N
nic99
Hi
I noticed a couple of days ago that one of my guines pigs, Rusty, wasn't eating at all and had lost loads of weight. On closer inspection I also saw that he was dribbling all down his chin. I immediately suspected dental problems so took him to the vet the next day (yesterday). The vet said his back molars looked a little bit sharp and that his front teeth weren't quite lining up properly. So he clipped the front teeth (bottom and top) and filed down the molars without a GA. He said that if he isn't eating again by tomorrow morning I will have to take him back for them to be refiled under a GA, which I obviously wish to avoid if possible. He has now stopped dribbling and his chin is completely dry, which is a really good sign, but he still isn't eating properly. Today he has eaten 1 dandelion leaf and a few blades of grass. That's it.
I have been syringe feeding him but he absolutely hates it, wriggles like crazy and spits most of it back out so he is getting hardly and sustenance at all. As he has now stopped dribbling I am assuming that his teeth are now fixed. Is it right to assume this or could he need further work doing on them if he still isn't eating?
Even though i've been keeping guinea pigs for 11 years, i have never had one with teeth problems so have no idea how long it should take them to recover. Is my vet right in saying just a couple of days?
Any advice would be much appreciated,
Nicola
I noticed a couple of days ago that one of my guines pigs, Rusty, wasn't eating at all and had lost loads of weight. On closer inspection I also saw that he was dribbling all down his chin. I immediately suspected dental problems so took him to the vet the next day (yesterday). The vet said his back molars looked a little bit sharp and that his front teeth weren't quite lining up properly. So he clipped the front teeth (bottom and top) and filed down the molars without a GA. He said that if he isn't eating again by tomorrow morning I will have to take him back for them to be refiled under a GA, which I obviously wish to avoid if possible. He has now stopped dribbling and his chin is completely dry, which is a really good sign, but he still isn't eating properly. Today he has eaten 1 dandelion leaf and a few blades of grass. That's it.
I have been syringe feeding him but he absolutely hates it, wriggles like crazy and spits most of it back out so he is getting hardly and sustenance at all. As he has now stopped dribbling I am assuming that his teeth are now fixed. Is it right to assume this or could he need further work doing on them if he still isn't eating?
Even though i've been keeping guinea pigs for 11 years, i have never had one with teeth problems so have no idea how long it should take them to recover. Is my vet right in saying just a couple of days?
Any advice would be much appreciated,
Nicola