Dental Potential Dental Issue

[Little Ones]

Little hasn’t been doing very well, unfortunately, and so he’s booked in with Ellie for a potential dental treatment.

Late last week he had the cow pat type poos so I took him off veg. They seemed to improve the next day and got some shape back. Then I began noticing how he was constantly inside a hidey rather than out eating (I was just putting it down to him losing sight in one eye about a month ago and trying to adjust). I’d seen him go to the hay for a little bit during the day but upon closer observation I noticed that he’s not actually eating it. This is what Peanut did before we got his teeth fixed by Simon, like there’s an instinctual need to eat hay but a lack of ability to do so.

His poos the past few days have been so tiny, then yesterday he stayed in his hidey all day and produced little to no poos. We’d been providing porridge oats rather than pellets to try and combat Peanut’s bladder issues but Little wasn’t really eating it much so I gave him pellets last night which he ate for about an hour (very slow eater) and we also gave him some emeprid we had to try and stimulate his guts (this was prescribed to Peanut after his first dental surgery with a local vet as he wasn’t eating or pooing afterwards) until we sorted out a vet appointment.

He’d rejected the hay I’d put in this morning and went straight back to his hidey after sitting at the hay bags for about 10 minutes. I decided to just switch back to the pellets instead of the oats as it is the only thing Little will eat (aside from veg) and he’s been sat eating them for about half an hour. I can’t get him to have the emeprid this morning as I’m on my own right now and I struggle with things like that when I don’t have assistance.

His incisors are uneven, he lost one about a month ago but to my knowledge, his teeth were lined up perfectly once it grew back, so I’m thinking there’s an issue with the back teeth. Especially as he’s not eating his hay.

We have an appointment with Ellie on Friday at 10am for a conscious dental if he needs one, she has no appointments earlier than this but also it’s the day of Peanut’s operation (everything always comes at once!) so it makes sense for them both to go at the same time. I’ve never used Ellie for any of our dental treatment, but I’m confident she’ll sort Little out if he needs it.

Until then, we’re going to be weighing Little daily and providing him with unlimited pellets so that he’s not starving to death! It’s the most I’ve seen him active in the cage in the past few days. It makes me realise how hungry he must have been

 

[Wiebke]

Little hasn’t been doing very well, unfortunately, and so he’s booked in with Ellie for a potential dental treatment.

Late last week he had the cow pat type poos so I took him off veg. They seemed to improve the next day and got some shape back. Then I began noticing how he was constantly inside a hidey rather than out eating (I was just putting it down to him losing sight in one eye about a month ago and trying to adjust). I’d seen him go to the hay for a little bit during the day but upon closer observation I noticed that he’s not actually eating it. This is what Peanut did before we got his teeth fixed by Simon, like there’s an instinctual need to eat hay but a lack of ability to do so.

His poos the past few days have been so tiny, then yesterday he stayed in his hidey all day and produced little to no poos. We’d been providing porridge oats rather than pellets to try and combat Peanut’s bladder issues but Little wasn’t really eating it much so I gave him pellets last night which he ate for about an hour (very slow eater) and we also gave him some emeprid we had to try and stimulate his guts (this was prescribed to Peanut after his first dental surgery with a local vet as he wasn’t eating or pooing afterwards) until we sorted out a vet appointment.

He’d rejected the hay I’d put in this morning and went straight back to his hidey after sitting at the hay bags for about 10 minutes. I decided to just switch back to the pellets instead of the oats as it is the only thing Little will eat (aside from veg) and he’s been sat eating them for about half an hour. I can’t get him to have the emeprid this morning as I’m on my own right now and I struggle with things like that when I don’t have assistance.

His incisors are uneven, he lost one about a month ago but to my knowledge, his teeth were lined up perfectly once it grew back, so I’m thinking there’s an issue with the back teeth. Especially as he’s not eating his hay.

We have an appointment with Ellie on Friday at 10am for a conscious dental if he needs one, she has no appointments earlier than this but also it’s the day of Peanut’s operation (everything always comes at once!) so it makes sense for them both to go at the same time. I’ve never used Ellie for any of our dental treatment, but I’m confident she’ll sort Little out if he needs it.

