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Guinea pig with teeth problems

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spondie

Hello
I'm new here, just been reading and hoping someone can give me some advice.

I have two little pigs, Wilfred and Morris, both 2 years old

Wilf seemed to stop eating recently, and lost lots of weight. Took him to the vet who said his molars were growing at funny angles. He had them filed down, but still doesnt' seem to be eating - he's really hungry and wants to eat, but just can't. I've been soaking pellets and mashing them and he can eat from a teaspoon, a little at a time. I took him back to the vet who gave him a shot of pain killer, but this hasn't made any difference at all.

It's now been 3 days since he had his teeth filed. We got a note from the vet saying that his teeth are so poorly aligned that we need to think prudently about whether we want to continue to pay to have his teeth filed. It was £96 for the filing and another £20 for the shot of pain killer which was a shock!

We LOVE him and want to find a way to make him better! Any ideas or advice would be very very welcome

Thanks
Charlie
 
Can you get a second opinion by another vet. My first piggie died after so called dental problems and it actually turned out to be a deep throat infection. She was still trying to eat but couldnt swallow as her mouth was so sore. Her teeth were fine. It was too late by the time another vet figured out it was a throat infection and I sadly lost her. Best of luck with your piggie.
 
There are people that can help wilf, no doubt they will reply in the morning.
 
spondie said:
Hello
I'm new here, just been reading and hoping someone can give me some advice.

I have two little pigs, Wilfred and Morris, both 2 years old

Wilf seemed to stop eating recently, and lost lots of weight. Took him to the vet who said his molars were growing at funny angles. He had them filed down, but still doesnt' seem to be eating - he's really hungry and wants to eat, but just can't. I've been soaking pellets and mashing them and he can eat from a teaspoon, a little at a time. I took him back to the vet who gave him a shot of pain killer, but this hasn't made any difference at all.

It's now been 3 days since he had his teeth filed. We got a note from the vet saying that his teeth are so poorly aligned that we need to think prudently about whether we want to continue to pay to have his teeth filed. It was £96 for the filing and another £20 for the shot of pain killer which was a shock!

We LOVE him and want to find a way to make him better! Any ideas or advice would be very very welcome

Thanks
Charlie
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That seems a tad expensive, even by our experiences with teeth.

Were you there when the vet carried out the procedure - ie was the piggie sedated, as that may be what the cost was inflated by.

If you are anywhere near Cambridge, then you are fortunate as Vedra from the CCT is the fount of all knowledge and will correctly diagnose the trouble, then at least you will know your vet is treating your guinea for the right thing. It is difficult to find a vet who can a) has the correct equipment for looking in gp mouths, b) examine the molars thoroughly, without sedating the gp c) recognise a maloccluded mouth/spot a mouth infection and treat accordingly.

They'll still charge you though.

The important thing is to keep going with stringe feeding as throughput needs to be constant. heat the regular pellets in the micowave with some water and they should mush down enough to be administered via a 1ml syringe with the end cut off.

Pharmacies have these for giving meds to babies and are open Sunday mornings (chemists are sometimes in major supermarkets also).

For pain relief you can give infant calpol or ibuprofen suspension 0.1ml twice a day and infant teething gel if the mouth is sore. Daktarin oral gel can tackle fungal infections of the mouth but don't mention it's for a gp. Just say you know how to use it (over the counter med so no prescription needed, they just have to check you know what you are doing with it and always ask!)

That's about as much as I know but get pig comfy and syringe in what you can. Keep fibre levels up and good luck.
 
Hi and welcome to you all :)
I'm so sorry to hear about Wilfred's toofies, can you tell us what area you are in? you could look up the vet's list up the top of the health section........if you can say the approximate area you're in i'm sure somebody will advise a good vet or rodentologist who can help you with his toofies
I'm from OZ so no help but i do know the problems you are facing we had a darling boy who had toofie problems, to get them eating again you need regular treatment and encouraging the piggie to eat as well.
if you have a look we had a wonderful piggie Poppet who after 9 months of syringe feeding she finally started eating properly by herself x)
Wishing you heaps of luck with Wilfred xoxoxoxo
 
Welcome to the forum!

My piggie, Poppet, had severe dental problems and at one point was 100% syringe fed both day and night. However, with the help of a fantastic vet, who found that by doing little and often on her teeth (initially weekly and then once she was eating independantly again, two weekly) her dental problem was managed for the rest of her life. Her dental problem began in June 2008 and my special girl Poppet went to Rainbow Bridge just four weeks ago, sadly dying from heart failure, not dental problems.

Where about do you live? With the right vet, a determined piggie and a committed owner, dental problems do not have to be a death sentence. Hopefully we can point you in the right direction of a good vet.
 
