Dental Is an incisor removal necessary?

[51 Home]

Hi,
Since last October, my piggy had one incisor that looks white and kept breaking down. I took her to the vet at that time but the vet said it was fine. But since mid-December, the incisor didn't grow at all, and after Christmas it had an abscess on the jaw. The vet got the abscess drained on January 11 and offered an antibiotics, and later changed to chloramphenicol according to the lab test. After that, the abscess healed well but the incisor never grew back.

We brought her back to the vet every 2-3 weeks for recheck, but every time the vet would like to be conservative and avoid surgery, and suggest continue with antibiotics. Now she has been on 2 months of chloramphnicol (high dose, 38mg & twice a day). The antibiotics for sure upset her tummy, but she ate normally though her poop is still soft.

Now, the vet offered another three weeks of antibiotics. I don't know when will this ends... I understand that she is 3.5 years old and she had much dental problem since last summer, so the vet prefer to avoid the surgery. But how can we know that a surgery is necessary or not, and how long can she still be on antibiotics? Is the surgery risky for her? Will it be harmful to put her on antibiotics for that long and postpone the surgery? Thank you! ❤

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

Which country are you in?

 

[51 Home]

Hi!

Which country are you in?

Hi, I am in the U.S.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you. If you please added your country and state to location in your account details (accessed by clicking on your username on the top bar), then we can always tailor any advice with just a quick glance to the left to what is available and relevant for the US straight away; from vet access to medical brand names, which can differ quite a bit from the UK ones that are default.

There is a chance that the abscess will return after the antibiotic is stopped; it depends on how strong and how far developed it is.

Incisors are about 4 cm long. Their roots are sitting just in front of the back teeth (premolars and molars). they run along the top and the bottom of the jaw before the tips surface at the front. Incisor root abscesses are not rare and piggies can live well without an incisor (with just the occasional check and adjustment if necessary). However incisor removal is quite an operation for any vet who is not experienced - and guinea pig dentals do not feature large, if at all on the curriculum.
One crucial aspect for the success of the op is how confident a vet is and how long your piggy is under.

Guinea pigs can be on strong antibiotics for a goodly while although they may be put on it on alternative days for maintenance.

I am linking two more experienced but very busy members in for you:
@furryfriends (TEAS) for dental experience and @Abi_nurse re. long term aspects of chloramphenicol

My Dylan was on 2 rounds of zithromax (azithromycin) over Christmas for is developing jaw abscess. thankfully the medication did do the trick, even if it did kill his appetite completely in the end but we avoided having to wait for the abscess to come up again so it could be lanced and treated; it has been staying put since the start of January without any antibiotic.

I cannot comment on what is the best way forward for you as I don't know and have no way to judge online and without a veterinary qualification just how bad the root abscess is but I hope that this gives you a bit more of an idea what considerations are likely in play?

 

[51 Home]

Thank you. If you please added your country and state to location in your account details (accessed by clicking on your username on the top bar), then we can always tailor any advice with just a quick glance to the left to what is available and relevant for the US straight away; from vet access to medical brand names, which can differ quite a bit from the UK ones that are default.

There is a chance that the abscess will return after the antibiotic is stopped; it depends on how strong and how far developed it is.

Incisors are about 4 cm long. Their roots are sitting just in front of the back teeth (premolars and molars). they run along the top and the bottom of the jaw before the tips surface at the front. Incisor root abscesses are not rare and piggies can live well without an incisor (with just the occasional check and adjustment if necessary). However incisor removal is quite an operation for any vet who is not experienced - and guinea pig dentals do not feature large, if at all on the curriculum.
One crucial aspect for the success of the op is how confident a vet is and how long your piggy is under.

Guinea pigs can be on strong antibiotics for a goodly while although they may be put on it on alternative days for maintenance.

I am linking two more experienced but very busy members in for you:
@furryfriends (TEAS) for dental experience and @Abi_nurse re. long term aspects of chloramphenicol

My Dylan was on 2 rounds of zithromax (azithromycin) over Christmas for is developing jaw abscess. thankfully the medication did do the trick, even if it did kill his appetite completely in the end but we avoided having to wait for the abscess to come up again so it could be lanced and treated; it has been staying put since the start of January without any antibiotic.

I cannot comment on what is the best way forward for you as I don't know and have no way to judge online and without a veterinary qualification just how bad the root abscess is but I hope that this gives you a bit more of an idea what considerations are likely in play?

Thank you so much for your reply! It helps a lot
How can I know how far and strong the root abscess is? Will a x-ray help?

 

[51 Home]

[Help!] Here is an update on the situation, which seams really scary...
I gave her a shower today (last shower was half a year ago), after the shower I noticed some really stinky smell. I checked her wound of the abscess, which I think has already healed two months ago, but the wound is open again!
Two months ago, I saw that wound healed to only a needle tip size, and since then I didn't remove the scab. The vet never pointed out anything wrong with the wound, and I never smelled any stinky smell, so I thought the wound healed well.
The shower today probably soften the scab, and some pus came out. The wound is not huge in her normal posture, but if she raise her head, the wound can be a huge hole. And if I look into that hole, I can see one end of that incisor, the incisor that never grows back. I am sure I cannot see the incisor from the hole two months ago. I attached the photo as following. The small white point in the hole is that incisor.
My vet won't be open today and tomorrow, and I am really scared. What does it mean if I can see the incisor from there? Will her wound be infected because of the shower today? I have some SSD cream on hand, should I use it? And does it mean that incisor removal is a must?