Until then, we’re going to be weighing Little daily and providing him with unlimited pellets so that he’s not starving to death! It’s the most I’ve seen him active in the cage in the past few days. It makes me realise how hungry he must have been
View attachment 135944

You can also offer fresh grass (good for fibre and vitamin C) and sliced soft veg.
if you mush up your pellets, you can mix some hay based recovery formula under in order to up the fibre content.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Aw, poor Little, and poor you coping with Peanut too, what a worrying time, sending you hugs, you are doing a great job. Hope Ellie can get his teeth sorted. My Ted struggles to eat hay, he tries but just cannot manage very much. It’s hard seeing them struggle. Hope Friday is a good day for you all at the vets x

 

[Little Ones]

I’ve noticed he’s also struggling to drink from his bottle too. Yesterday I syringed him 3ml of water. He also has stringy poos which, after looking on here, I believe are a sign of dehydration? I’ve given him some cucumber and am offering water in a bowl. Should I still syringe him water, and how much?

 

[Wiebke]

I’ve noticed he’s also struggling to drink from his bottle too. Yesterday I syringed him 3ml of water. He also has stringy poos which, after looking on here, I believe are a sign of dehydration? I’ve given him some cucumber and am offering water in a bowl. Should I still syringe him water, and how much?

Stringy poos are usually a sign of a mild tummy upset due to an unbalanced diet and usually not eating enough. Dehydration can play into it, but not necessarily.

Please syringe feed as much fibre as possible to help rebalance the guts and offer him water as much as he is willing to take several times a day.

 

[Little Ones]

Stringy poos are usually a sign of a mild tummy upset due to an unbalanced diet and usually not eating enough. Dehydration can play into it, but not necessarily.

Please syringe feed as much fibre as possible to help rebalance the guts and offer him water as much as he is willing to take several times a day.

Ah okay, thank you.
I’ve been trying to give him critical care but he refuses most of it, he’s had a little though. He’s also very happy eating grass and purred when I offered the plate to him. He’s having slight issues eating it at times but overall is okay. I’m just glad he’s eating it.

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

Mush up the normal nuggets and syringe feed those. You add a lot of water, so you don't need to syringe water separately.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Ah okay, thank you.
I’ve been trying to give him critical care but he refuses most of it, he’s had a little though. He’s also very happy eating grass and purred when I offered the plate to him. He’s having slight issues eating it at times but overall is okay. I’m just glad he’s eating it.

Ted eats lots of grass, it’s a great substitute for hay, wears the teeth down too

 

[Little Ones]

Mush up the normal nuggets and syringe feed those. You add a lot of water, so you don't need to syringe water separately.

Okay, thank you!

Ted eats lots of grass, it’s a great substitute for hay, wears the teeth down too

I just wish I had more grass to give. A lot of our grass is dehydrated and spikey, so it’s not very good, and also the lawn was mowed last week, typical!
It really does seem like a dental issue, as Peanut was just the same when he had dental problems. Can eat grass just fine, and is happy to do so, but unable to even attempt hay. I’m so relieved the appointment is tomorrow.

 

[Little Ones]

Earlier on, when I swept the cage, i learned Little hadn’t eaten his cucumber that I’d put in his hidey with him. So I had to pull off the soft part in small chunks that he didn’t need to pull as he can’t bite down it seems. His poos briefly were almost back to normal, but then he had one cow pat type poo, and then now they look normal but thin. Something really doesn’t seem right with him. He has no motivation to leave his hidey for food or drink, there’s something going on with his teeth, and his guts just aren’t right. I’m really worried about him, the vet appointment tomorrow really can’t come quick enough. He’s sat eating some pellets right now but only because I physically took him from his hidey. He makes no attempt to protest when Jean being picked up. I have everything crossed that this is just his teeth and not something more.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Earlier on, when I swept the cage, i learned Little hadn’t eaten his cucumber that I’d put in his hidey with him. So I had to pull off the soft part in small chunks that he didn’t need to pull as he can’t bite down it seems. His poos briefly were almost back to normal, but then he had one cow pat type poo, and then now they look normal but thin. Something really doesn’t seem right with him. He has no motivation to leave his hidey for food or drink, there’s something going on with his teeth, and his guts just aren’t right. I’m really worried about him, the vet appointment tomorrow really can’t come quick enough. He’s sat eating some pellets right now but only because I physically took him from his hidey. He makes no attempt to protest when Jean being picked up. I have everything crossed that this is just his teeth and not something more.

