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Optimus Prime and his teeth

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nsharonew

I took little optimus in for his teeth trim, he came home dazed and I had him on critical care for a solid three days. He is eating solid food now, which is great. He is even chewing on his cage bars, he still won't eat whole carrots, but he goes crazy for watermelon or spinache and lettuce, cucumber if i cut it up for him too.

The vet said, sadly, it is chronic and we will have to continue to monitor him and bring him in regularly for checkups and additional trims. Poor little Opty, he lives to eat, and when he has these procedures, he can't eat to live! Is it worth it, the money and his discomfort, for him to lose the one thing he loves most, even if it's only for a few days? Does it get better as he gets more used to it? We love our piggies, of course we do, but when do we say it's not fair to them anymore?

Don't get me wrong, I am not giving up on him (he isn't even mine, he is my boyfriends) but does this type of thing negatively affect their quality of life to a point where we should consider...a difficult decision?

Just going through some of the same stuff with my cat, 13 years old and stopped using his box...either he is sick and in pain and needs expensive and painful treatment...or he is just being a jerk, in which case they will run expensive and invasive treatment just to tell me...that my cat is a jerk...

I love all of my animals, and I wish that was all there was to it, but the sad part is, we are their master, and we have to make those tough calls. And sometimes the right thing to do feels so wrong...how do you know?
 
I understand your confusion and your lines of thinking. I have a few questions for you:

- Which teeth does he have to have trimmed, how often - and what is the exact problem?
- Does he have an anesthetic each time he has his teeth trimmed?
- Does he eat his hay and dried food ok in between treatments?

You can manage his condition no problem, he can maintain a good quality of life - if you can get his teeth sorted regularly without anesthetic. If he has an anesthetic every few weeks, then yes, it is very reasonable to consider his quality of life, but it's not necessary by any means, it is possible to considerably improve his treatment so that you're not facing these worries just yet.

In terms of helping him "recover" better after treatment, Daktarin Oral Gel helps significantly with the majority of pigs; 0.5ml twice daily for three days after the dental work seems to work well.

I am sorry to hear of your cat's problems to - when it rains, it pours!
 
As someone who trims/adjust pigs teeth I can state emphatically that there is no need for a general anaesthetic in order to carry out the procedure. Vets administer a GA because they do not know any different, many of them carry out dental procedures without knowing what/why they are doing. Sad but true.
A chronic dental problem does not stop a pig having a good quality of life, nor a good life span.
I see some pigs on a very routine basis, even as frequently as every 10-14 days.
I can only suggest you look for someone who can help you. It is a pity you are so far away!
 
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It's his back molars, they are spurred and he had a trapped toungue, they were curling over. He has plenty to chew on and everything, I don't know how often, but the vet said "regularly", and we won't know how regular it will be until we have done it a few times. They did put him under, and it took him a couple of days to really get back to his old ways. They gave me some metacam to give to him twice a day for the "pain" I don't know how to tell if a piggy is in pain other than quick high pitched squeaks I hear when one nips another.

He's a good pig, he didn't do anything wrong. I know having pets is such a blessing, I don't deserve to have these little animals think of me as god, I am not worthy of that, but I do have to do right by them 100% of the time...even if it doesn't feel right. It's a really hard day for me today with the cat too, and this may be clouding my judgement on many fronts. Opty goes back in on the 28th. I hear about people over in England and what-not and the amazing amount of care available for the piggies, it's harder here, I think, it's very expensive to take them to an exotic pet, it cost more to take the guinea pig in for a visit than it did to take my child in and get her medication for an eye infection.

I love all of my animals, I just need to make sure I am doing the right thing for them, I don't necessarily have the means to care for a very sick animal. I know this doesn't make me a bad person, but I am responsible for them and they are not disposable...like, I break a pencil and just throw it away without a care, and it's not like that at all.

I don't know, I need to focus on my kitty now, I am about 98% I am going to walk in with a cat and walk out without one and it breaks my heart because I love him so, and my daughter just worships him.
 
I am sorry things are looking so bad for your cat, that is a heartbreaking decision to make.

Finding good vets in UK is also difficult...from the US-based forums I've been on you have very much the same - some vets are superb, some are totally clueless.

Are any of these vets near you? Wide shot I know as there's only two listed, but if one is nearby maybe they'd be willing to do dental work without anesthetic?
http://www.guinealynx.info/cabinet/index.php/Veterinarians_New_Hampshire

Was this his first dental trim, or has he had them before? Just wondering what 'evidence' there is, so to speak, that his condition is chronic and will continually recur, rather than just being a one-off, or something involving more short-term treatment.
 
Hi there,

I'm so sorry to hear that your cat is so ill and also Optimus Prime is having problems with his teeth. It's really hard when there's so much going on and all you want to do is your best but you feel helpless. Posting here on the forum and getting support is a brilliant way of helping your thoughts become a little clearer. I hope everyone's advice helps you with your difficult situation.

With regards to Opty (brilliant name by the way), perhaps you should just see how he goes for the next couple of weeks, keeping a close eye on what he's eating/what he's trying to eat and whether it seems to get more difficult as time goes on - suggesting a reoccurance of the problem. If he continues to eat properly then perhaps it was just a one off like Laura says?

Hope Opty is having a nice munchy evening and I hope the outcome of your visit to the vet wasn't a sad one x
 
Many pigs with dental problems can give you a false impression that all is well. It is not until they have lost a considerable amount of weight that the owners realises that there is a problem. The usual comment is that the pig is still eating, maybe it is but it is not eating enough.
If it is obvious that there will be an ongoing problem I see the pig a week after the first visit and then assess when the next appoiintment should be. The interval between visits can vary quite widely.

ccc4, how long have you been on Skype?
 
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