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Firstly - your first port of call needs to be http://rodentretreat.co.uk/cct.html
ring these and they should be able to tell you of a good vet or expert [it doesn't have to be a vet] you may have to travel a bit but its worth it. This phone call saved my piggies life!

Secondly your pig doesn't need a GA for work on the teeth, if they know what they are doing, its unnessary and expensive!

Mush up some pellets [burgess mush up really smooth] and use a 1mil syringe to feed,You don't need to cut the end off , but you will need to use a new syringe every couple of days. You can get these from e bay but try and get a few from your vet to see you through. Good luck and make that phone call.
 
The phone number is still the same.
 
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Thank you for all your replies.

Yes they did sedate him when they filed his molars, - although looking at the invoice that bit only cost about six pounds. It's really frustrating because it feels that with 120 pounds worth of dental work poor wilf is no better off at all. This morning all the fur under his chin is soaking wet again - which was happening before the dental work. He's making a strange grinding noise all the time and is finding it impossible to eat even soft food like the middle of a bit of cucumber.

The good news is that he was bright and chirpy this morning - he had been looking very bleary eyed and sad,but today he is hopping about and chirruping more. Am doing the syringing but he seems to get quite cross and seems happier when i give him the mush on a teaspoon and he sort of laps it up.

I live in Suffolk so the cambridge place is a possibility, will look into it adn find out how far it is. Will now go back and look at the link too, thank you for that.

Did poppets dental work cost a lot each week? I'm so shocked that even a 2 minute consultation with our vet costs £16! I'd have been there every day last week but the vet just didn't help at all and now i feel very wary of going if they're not making him any better.
 
I generally paid between £12 and £14 each time, for Poppet's dental work. It never took very long and it was done conscious. I've always done delivery jobs like phone books, community business directories etc to pay for vet bills.
 
12 - 14 would be fine - i think i need another vet, i'm not convinced by this one at all. They insisted it wasn't possible without general anaesthetic.

They also said that he'd need ongoing work and as he would have to have a general each time we needed to think carefully about whether this was 'prudent'. Got the impression they were saying we should have wilf put to sleep. :(

CCT looks fantastic! I will text Vedra and see if i can get him there this week.
 
My husband is away but have just managed to persuade him to take us to the CCT when we can get an appointment, so feeling much more positive knowing someone will look at him who knows what they're doing.

Thanks for all the advice!
 
Welcome to the forum, I am sorry Wilf isn't doing well. Great news that you've persuaded your husband to take you to the CCT, I live nearby and wouldn't be without them although I'm doing a lot more myself these days.

Dental work is free at the CCT if you're a member, which costs £30 a year regardless of how many rodents (piggies or other) you have, if meds are needed you'll be charged but it's still not a patch on veterinary costs.

Onto Wilf himself now, his teeth could still be the problem but there's a chance his mouth is feeling sore, either as a result of overgrown molars rubbing/cutting into the tongue or cheeks, or due to an oral infection. Oral fungal infections are fairly common, treated with Daktarin Oral Gel over the course of three weeks, although more severe infections may need to be treated with a stronger POM drug e.g. Nystatin. For general soreness caused by overgrown teeth, a pea-sized blob of Calgel can be applied to the tongue and cheeks provided you can get acess to the back of the mouth.

Syringe-feeding is very important as he's not eating for himself, how much and how often are you able to get into him?
 
Well today i got a squirt of stuff prescribed by the vet - can't remember what it's called - an appetite stimulant - a bit of baby painkiller, and 3 syringe fulls of mashed up pellets. He's drinking lots of water but it all seems to be dribbling down his front. I was worried this meant he wasn't swallowing but the syringed food is definitely going down. He's grabbing at fresh food and shaking it, hopping about with it, but doesn't seem to know what else to do with it. He's still looking bright today, comes out and chats to me as soon as i approach his run, so that's giving me a bit of hope that he'll make it til we can be seen.

I'll try and get some calgel and daktarin tomorrow - how on earth do you get it into him? Ican't see any of his teeth at all, or gums - he's such a wriggler and loud protester.
 
The dribbling is a common symptom of molar or oral problems, as is the wanting to eat but not being able to. This can be down to troublesome teeth or a sore mouth, the symptoms can be very similar.

It is good that you know he is swallowing the mashed food. Is it a 1ml syringe you are using to feed him? I know it sounds a lot, but 60ml a day is the aim for piggies who are really not eating at all well for themselves. If you can try and up the feeds to 5-10 ml every couple of hours, or 10-15ml every four hours, it will help him greatly. They do weaken a lot without food, it is important to get as much as he will take into him. Another idea to try is offering the mashed food on a shallow plate for him to help himself to, so he doesn't have to wait for the syringe in order to eat something.