Aw, hope all goes well for him, it does sound like teeth. Ted lost two front teeth after his dental and neuter no idea how he did it but they are growing back now, he had softer poos too, its because he was eating too many veggies and not enough hay in Ted’s case, I’ve been topping him up with Emeraid CC twice a day for fibre, it definitely helps.

 

[Merab]

Holding you in my heart

 

[Little Ones]

Little is doing okay after his dental. He’s attempted two pieces of hay but is still struggling. I gave him some pain relief as I wasn’t sure if he’d have been given it already and I want him to feel better enough to start wearing his teeth down with hay. When he had the loxicom, his teeth sounded uneven when he chewed. Hoping this is temporary, as Peanut’s we’re like this after his first dental and we ended up having to see Simon anyway, Little has gone back to sleep.
Ellie has prescribed him 1ml twice a day of loxicom, 0.3ml of gabapentin twice a day, and 0.16 twice a day of Eradia

 

[Little Ones]

There appears to be some good news!

Fingers crossed everything is okay, and that this is a one time issue.
When Ellie checked his mouth before his dental, she said there was an excess of saliva and also absolutely no food at the back of his mouth at all - meaning he was eating only enough to keep himself going. She said he had pain in his jaw on the right side and that his tongue on that side was red. Anyway, I really hope she’s done a good job. It appears that way as he’s now eating hay, granted he’s very slow at it, but he’s trying his best and I’m so pleased he’s actually come out to eat on his own accord. The last day or so, he began only coming out to eat if I physically placed him in front of the food whereas now he’s got out of his hidey and gone to it himself.

 

[Little Ones]

Well, things went a little downhill since my last post. He’s eating little to no hay and won’t eat pellets anymore. He will eat grass and readigrass which is good I suppose. Most of the time he won’t drink for himself and so I’m having to syringe him water (only as much as he is willing to take). I forgot to mention before but he has been sleeping standing up since this began - so about a week now. I thought he may begin to settle down but he just stays standing. He generally feels cold and will sit on the hot water bottle which we cover and then place under the cage liner so it’s not too hot. His poos still aren’t right, either really small or thin with mucus attached between each one. Like I said, he’s trying his best to eat readigrass and will eat grass - though not a lot, even with the grass he will only eat so much before deciding he doesn’t want anymore so at times he will have barely eaten any.
He had been letting Peanut slowly take control to become dominant pig but yesterday once he perked up a little he began reinstating his leadership. But when he’s not feeling his absolute best, he recoils when Peanut so much as looks at him.
We think his jaw is still in a fair amount of pain as when we tried to give him his medicine - which he absolutely hates - my mum tried to gently hold his head still, not realising his jaw on that side was sore and Little started jumping like mad as though it was causing him bad pain. He is on 1ml twice a day loxicom and then 0.3ml twice a day of a second pain relief though.
Anyway, we’re not really sure how things are going... perhaps it will be a case of waiting for the pain to subside before things get better for him.

