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Guinea Pig Teeth and Illness

Mmeshekey

New Born Pup
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My GP is currently not eating or drinking on her own. She will eat her lettuce and some veggies but not hay, pellets or vit C tablets. I am syringe feeding her critical care and water.

Background:
Took her in about a month ago for possible luce but vet did not see any nor saw any mites with a tape test under a microscope. She went ahead and gave GP a topical ointment in case something was missed. She also said that GP had some sensitive skin and gave her some medication. The vet also noticed her teeth were getting long and recommended they get clipped soon.

Shortly after we noticed both our GPs were not eating their hay much (not sure how long that was going on) and thought it was the type we bought that they may have been refusing (oxbow Timothy meadow hay). We started CC right away until we went to vet. Vet told us they looked good, cut back on CC to encourage hay eating. We did blood tests which came back normal.

They both nibbled some hay and pellets but not much. I gave them some cucumbers and lettuce and when I came home one GP looked very bloated. I took her into vet next day, they gave her injectable pain med and meds to move the gut..but the GP seemed worse and had 2 seizures and died about an hour after her appt.

Now we have the one GP left and is very lethargic on top of not eating or drinking on own. She doesnt walk around her cage hardly at all and just burrows under a towel in the corner. She will perk up a bit at veggies still. We have an appointment to get her teeth done, but not for another week, as thats the earliest availability. Does this sound like a teeth issue or possibly something else? We have always been very good about hay supply and minimizing other foods so not sure how the teeth became an issue either. Thanks for listening.
 
:wel:

I'm so sorry for your loss.

If they were both unwell with the same symptoms at the same time, then I would be surprised if they were both to have dental issues at the same time.

I would say to not let a vet touch their teeth unless and until you have a second opinion. Which teeth did the vet say were getting long? Is the vet experienced in piggy dentals? Unfortunately some vets can compare then to teeth of other animals and assume there is a problem when in fact there isnt.
A vet not experienced in dealing with piggy teeth can make things worse.

Are you weighing her daily? If not, please do so as it is your gauge of how much critical care to give her.
If she is not eating any hay for herself, then you need to be syringe feeding in excess of 60ml in a 24 hour period.
It is the only way you can gauge that she is getting enough fibre/critical care. If she is losing weight, then she needs to be fed more.
Please do not cut back on critical care if your piggy is not eating for herself - it is essential this is given while a piggy is not eating hay for themselves. If a piggy feels better and wants to start eating hay again, then they will do so despite being given critical care but stoping critical care to encourage hay eating in a piggy who isnt eating anything for themselves due to being unwell will not work.

What medication was she given for sensitive skin?

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Weight - Monitoring and Management
 
I’m so sorry for your loss. I’d carry on with syringe feeding and get another vet to have a look at your piggy. Keep us posted.
 
So sorry you lost one of your girls x
I agree with Piggies&buns, vets with little experience of them often think guinea pigs teeth are long, they compare them to rabbits which are relatively short. Guinea pigs incisor are very long quite naturally. I also think it unlikely that both piggies would have dental problems at the same time. Dental issues usually take a couple of months to reach a critical stage where the animal is not eating hardly at all. I think you would have noticed a change in eating patterns before then. I would try and get a second opinion from a piggie savy vet if you can and before any work is done on her teeth. Maybe look at what other possibilities it could be first, it’s a major step and can have disastrous consequences if done wrongly x
 
The vet is what would be considered an "exotic vet" which is supposed to be knowledgeable. Is there anything specific I should ask a potential vet to be sure they are savvy?
 
I would ask if they have looked at the molars or just the incisors? Incisors are long anyway. If they have looked at the molars, are the teeth bridging the tongue or growing outward in the cheek? Is there any possibility it could be fungal or could there be any abscesses. What success has the vet got doing guinea pig dentals?
Good luck, I hope you find out what the matter is and get her treated x
 
We ended up taking Mocha to the emergency vet due to not being able to get an appt with our regular vet. They recommended an ER vet an hour away for exotics. The vet is not certified for exotics but works with them a lot. Now we wait....I will have them double check the teeth too. Mocha is now refusing veggies and poo is very limited. She has pooped a little this morning and one was very strange! I attached a picture. There was sticky, stretchy like substance in it. Hoping we get to the bottom of this..not sure my daughter can take another heartbreak so soon after we lost our other one.

Answers to questions:
I cant remember the name of the skin medication.

I am weighing her, so far no significant weight loss

I will find out about which teeth looked long. Thank you!
 

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Unfortunately when piggies are ill and go off their food particularly hay they don’t get the fibre they would normally eat. If they are only eating small amounts or just veggies then that can lead to small stringy poops or loose poops. Stringy poops are a sign that there is not enough fibre in the gut so it struggles along through the gut rather slowly, this is caused by not enough food being eaten.
I hope you get some answers and you can get her better soon x
 
You say no significant loss - are there smaller amounts of loss which on their own wouldn’t be concerning amounts but over time point to a downward trend, or is her weight is her entirely stable?
 
Unfortunately, Mochas body temperature dropped and her organs were starting to shut down. We made the decision to let her go...she will be missed and always loved. Thanks for your time.
 
I’m so sorry for your loss. Popcorn free Mocha ❤️
 
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