The Daktarin will be of more use as I think you do need to be able to get your finger into the back of the mouth - without being bitten! - so the Calgel coats the sore areas. Without being shown the technique to do so without tools, or having the tools themselves, it's a tricky thing to do. The Daktarin is still of use to piggies with sore mouths whether or not it is a fungal infection; the dose is 0.5ml 2-3 times daily. I would be inclined to give this dose until you see Vedra at the CCT later in the week, and you'll then be able to discuss continuing the treatment with her once she's examined Wilf.
 
Along the same lines as dental trouble, particularly d r o o l ing and difficulty eating (either refusal to eat, tentatively eating, or - as with Wilf - grabbing at food with the incisors but not able to actually chew the food). An oral infection will not necessary show with any form of visible plaques in the mouth so don't rely on seeing any 'furring' or white spots in the mouth.

If the pig has symptoms of dental trouble and the teeth have been examined by a competent person, and the teeth seem to be absolutely normal, then oral infection should be considered.
 
Poor little Wilf is looking a bit grim today - he's soaked al down his front and very blinky today. Have an appointment wiht Vedra at 11 tomorrow so really hoping she can help.
 
Had a trip to cct today - took 2 hours each way!
Vedra said his molars were still in a bad state - digging into his cheeks - so not quite sure what it was the vet had done.

The bad news is that his front teeth dont' meet, so they'll need to be filed down every 7-10 days for ever! I really can't see how this will be possible!

He also has some kind of parasite which could have made him unwell in the first place.

Have now got critical care, syringes, daktarin, painkillers, shampoo. But am feeling a bit bleak about having to get his teeth done weekly - don't have faith in our vets as they won't do it without sedation - and all the numbers vedra has given me are still an hours drive away.

And I'm about to start a new job - what do you do about syringe feeding if you're jsut not around during the day?

:(
 
You can put some mushy food on a plate and hope that Wilf helps himself, obviously it's not reliable but it would give him the option to eat without a syringe. Ideally you need a piggie-sitter who can syringe-feed Wilf while you're out at work!

The condition of the incisors can be affected by the molars, so it may explain why the teeth weren't meeting. Although Vedra was probably sure about the prognosis, do take it one day at a time, see how he recovers from the work on the back teeth and how he's able to eat now.

Is it possible for you to spend a little time with Vedra learning how to wrap a pig and how to file those incisors yourself at some point? It can be a fairly straightforward job, but there are particular skills needed and the jaw does have to be supported. I had to do the same thing with a past pig, rasping her teeth weekly myself, but I did ask Vedra to show me how to do so safely - wouldn't do any dental work without training!

I am glad Wilf is on the right track at the moment, I hope he starts picking up soon.
 
I'm so sorry that you're being faced with such a daunting situation. There are a few possibilities, but firstly you need to find a vet who can do the work as regularly as it needs to be done. I was very fortunate when I had a piggie with a similar problem in that I worked from home and have a fantastic vet. As part of my petsitting business I will look after pets who need syringe feeding. Maybe you could find someone near you who could help.

I know this is probably something you couldn't consider, but if you can't find a solution to this dreadful situation, I would be more than willing to have the little man and do the very best I can for him. I have a huge amount of experience of looking after a piggie with dental problems, a brilliant vet and also the time to devote to him. I hope you don't mind me suggesting this, but I can fully understand the dilemma you find yourself in.
 
Furryfriends, - thank you for that really kind offer. We're so attached to Wilf, and his brother Morris, that I don't think my children would forgive me for giving him up, but to be very honest, the vet is suggesting that we have him put to sleep and I would much rather he went to a loving home than give up on him entirely.

I think for now we'll keep trying and see if we can find someone who can do the work regularly and if Wilf starts eating on his own or not, but if not then we will have to find another solution. He's such a sweet natured little thing, really cuddly and gentle, it's horrid to see him ill.
 
Can I ask where you are, are you anywhere near Alcester.
Elvis has to have his done once a week now:( thankfully AP does them for me:) otherwise I don't know what I would do, its a 2 hour round trip but worth it.
 
spondie said:
Furryfriends, - thank you for that really kind offer. We're so attached to Wilf, and his brother Morris, that I don't think my children would forgive me for giving him up, but to be very honest, the vet is suggesting that we have him put to sleep and I would much rather he went to a loving home than give up on him entirely.

I think for now we'll keep trying and see if we can find someone who can do the work regularly and if Wilf starts eating on his own or not, but if not then we will have to find another solution. He's such a sweet natured little thing, really cuddly and gentle, it's horrid to see him ill.
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I can fully understand why you wouldn't want to give him up, but just wanted you to know there is an alternative if all else fails. I would also keep in touch and you would be able to visit whenever you wanted.

I hope you can find a way around this.

My thoughts are with you xx
 
Thank you - that's really really kind of you and I feel better knowing that if we can't manage that there's someone capable who would be able to take care of him. Hopefully we'll find a way around it and be able to keep the boys together. x
 
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