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

Well, things went a little downhill since my last post. He’s eating little to no hay and won’t eat pellets anymore. He will eat grass and readigrass which is good I suppose. Most of the time he won’t drink for himself and so I’m having to syringe him water (only as much as he is willing to take). I forgot to mention before but he has been sleeping standing up since this began - so about a week now. I thought he may begin to settle down but he just stays standing. He generally feels cold and will sit on the hot water bottle which we cover and then place under the cage liner so it’s not too hot. His poos still aren’t right, either really small or thin with mucus attached between each one. Like I said, he’s trying his best to eat readigrass and will eat grass - though not a lot, even with the grass he will only eat so much before deciding he doesn’t want anymore so at times he will have barely eaten any.
He had been letting Peanut slowly take control to become dominant pig but yesterday once he perked up a little he began reinstating his leadership. But when he’s not feeling his absolute best, he recoils when Peanut so much as looks at him.
We think his jaw is still in a fair amount of pain as when we tried to give him his medicine - which he absolutely hates - my mum tried to gently hold his head still, not realising his jaw on that side was sore and Little started jumping like mad as though it was causing him bad pain. He is on 1ml twice a day loxicom and then 0.3ml twice a day of a second pain relief though.
Anyway, we’re not really sure how things are going... perhaps it will be a case of waiting for the pain to subside before things get better for him.

Unfortunately, it sounds like there is a further issue that’s been missed!

 

[Little Ones]

Unfortunately, it sounds like there is a further issue that’s been missed!

I really hope not. The next thing to do would be to drive him to see Simon but that would be really difficult as my grandma would usually drive me there but she is self-isolating as a precaution. I would be hesitant to take him back to see Ellie if she missed something the first time around, I know it’s a conscious dental so not as bad in that sense if she were to have another go at Littles teeth, but I just wouldn’t want to put him through that if the issue would just be missed again
But I know he still isn’t right, he has more of a motivation to eat/drink/move than before but it’s still not normal. I can wake up every 2/3 hours during the night and it seems like he hasn’t even moved at all. With everything that’s going on, I wouldn’t know whether to wait a few days/a week and see if it’s just the pain causing this, or if I need to act ASAP to make sure he is able to be seen by either Ellie or Simon (preferably) before things with the virus get worse.

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

I really hope not. The next thing to do would be to drive him to see Simon but that would be really difficult as my grandma would usually drive me there but she is self-isolating as a precaution. I would be hesitant to take him back to see Ellie if she missed something the first time around, I know it’s a conscious dental so not as bad in that sense if she were to have another go at Littles teeth, but I just wouldn’t want to put him through that if the issue would just be missed again
But I know he still isn’t right, he has more of a motivation to eat/drink/move than before but it’s still not normal. I can wake up every 2/3 hours during the night and it seems like he hasn’t even moved at all. With everything that’s going on, I wouldn’t know whether to wait a few days/a week and see if it’s just the pain causing this, or if I need to act ASAP to make sure he is able to be seen by either Ellie or Simon (preferably) before things with the virus get worse.

After Ellie finished the dental, did she move the jaw from side to side, to ensure it moved smoothly?

 

[Little Ones]

After Ellie finished the dental, did she move the jaw from side to side, to ensure it moved smoothly?

I have no idea, she did it differently to Simon. She took and kept Little for a few hours (along with Peanut who was having his bladder flushed), so it was the same routine as if he was having an operation rather than just being taken into the back for the dental then and there if that makes sense. When I went to collect him, a receptionist just went and got the carrier for us so I didn’t see Ellie then. On the phone she told me she filed the back teeth and the incisors too.
It looked to me like his top incisors were shorter than they should’ve been compared to his bottom. Since then his bottom incisors look like they’ve grown up further as after they’d been filed they were smooth and straight across whereas now you can see the groves between the two teeth, if that makes any sense so that indicates to me that there was a gap between the incisors for them to grow. I could also be entirely wrong in that too, and it might be what the ideal guinea pig teeth should look like.
But really, I have no idea if she moved the jaw or not to see if it was smooth as I wasn’t present for any of it

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

I have no idea, she did it differently to Simon. She took and kept Little for a few hours (along with Peanut who was having his bladder flushed), so it was the same routine as if he was having an operation rather than just being taken into the back for the dental then and there if that makes sense. When I went to collect him, a receptionist just went and got the carrier for us so I didn’t see Ellie then. On the phone she told me she filed the back teeth and the incisors too.
It looked to me like his top incisors were shorter than they should’ve been compared to his bottom. Since then his bottom incisors look like they’ve grown up further as after they’d been filed they were smooth and straight across whereas now you can see the groves between the two teeth, if that makes any sense so that indicates to me that there was a gap between the incisors for them to grow. I could also be entirely wrong in that too, and it might be what the ideal guinea pig teeth should look like.
But really, I have no idea if she moved the jaw or not to see if it was smooth as I wasn’t present for any of it

