until he could see her back teeth. Why should he be able to see them if she is anaesthetised!?

Have vets never thought of using water to clear a guinea pig's mouth of food debris? Surprise, you can then get a clear look around the mouth. To quote a tv advertisement "Simple"!
 
you, alcesterpigs got a point here... mayb the vet wants to earn money so he didnt check the back tooth and is making opportunity to delay the check for further appointments/? i guessing only..
 
I don't know much about guinea-pig care but maybe Tracy meant the vet couldn't see the problem with Gucci's back teeth which is why he wanted to use general anaesthetic.

I hope Gucci is better soon :)
 
He spent a good ten minutes looking and said there was food build up at the back of her mouth. I didn't insist because by that point Gucci was getting really distressed, and so was I! I knew the scope wasn't the best thing to use to look into her mouth, and I did wonder why we couldn't use water to clear the mouth, but to be completely honest I was upset, not thinking straight and quite emotional and not really in the right frame of mind to be challening a vet who is supposedly a professional in this field @)
 
Thanks :)
Kate will look at your PM in more detail later tonight and reply. Thank you xx
 
A 'scope is ideal for getting a detailed look at the back teeth.
Ten minutes is far too long to be looking at a pig's mouth, especially if the pig has other problems.
That is from my own "hands on experience".

Remember you are the owner, you have an absolute right to challenge the vet.
 
Hi Tracy

Sorry to hear Gucci is poorly. However, if she's not pooping then I'd stop the banana for now as it can cause constipation.

As for the teeth - I'm guessing Vedra is too far, but if you contact her at Cambridge Cavy Trust she can often recommend someone in your area who won't need to put the pig through a GA to look at the teeth

Hope all is ok

Sophie
x
 
Come on Gucci sweetheart. We all want you to get better. Hugs and kisses..
 
May be wishful thinking but I can see such an improvement in Gucci tonight.. She is suddenly ravenous, going mad for her hay AND managing to eat it just fine. I went to the pet store and got her all sorts of tempting stuff, all her favourite foods. At the moment she's tucking into a bowl of Food and Forage which has alfalfa in which I understand is high in calcium? She is still wobbly though..she looks like she's drunk? I am going to keep going with the Osteocare and going to ring the vet tomorrow about pain meds and doing the teeth without GA.
Thank you all SO much for your support, it means a lot xxxxx
 
This is good news. I hope your little one continues to improve. Gucci is such a big part of the forum. A very special little piggy. x
 
Glad to see you can see an improvement in her Tracy :) Did the vet give her a shot of metaclopramide to get her gut moving?

When Hamish recently stopped eating (due to stress) he was given metaclopramide & baytril tho' his teeth were fine & although he didn't want to eat dry food he would nibble veggies. I syringe fed him for a week (he had baytril & metaclop for a week too) & thank god he started to eat everything including hay - i've never been so happy to see poop!

I hope Gucci continues to improve & you get her teeth sorted :)

Just had a thought - i gave Hamish a vit C tablet whilst he was ill too :)
 
Yay little Gucci. Hope she continues to improve! At least you wont feel so fraught when sorting her treatment. You sound very much like me - I get very emotional and overwhelmed when it's someone close.

Keep up the good work.
 
I'm glad that Gucci has started to pick up. How are the teeth?
 
There isn't really any way to say this..Gucci has died.
I came downstairs and Flora was sitting in the corner looking petrified and I could hear crying. Gucci was in the other corner, face buried in the vetbed, her whole body shaking. She was crying out in pain. I lifted her out and she was cold, so I put her on a hot water bottle and rushed her over to the vets, but she had already died by the time we got there. She had lost the use of her legs and couldn't even hold her head up. She was seven months old..why my baby? What am I going to do without her :0:0:0:0
 
Oh my Gosh! I can't believe it! Any idea what happened?

The poor wee sole RIP... Popcorn in the sky little one! Your mummies loves you dearly and you will be solely missed! 8...

Tracy big hug I'm so sorry... it's terrible :(
 
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