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Rotten Molars?

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susie_q

susie_q

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I've just been to the vets with Billy and been scared.

Basically, Billy has lost weight, (that was due to dehydration, I was away for a few days and no-one changed his water bowl often enough) but is slowly and steadily putting it back on.

He is tender around his mouth area when it is probed by human hands. To counter this, he is on 0.1ml of metacam. Today, I had a vet look in his mouth with her little light thingy that reminds me of when the doctor looks into your ear.

She said he may have some sort of yeast infection in his cheeks (?!) and that she couldn't see his molars - either because there was too much food in the way, or the yeasty stuff (and she showed me it, it actually looked like metacam, a pale sort of gunk) but she said that his molars might be rotten which is why he's not been eating a great deal. (He is eating, but the only thing I see him eat with any great vigour is grass.)

So, has anyone every experienced this with guineas? Any advice? I've phoned Vedra at the cct, in order to find someone more local to me that can look in his mouth the a buccal separator, as every vet I've called wants to stick him under anesthetic. And with him weighing 860g...I'd rather not. Although I may have to resort to bulking him up and getting him put under anyway :(
 
Rotten molars? I've never heard of that in guinea pigs, but I could be wrong. I have defiantly never heard of *rotten* molars stopping a guinea pig from eating, it would probably moreso be from dehydration or that his teeth are overgrown.

I know that you can flush food which gets trapped with a syringe. Just flush water into his mouth with a regular syringe and let it drip out or try to sweep it out with a cotton bud. I'm not sure why your vet didn't try this if she suspected there was food trapped, but you can do it at home and perhaps then take him back for a cleaner check up :)

Speaking of dehydration, I know it may be a pain go to back but you could ask your vet to subQ fluids into him (make sure she goes for the back of the neck, my old vet once went for "over the ribs" and god will I never forgive him for that) it'll give him a hydration boost and should make him feel a little bit better. Alternatively, you can use the rehydration sachets for humans (with no colours or flavouring, you can flavour it yourself with cranberry juice from Holland&Barrett if you need to) either mix this solution with critical care and force feed it or syringe it into him on its own to re-kickstart his slowing digestive system.

Oral yeast infections can happen :)
http://www.guinealynx.info/cheilitis.html

Is this the piggie with the sore ears who you were telling me about? :(
 
He indeed the piggy with the sore ear! Poor chap is just having no luck.

Currently I'm not worried about his hydration - he's drinking plenty of water and his skin is fine. I know he probably lost it because he wasn't getting as much as he should've been, but he's ok for hydration now. Shall buy some sachets in though, to pop into my first aid kit.

I'll try cleaning out his mouth and seeing if I can see anything. Urgh! Pigs eh! Thanks for the info on the oral yeast infection - off to read up now!
 
Just when you think everything's settled down *someone* has to do the damsel in distress act!
 
Daktarin Oral Gel is great for sore mouths/oral fungal infections - and a sore mouth is going to make a piggie reluctant to eat, which would in turn affect the molars and cause the weight loss!

I've had great success with the Daktarin, it's soothing and has the antifungal effect that will actually treat the problem. The dose is 0.5ml, given three times a day on week one, twice a day on week two, and once a day on week three.
 
i have never heard of rotten molars in a piggy, very bizarre! What did Vedra say? havce you managed to get Billy to her for a second diagnosis?

Hope Billy is okay x
 
Hoae you find a vet that can treat Bily without anaesthetic. My vet wanted to put Mimsi under for his x-ray for the bladder stone but I stood my ground and they managed it ok. Looking into a piggies mouth is another matter though and Bob was anaesthatised for her dental exam. Billy sounds like a fighter and I hope you can get to the bottom of his troubles. Hugs to Billy from Mimsi, Montgomery, Matilda & the lovely Penelope..
 
No need for a general anaesthetic to look at a pig's teeth.
Guinea pig that is, not so sure about a "real pig"!!
 
