Hi I'm new to this and not sure if posting in the right place i hope someone can help and give me the best ideas to help my baby also it is quite a long message just so u have the full information. Ok so my guinea pig is about 1 1/2 years old so not old at all called rocky he has always been on the small side anyway as he was the runt i think. About a month ago i noticed his fur was green and wet under his chin and i was watching him eat and he didnt look right eating and slowly eating less also his poo became squishy, so i took him to the vets they trimmed his front teeth and said it could be his back teeth causing problems see how he gets on if no better. I left it a few days to see and he was getting worse and making clicking sounds when trying to eat he would only eat his hard treats really, i took him back 2 days later to have his back teeth sorted. They told me there wasn't really any problems with his teeth no mouth sores, ulcers or abcess but his mouth really smelt so they gave me antibiotics and pain relief. He came home that night and had a nugget and a hard treat but was still struggling so i put it down to his teeth just being done. I took him back 2 days later an told them he was only eating his hard treats now nothing eles no grass no nuggets no peppers which he use to love and his poo is still no better so they gave him a gut relaxant and more pain relief as it had only been 2 days. So now its 3 days after his last visit and he has gone really down hill not eating anything at all now wont evwn have his treat i keep trying to force feed his meds and critical care he is not having none of it keeps putting his paw up, he is really lethargic and just sits in the corner hunched up yesterday he just sat in my arms for an hour with no movement his poo was runny yesterday only once though and no poo since. Help what can be wrong with him if its no his teeth he is having water still of a saucer and still making clicking sounds. Thank you inadvance
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Poorly Guinea Pig
- Thread starter Cat100
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D
DM030819
If you could update your profile to state where you are from then we can try to find you a better vet.
In the meantime try the vet locator at the top of the page.
From what you describe I would say that he definitely has a teeth problem which is stopping him from eating. Unfortunately not all vets are experienced and knowledgeable about guinea pig teeth as they are so different to dogs and cats. Drooling is a sign that his tongue may ne trapped by his back teeth and so he cannot chew or swallow properly.
When you went to the vet how did they check his back teeth?
@Cat100 You urgently need to find a guinea pig specialised vet and have your boy seen asap.
In the meantime you can going to have to force him to eat using syringefeeding. It will be hard because if his tongue is trapped then he will struggle so it will have to be a slow process. A tiny amount at a time will need to be given.
You can use something like Critical Care, or water down some of the pellets he eats. You will need a 1ml syringe, carefully cut off the tip just before the part where the syringe widens. Make sure the end isn't sharp. Suck up the food and then give it to him, maybe 0.1ml at a time.
Watch some syringe feeding videos. If you are unsure ask the vet to show you how to do it.
No poops means that there is no food going through his digestive system and it will shut down unless he starts to have food traveling through it now. The gut stimulant will help but only if there is food in his system too.
Good luck.
In the meantime try the vet locator at the top of the page.
From what you describe I would say that he definitely has a teeth problem which is stopping him from eating. Unfortunately not all vets are experienced and knowledgeable about guinea pig teeth as they are so different to dogs and cats. Drooling is a sign that his tongue may ne trapped by his back teeth and so he cannot chew or swallow properly.
When you went to the vet how did they check his back teeth?
@Cat100 You urgently need to find a guinea pig specialised vet and have your boy seen asap.
In the meantime you can going to have to force him to eat using syringefeeding. It will be hard because if his tongue is trapped then he will struggle so it will have to be a slow process. A tiny amount at a time will need to be given.
You can use something like Critical Care, or water down some of the pellets he eats. You will need a 1ml syringe, carefully cut off the tip just before the part where the syringe widens. Make sure the end isn't sharp. Suck up the food and then give it to him, maybe 0.1ml at a time.
Watch some syringe feeding videos. If you are unsure ask the vet to show you how to do it.
No poops means that there is no food going through his digestive system and it will shut down unless he starts to have food traveling through it now. The gut stimulant will help but only if there is food in his system too.
Good luck.
Hi thanks for your reply to check his back teeth they put him asleep they trimmed them and filed them just incase but hasn't made any difference. When he came back after his op he was eating his hard treat which i don't get as he wouldn't eat anything else but now not even eating them. I have been syringe feeding him forcefully his meds and critical care but the last 2 days he has been putting his paw upto his face and spitting it out and when a bit does go in he is still making clicking sounds. I'm in the Gloucestershire area. Thank you
D
DM030819
Filing them 'just in case' definitely sounds like a vet that isn't experienced in guinea pig teeth.
The best vet for dental work is Simon Maddock at the Cat and Rabbit care clinic in Northampton. He's done hundreds of dentals with great success. He does it when a pig is conscious so that means he can do it more often and the pig doesn't need recovery time from gas.
Teeth issues are never really fixed in one go.
Northampton isn't too far for you so I would definitely recommend you to contact them tomorrow. I use Simon as my vet and he is amazing.
The wriggling face and pawing at the mouth suggets that his tongue is stuck.
@Cat100
The best vet for dental work is Simon Maddock at the Cat and Rabbit care clinic in Northampton. He's done hundreds of dentals with great success. He does it when a pig is conscious so that means he can do it more often and the pig doesn't need recovery time from gas.
Teeth issues are never really fixed in one go.
Northampton isn't too far for you so I would definitely recommend you to contact them tomorrow. I use Simon as my vet and he is amazing.
The wriggling face and pawing at the mouth suggets that his tongue is stuck.
@Cat100
Tiamolly123
Senior Guinea Pig
Yes he'll be fine Simon is a great vet. Everytime I've heard of a vet doing dentals its gone wrong. Give the little one a chance, please take him to Simon. ask for a emergency appointment.
Jesse's pigs
Adult Guinea Pig
Id definitely make the trip as your little guy will thank you for it! It sounds like the best chance you have. Hope all goes well and your little one gets better soon!
Yes, guinea pigs travel well and Simon sees guinea pigs from all over the UK - including a dental piggy from Edinburgh, which is an 8 hour drive each way!
I have travelled on the train with freshly operated guinea pigs several time going to and caming back from Simon without any problems. I've also travelled on the train with guinea pigs between 7 weeks and 9 years of age, either because I have adopted them or to help get piggies in need to a sanctuary.
If you can at all, please go to Northampton to save your piggy's life! Simon does on average 15 guinea pig dentals a week. He is by far the most experienced dental vet in the country.
Travelling with guinea pigs
If the mouth smells bad, it is either decomposing food that your piggy cannot swallow, a burst abscess or a fungal infection in his mouth. A competent vet like Simon will be able to sort out the problem.
Until then, please keep your piggy alive by syringe feeding and watering. This is very important; your home care in this respect is as important as any vet care!
Here is our detailed illustrated step-by-step guide: Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
The Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic
Please call first thing tomorrow morning. it is a small general vet practice that only sees cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and small furries. But because of that, they are very competent in what they are doing, and they keep abreast with research and operation techniques.
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