Unfortunately, dealing with guinea pig teeth isn't as easy as it may seem. Simon has spent around 14 years, perfecting a skill! I was only talking to him about this, last week and he was saying about how you have to get piggy teeth exactly right, for them to eat well, whereas with rabbit teeth, you only have to get rid of any spiky bits and the rabbit can eat!

 

[Bill & Ted]

Holding you and Little in my thoughts, it’s so difficult dealing with piggies teeth, it seems to upset their whole system sometimes. Hope you can get him to see Simon, it will put your mind at ease too x

 

[Little Ones]

Unfortunately, dealing with guinea pig teeth isn't as easy as it may seem. Simon has spent around 14 years, perfecting a skill! I was only talking to him about this, last week and he was saying about how you have to get piggy teeth exactly right, for them to eat well, whereas with rabbit teeth, you only have to get rid of any spiky bits and the rabbit can eat!

Yep definitely, that’s why we’d usually only ever go to see Simon, but with Ellie having being trained to do conscious dentals and being so much closer I hoped it would all work out. But yes, it’s crazy how exact it has to be or there will still be issues. I think I’ll give it a couple of days and see if the pain subsides and Little improves, if not I’m going to really have to figure out if it’s at all possible to see Simon. It’s infuriating as I was just on the phone to my gran and explained the situation and she thinks it’s just because he’s ‘old’ and dying of age (he’s only 5), people who don’t own guinea pigs really don’t understand at all which can just make hard situations even harder.

 

[Little Ones]

Holding you and Little in my thoughts, it’s so difficult dealing with piggies teeth, it seems to upset their whole system sometimes. Hope you can get him to see Simon, it will put your mind at ease too x

Thank you, I really hope we can see him too as I believe he’s the only person who will be able to sort it. Ive no idea what us piggy owners would we do without him

 

[Bill & Ted]

Thank you, I really hope we can see him too as I believe he’s the only person who will be able to sort it. Ive no idea what us piggy owners would we do without him

No nor do I. Ted is doing ok, eating some hay and grass. His poos are still a bit soft but there’s nothing else I can do apart from give him some top ups with soaked pellets, oat bran and emeraid. His missing bottom incisors have now grown back so things s are getting better.
Sending healing vibes to Little x

 

[Little Ones]

No nor do I. Ted is doing ok, eating some hay and grass. His poos are still a bit soft but there’s nothing else I can do apart from give him some top ups with soaked pellets, oat bran and emeraid. His missing bottom incisors have now grown back so things s are getting better.
Sending healing vibes to Little x

I’m so glad Ted is doing well, shame about his poos but as long as he’s improving slowly but surely then that’s all we can ask for. He’s very lucky he fell into the hands of a family willing to travel hours to take him to see the dentist, and be constantly syringing him whatever he needs whenever he needs it.
Little has had about 15ml of water given to him in a syringe and he seems so much better after that - he even went to continue drinking for himself in the cage. He’s actually done a bit of walking around, it’s nice to know he hasn’t given up on life. I’ve mixed hay in with the readigrass he will eat to try and trick him into accidentally eating hay, fingers crossed he’s just having confidence issues.

 

[Bill & Ted]

I’m so glad Ted is doing well, shame about his poos but as long as he’s improving slowly but surely then that’s all we can ask for. He’s very lucky he fell into the hands of a family willing to travel hours to take him to see the dentist, and be constantly syringing him whatever he needs whenever he needs it.
Little has had about 15ml of water given to him in a syringe and he seems so much better after that - he even went to continue drinking for himself in the cage. He’s actually done a bit of walking around, it’s nice to know he hasn’t given up on life. I’ve mixed hay in with the readigrass he will eat to try and trick him into accidentally eating hay, fingers crossed he’s just having confidence issues.