AP is right, no need for anaethesthic.

stand your ground, hes your piggy and its your perogative for him not to go under anaesthetic. xx
 
It was due to AP & Vedras advice that I insisted Mimsi was not put under for his x-ray for his bladder stone. The vets werent happy but I think thats down to the fact that it may take slightly longer to examine a wriggly piggy. As you know Mimsi was put under when he went in for his bladder op (which the vet didnt proceed with due to the stone being fixed to the bladder wall). He came round fine and is thriving despite the bladder stone. Its a double edged sword. Good luck with Billy.
 
I'm sorry to hijack your thread, susie_q, but when I put one of my pigs into the vet I was told that for "Health and Safety Reasons" they had to put the pig under anaesthetic (for x-ray and withdrawing blood, I've since learned about the over-clipping a nail technique to withdraw blood from stubborn veins)

Does anybody have any solid evidence (printable, possibly?) to contend this that could be used to help support anti-anaesthetic (for x-ray and dental work) standings?
 
"Health and Safety Reasons"

Really??
I do not believe it.
H and S is used to justify anything these days.

Can anyone tell us why a general anaesthetic is necessary for either an x-ray or dental treatment, according to H and S?
 
I woiuld also like some printable evidence for why guinea pigs need to be sedated. :(

And yes AP - she used the word rotten as in the tooth had rotted away? O_o

Moonie - vedra is far too far away for me to get Billy to her. I did call her and got the numbers of some folk in scotland who she has been training - one is in caithness, the other in dumfries who didn't answer the phone, and lastly the third isn't doing rodent advice anymore!

AP - do you know of anyone in glasgow area/edinburgh/central belt who would maybe be able to do it? I would by the buccal pads myself but without someone showing me how to do it I would be very relucant. :(

CCC4 - where would I get buccal pad seperators online? And, would you mind if I printed out your "step by step" and took it into my vet to show them? As i think I could maybe persude them to do it!

And AP - I can imagine that the health and safety reasons are more for the humans than the animals - a dog or a cat that is not under sedation for an xray could become very frightened and attack people, also in addition the exposure to the xray itself- if the animal wriggles at the wrong moment it means it needs to go back for another xray, risking more exposure for the animal and the person.

Not sure on the dental treatment part. Could be that everything, once again, is all based on cats and dogs and not other animals.
 
Do you know of a guy called Richard? He's the only vet my cavy-savvy friends have named as a reputable vet.
 
SQ
All noted, I don't know anyone in your part of the world.
I could understand problems with large animals undergoing an x-ray, but not gps, they are very easily restrained and in complete safety.
Gps teeth rotting away....no comment, that says it all!
 
aq suzie, sorery didnt see you were all the way in scotland. Sorry I cannot be of any more help, keep us updated of how it progresses
 
Just looked can't find a Rodentoligist in Scotland either! :( Rotten Molars, never heard the like before! How would you combat that if it were true? Colgate and a toothbrush? rolleyes

It is interesting how guineas teeth don't rot though, probably being thick here but why don't they?

Suzie hope you get some answers! Good luck with it! :)
 
susie_q said:
CCC4 - where would I get buccal pad seperators online? And, would you mind if I printed out your "step by step" and took it into my vet to show them? As i think I could maybe persude them to do it!
Click to expand...

I bought mine from Vedra, not sure of anywhere online to buy them. I had been looking to find the cheek dilators part of the set like Charlotte has, with the solid "plates" rather than a thin wire coil to hold the cheek flesh apart, but had no luck.

You're more than welcome to print the step by step if it helps. Once the vets have the pig securely restrained they will have the freedom to do dental work and xrays.

I hope things turn out okay on this, will keep following the thread and hoping for some progress for your pig soon!
 
Just an update - Billy has been putting weight on at roughly the rate of 10g per day - which is excellent. He has just moved outside with his new friend cookie (although they are not....best of friends...>_<) and now has access to all the grass he wants. I've been watching him this morning and he's been pulling grass up vigoursly. Personally I don't see how he would possibly be comfortable eating that amount of grass with rotten molars!

The plan now is to get his weight up - and then persude the vets to carry out an xray with him concious. If they won't do it, then Farquar, I'll be coming to your vets!

Thanks everyone for your advice and the reassurance that none of you have ever heard of rotten molars in a piggies mouth either! I really need to get some photos of mister Billy for you all.
 
Glad to hear Billy is picking up. He couldnt be in better hands with you looking after him.
 
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