guinea pig catch 22? gut stasis and overgrown molars

[violentintrospection]

hello! my guinea pig (around 5yrs old, M) was diagnosed with gut stasis and overgrown molars.

vet said it’s best to fix his gut problem first before trimming his teeth because putting him under anesthesia w/ a failing gut might cause him not to wake up at all.

but i recently watched saskia’s video:

she says gut stasis is usually a symptom of a bigger problem, not the actual problem.

MY QUESTION: what if his overgrown molars are what’s causing the gut stasis? he can’t eat bc of his teeth. at the same time, we can’t trim his teeth without undergoing anesthesia bc that might kill him. but THEN, if his teeth wont get fixed, he won’t be able to eat on his own.

feels like a catch 22!

anyone have experiences like this? for reference my piggie is on:
- simethicone
- metoclopromide
- meloxicam
- benebac + digest plus probiotics
- oxbow critical care force feed 10ml every 2hrs

he’s eating very tiny bits of veggies and drinking water on his own but does not eat hay. his poops are wet squishy and smelly. we’re both from the philippines

thank you!

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear this.

Stasis is the gut slowing down fully or partially. This is a very serious issue which has to be corrected before he is strong enough to undergo dental work.
You are right, with won’t be able to eat without his teeth being done but with lots of syringe feeding, you will get and keep his gut working, and make him strong enough to undergo anaesthetic.

You need to weigh him every morning so you can ensure he is getting enough syringe feed to keep his weight stable each day.
Your vet will need to decide when he is able to undergo the dental surgery.

I hope he is ok

Wiebke's Guide to Tummy Trouble
Digestive Disorders: Not Eating - Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement)

Weight Monitoring and Management
Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support

All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

 

[AliceS]

Hi - can I ask how you got on? my piggie is also on syrigne feeding to prevent gut statis, and pain/motility meds, and the vet said today his teeth are getting a bit long. Was there anything that could be done about your one's teeth?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Hi - can I ask how you got on? my piggie is also on syrigne feeding to prevent gut statis, and pain/motility meds, and the vet said today his teeth are getting a bit long. Was there anything that could be done about your one's teeth?

Teeth which are over growing would need to be filed down but the cause is over growing should also be checked - your boys teeth would not have overgrown just in the time you have been syringing him so if he has over growing teeth then there is probably something else going on predating when he showed signs the other day (ie some source of pain inside the mouth like spurs or an abscess for example causing him pain and could mean he hasn’t been eating properly for a while).

 

[violentintrospection]

hello!

ill put it in bullets so its easier to read!
- my guinea pig (around 5yrs old, M) was diagnosed with gut stasis and overgrown molars a full month ago
- had his his overgrown incisors + molars trimmed on April 8 2025 (under gas anesthesia)
- he has no signs of abscess or infection
- eating some veggies but not hay
- poops are ok, sometimes healthy sometimes clumped
- xrays show that gas bubbles in his stomach have significantly reduced

any tips to encourage him to eat hay? he shows no interest in it AT ALL and its driving me crazy, but he loves critical care. my vet says to wean him off CC and not syringe feed him in the morning. he says its possible that he’s becoming dependent on it and waits for me to feed him rather than eat food himself. but i always feel like I'm starving him by waiting it out

i encouraged him to eat veggies by poking it around his mouth and cutting them into strips. slowly he ate them again. i tried to do that with hay, but he just stares at it. i also tried to put CC in a bowl and smear some on hay but he really just sniffs and licks at it but ultimately leaves it alone after a few hours.

anyone have experience with this? for reference my piggie is on
- simethicone 2x a day
- digest plus probiotics
- syringe fed 60-70ml critical care every day (but vet says to lessen it, so its down to 40-50ml)
- he weighs around 570g

thank you so much!

 

[violentintrospection]

Hi - can I ask how you got on? my piggie is also on syrigne feeding to prevent gut statis, and pain/motility meds, and the vet said today his teeth are getting a bit long. Was there anything that could be done about your one's teeth?

hi! sorry i saw this late hows your piggie?

we ultimately needed to trim his incisors and molars! if it’s just incisors, there’s no need to be sedated but for molars yes. the vet said gas anesthesia is the safest especially for piggies with gut problems. we had to make sure though that he wasnt in gut stasis anymore and was pooping and being fed regularly, even if his poops were not the best

the procedure just took 30mins to 1h or so but i really felt like i was going to go insane in the waiting room. my piggie was fine after and there wasnt any signs of infection! he prescribed enrofoloxacin and meloxicam, along w simethicone and syringe feeding of critical care.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Your vet has given you the wrong advice about cutting down the syringe feed and that piggy is waiting for you to feed him
A piggy who can eat, will eat. If he is still not able to eat hay and is only slowing nibbling on veggies, then that can suggest there is still something wrong in his mouth. Either the issue wasn’t properly corrected or the teeth were filed too short for example. Also, if he doesn’t eat hay then his teeth are going to continue to grow and then overgrow again.
You cannot and must not cut down syringe feed until he is eating enough hay by himself and eating enough to maintain his weight.
If you stop feeding him and he isn’t eating then you are risking him going back into stasis.

Your piggy weighs such a tiny amount, that he cannot afford to lose any so you must not feed less and must not stop syringe feeding.

Are you weighing him every morning? It’s important you do so so that you can be sure you are feeding him enough so he doesn’t lose weight

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