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Poorly Parsnip - dental issues

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alisont

alisont

Adult Guinea Pig
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Parsnip was not right on Sunday - you know that feeling you get when something is not right.

Parsnip has peg teeth - very unusual I gather. These have been filed by my vet every so often about every 6 weeks when a spur needed it. He'd not lost weight and had been eating well until the weekend when he'd been eating but seemed a bit peaky.

to be on the safe side I booked a vets appointment last night expecting a tooth file as I could see one tooth seemed to have had a sudden growth spurt and if I'd of left it he'd of developed an abscess I think.

The routine type appointment ended up more of an emergency visit and we were 40 mins in the vets room holding up everyone else.

The vet said 2 of the 4 peg teeth had become loose and were shifting the main 2 out of alignment - one had split too - the vet after examination decided that the best option was to remove the 2 loose teeth and decided to use a tiny bit of gas so he could get them out quickly and see the other teeth better. Parsnip came round really well and started nibbling on hay once home. Melvin who'd come with us was quite worried about his brother and was cleaning him and later moving food towards him - they are so sweet together.

So Parsnip now has 2 lower teeth not 4 and a bit! He was not a happy chap first thing looked like a guinea with a sore head I hated leaving him but my Mums been on guinea watch all day and has been feeding him regular snacks said she loved grated carrot and apple and has been eating lots of hay and drinking well.

keeping a close eye on him but so far he's doing ok.

worrying though - he's now about 4 years 8 months old but seems to be taking it all in his stride.
 
Good to hear Parsnip was sorted out and how sweet that Melvin is helping him! I have a dental piggy too and he needs to go in every month so know how worrying all this is. Mine is just over a year and his dental treatments started when he was only 2 months old. As your boy is so much older it gives me hope that my Peanut Butter could manage to live a long time in spite of his denal issues.
 
well done parsnip keep up the good work. Melvin you are a good boy for being a nursey!
 
It was so,sweet seeing Melvin fussing round his brother. He's been by his side all day.
Parsnip is coping well but you never know how dental pigs will go, I've no experience of peg teeth to know if the other 2 will grow back or not.
i do have previous experience of dental pigs as Monty developed dental issues later in life when he was about 5 - he coped well and I don't think he was in any pain until the last week of his life.

I'm pleased with how the little sockets have dried up today and the fact he's wanting food and is drinking is a good sign.

So glad he's eating by himself as I was out 8-6.30 today and Mum can't do syringe feeds so am glad at the mo that he doesn't need them.

So glad the senior vet was on last night as he's the only one who can do non sedation dentals but he decided that the quickest/ best for Parsnip route was mild sedation last night. This vet worked wonders with Leo my rabbit who was a dental bunny, he's said he's not as confident when it comes to dental guineas but was great last night.

mind you my face when he came back in with Parsnip in his arms unconscious and with his hands covered in blood - good job I'm a calm character! Having had wisdom teeth extracted I know how the sockets can bleed but Parsnip seems to have healed up,quicker than I did!
 
Glad to hear Parsnip is doing well, sounds like you have a very good vet and with you looking after him Parsnip is in the best of hands x
 
Blimey, what a scary experience for you! Glad to hear Parsnip is on the mend though. Big vibes coming over from us all x
 
I know someone who has a pig without front teeth, always have soft food in the cage if he can't manager the harder stuff, they will eat the stuff you syringe on their own off a plate, mine does and he's got teeth problems. Also, carrot shavings instead of chunks works well, shavings of any veg actually :)
 
Aw I hope he gets better soon, me and Charlie seems to be at the vets all the time - front teeth, back teeth, oral thursh, he has problem after problem. I found a good vet for guinea pigs finally which helps.
 
Parsnip looks brighter tonight - just cleaned them out and he was showing interest in everything and has been eating lots of soft food - he let me have a good look at the teeth and the open sockets have healed well. His other 2 teeth look ok and I will stick to a mix of foods including soft options for him. He's drinking well and eating loads of hay eyes look brighter too.

i need to buy some new scales as mine have broken typically just as I wanted to increase weigh ins to daily. He was 1200g on vets scales which is normal for him.

so far I feel we have both been very lucky as I'd of been stuck if he needed regular syringe feeds as I'm out at work 8-5.30 - and I don't think he'd of appreciated going into work wi me in a small carry bag!

Ive booked a check up in on the 21st but if ok I'll move it to after Christmas might even book one between Christmas and new year so I've got appointments in reserve.

Its helped he's such a laid back piggy and not nervous/phased by goings on - he recovered so quickly from the gas - which was my main worry.
 
hiya, Basically one both of guinea pigs are now about 2 and a half years old. My guinea pig fluffy today has stopped eating this afternoon and drinking, as soon as i found out i gave her some recovery and she wasn't even having that properly even though she normally loves this stuff. The vets all shut at 7 but i managed to get an appointment for her. The vet did an examination on her but she said she couldn't find anything wrong. She couldn't really look at the back teeth though as fluffy get biting the little camera thing. I begged the vet to give her some metoclopramide to keep her stomach moving but she refused and said just have to keep giving her recovery sachets and if she doesn't pick up tomorrow then she will have to be sedated to see if her back teeth are ok. What can be happening? I'm so worried and i doubt I'm going to be sleeping tonight as i will be feeding her at regular intervals. She wouldnt even eat her little biscuit treats and shes crazy abt them normally. :( please help. fluffy has diabetes as well and is blind. The other day we had to take her to the vets as she was limping, thinking it was a sprain or something. the vet gave her metacam, but now I'm worried its something more systemic and she has circulation issues? Her feet today seemed a bit colder than usual. I'm really worrying now xx
 
my fluffy died this morning its so sad, been crying all day
 
I'm really sorry about Fluffy, I'm afraid I'd not checked this thread recently as Parsnip was doing ok so had missed your post about Fluffy.
Sorry for your loss:(
 
Parsnip went for a check up today. Post Christmas chaos in the vets as they had been shut for 2 days.
We can only see the senior vet as he's the only one there who can do conscious dentals and he's got that right level of confidence and just gets on with things which I feel really helps - all my animals have always trusted him I reckon.
Anyway he was pleased with Parsnip - the 2 remaining bottom teeth were different lengths so he clipped one and burred the other and checked the back teeth - he still feels further work maybe needed as the bottom 2 teeth are not 100% in alignment.
Parsnip was the model patient and has put on weight which is great.
Melvin his brother was a stress head today - as soon as the vet took Parsnip he started pacing round his carry bag and wheeling away until his brother was returned to him - he then played nurse as he started cleaning him!
So got to go for a check up in a month but otherwise he's doing ok.
Just before we went Parsnip wet himself which the vet wants to keep an eye on.
i was only charged £12.35 today - I'll never understand about vets prices!
 
Parsnip went for a dental check last week and had a tooth trim, this will be the case for the rest of his life, I'm so glad I have an exotics vet within a ten minute walk from my house.

Not sure if it was nerves but Parsnip wet himself at the vets, vet did wonder if there is a possible urine infection so he's on antibiotics for a week as a safeguard.

Parsnips still eating and drinking well but I don't think he's the happy, chirpy guinea he use to be and is very much showing signs of being an elder guinea now, whilst his brother Melvin is still very healthy (he has about 12 fatty lumps or more but vets checked them and they are fatty lumps, nothing serious) Parsnips 928g now and seems to have settled at that weight.
 
Glad to see Parsnip is still doing well. Gives me great hope for my dental boy who is going in tomorrow for yet another of his monthly toofy treatments.
 
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