Aw poor lad. They definitely loose confidence in eating, particularly hay, grass is a good substitute for hay, Ted eats quite a lot he’s enjoying dandelion leaves too atm. Hope Little improves soon x

 

[Little Ones]

So, update.
Little is eating some hay, he can’t manage every different strand, but some he can. He also isn’t eating a normal amount but he’s eating some. I’m finding that he’s extremely thirsty, even though he’s being syringed what I think is a lot of water. I feel like he eats until he’s thirsty again and then he’ll just stop no matter what it is - hay, grass, or coriander. I’m not sure why he’s so thirsty? I’ve provided a regular drinking bottle, a sippy bottle, and a bowl (which he isn’t even aware of what’s in it no matter how hard I try) but he won’t drink from any. He’ll only drink a little from the regular bottle every now and then, but other times he’ll just sit in front of it and then walk away without even attempting it. He also has struggles with directly biting something like a cucumber, or biting off a piece of hay he doesn’t want from the piece he’s already eating (if that makes sense at all), which seems to me to be an incisor issue rather than a back teeth issue.

I woke up several times through the night, he was walking around at 2am and 4am, but then nothing from when I saw him at 6am to when he got his medicine at 9am he was asleep in his bed, whether he was moved around between those times I’m not sure, but it’s definitely an improvement as before I hadn’t seen him moving at all through the night. I’ve seen him be a little more snuggled down than before too, not entirely standing and not properly laying either but his front feet seem more relaxed, which is better.

I’m glad he’s started trying to eat the hay, but I just don’t understand why he’s so thirsty and why he won’t drink in his cage. So I suppose it’s good news overall, but we are still having issues.

 

[Little Ones]

Another update:
I was watching Little try - and fail - to eat his veg and herbs. The only thing he can more or less eat is coriander, he can’t even manage parsley. He just can’t bite down. I just felt myself becoming quite annoyed as I can’t understand why his incisors had been trimmed so much as only one was slightly overgrown. Anyway, we decided to give Simon a call and ask for his advice. He thinks we should wait a week since Peanut’s dental as it will have given chance for the incisors to grow and then if he’s still having issues, he needs to see Simon for definite as it’ll likely still be an issue with his back teeth. If, obviously, his condition deteriorates then he needs to go to see Simon as a matter of urgency really. But, for now we just need to keep making sure he’s eating and getting enough water and keep everything crossed that his incisors grow back nicely throughout this week. On Friday, it will have been a week since his dental so still a few days to go. I’m nervous about how we’d get to Simon, though

 

[Bill & Ted]

Another update:
I was watching Little try - and fail - to eat his veg and herbs. The only thing he can more or less eat is coriander, he can’t even manage parsley. He just can’t bite down. I just felt myself becoming quite annoyed as I can’t understand why his incisors had been trimmed so much as only one was slightly overgrown. Anyway, we decided to give Simon a call and ask for his advice. He thinks we should wait a week since Peanut’s dental as it will have given chance for the incisors to grow and then if he’s still having issues, he needs to see Simon for definite as it’ll likely still be an issue with his back teeth. If, obviously, his condition deteriorates then he needs to go to see Simon as a matter of urgency really. But, for now we just need to keep making sure he’s eating and getting enough water and keep everything crossed that his incisors grow back nicely throughout this week. On Friday, it will have been a week since his dental so still a few days to go. I’m nervous about how we’d get to Simon, though

Aw, it sounds like his incisors. He can’t cut the hay or grip the veggies to get into his back teeth. Ted has had this problem after two bottom incisors must have broken off sometime round when he had his last dental. They have grown back now lovely. Can you help him by sticking little stalks into his mouth just behind his incisors. He should be able to guide the food into the back of his mouth then hopefully. Sometimes I cut lengths of hay to about an inch long for Ted as he had struggled on occasion sometimes to cut through it too, especially those straw type bit which he actually quite likes.

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

When were you due to see Ellie again? I’ve just seen this on Facebook!