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Dental Struggling to eat

Two_Wheeks

Two_Wheeks

Junior Guinea Pig
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Location
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Hi! I have another account but it’s registered to an old email address and I can’t remember the password!
One of my boys, Gibson, is a greedy guts. He loves food!
I’ve noticed today though that he is not able to eat anything ‘hard’, we’re talking hay, nuggets, even cucumber skin! He will eat lettuce, cucumber without the skin, and softer hay.
He also has very soft poops (though not diarrhoea). He is keen for food but just can’t eat it if it’s not soft.
His eyes are bright, he is himself other than this.
Should I get an emergency dental check, or would a routine appointment Monday be ok?
I have critical care, though when I tried a little earlier he looked at me with a look of disdain! Put it on some lettuce and he had a little bit he’s noones fool!
The vet opens at 11am so I can call them for an appointment then, or I can book a Monday one online..?
All and any advice welcome!

oh, as an aside, he’s 4. His weight has dropped around 14g but I’d not weighed him in over a week and this was before dinner..
Thanks!
 
Gibson said:
Hi! I have another account but it’s registered to an old email address and I can’t remember the password!
One of my boys, Gibson, is a greedy guts. He loves food!
I’ve noticed today though that he is not able to eat anything ‘hard’, we’re talking hay, nuggets, even cucumber skin! He will eat lettuce, cucumber without the skin, and softer hay.
He also has very soft poops (though not diarrhoea). He is keen for food but just can’t eat it if it’s not soft.
His eyes are bright, he is himself other than this.
Should I get an emergency dental check, or would a routine appointment Monday be ok?
I have critical care, though when I tried a little earlier he looked at me with a look of disdain! Put it on some lettuce and he had a little bit he’s noones fool!
The vet opens at 11am so I can call them for an appointment then, or I can book a Monday one online..?
All and any advice welcome!

oh, as an aside, he’s 4. His weight has dropped around 14g but I’d not weighed him in over a week and this was before dinner..
Thanks!
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Hi and welcome back!

You can contact admin via this link here re. your old account: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/forums/forum-technical-assistance.7/

Please step in with syringe feeding (soft poos mean that your boy is not eating enough hay) and have him vet checked by a knowledgeable vet on Monday. Keep in mind that guinea pigs and even more so guinea pig dentals do not feature large on any general vet's curriculum.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

Switch from weighing once weekly to weighing daily so you can get an idea of how much top up feeding you need to give.
Weight - Monitoring and Management

All the best! My Dylan had those symptoms not long before Christmas; he was coming up with a developing jaw abscess and the toothache from hell, poor boy!
 
Thanks @Wiebke! When I’m back in the office Monday I’ll update my email address on my original account (was only on last week talking about getting bath mats!)

Gibson has just munched his way quite happily through a mammoth pile of grass, Will this be ok as an ‘instead’ for hay for the time being? He’s had me out rummaging in our garden for decent enough gear!

I go to Larkmead in Didcot (found it on vet finderon here years ago!), so I hope they can help. I’m in Oxford so fairly central and can travel to whoever is best, if you e any recommendations?

thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly. I hope Dylan has recovered and is back enjoying all the good food!
 
Gibson said:
Thanks @Wiebke! When I’m back in the office Monday I’ll update my email address on my original account (was only on last week talking about getting bath mats!)

Gibson has just munched his way quite happily through a mammoth pile of grass, Will this be ok as an ‘instead’ for hay for the time being? He’s had me out rummaging in our garden for decent enough gear!

I go to Larkmead in Didcot (found it on vet finderon here years ago!), so I hope they can help. I’m in Oxford so fairly central and can travel to whoever is best, if you e any recommendations?

thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly. I hope Dylan has recovered and is back enjoying all the good food!
Click to expand...

If you can ge there, the Cat&Rabbit Care Clinic in Northampton is where the most experienced piggy dental vet is; they see guinea pigs with dental from all over the country, from Edinburgh to Cornwall. They are general vets but see only cats, rabbits and guinea pigs. Simon Maddock is doing about 25 piggy dentals each week - that is more than most general or even exotics vets see in their whole career!
You will be in the safest hands there!
The Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic

PS: That is where I took my Dylan
 
Thank you @Wiebke. I’ve booked him in at his regular vet today, he’s not had anything to drink all night and his poops are now tiny and hard. He’s still eating grass so he’s got a pile of that, but he won’t try anything else and he won’t take the syringe feed at all. I e managed to get about 0.3ml if water in him with the syringe but that’s all I could do before he totally refused!
Thanks for your suggestion, if he needs surgery or similar, or the usual vet doesn’t know, I’ll get him booked in there.
Thank you!
 
Gibson said:
Thank you @Wiebke. I’ve booked him in at his regular vet today, he’s not had anything to drink all night and his poops are now tiny and hard. He’s still eating grass so he’s got a pile of that, but he won’t try anything else and he won’t take the syringe feed at all. I e managed to get about 0.3ml if water in him with the syringe but that’s all I could do before he totally refused!
Thanks for your suggestion, if he needs surgery or similar, or the usual vet doesn’t know, I’ll get him booked in there.
Thank you!
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All the best! You may have to be tough with round the clock syringe feeding. When a piggy is in severe pain, it is very difficult and a real battle to get as close to 40-60 ml that they need in a day to stay alive. Your boy also may a subcutaneous fluid injection as he sounds dehydrated. The good news is that his poos are still working. But chewing on a very little grass is very misleading as to the true amount of the intake.
Please use the scales - they don't lie.

It rather sounds like a dental root abscess to me from my own experiences.
 
I really urge you to get your piggy seen by Simon Maddock at the Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic, in Northampton. Simon is able to carry out dental examination and treatment, without the use of GA and is by far the most experienced vet, in the country, with regard to dental disease/issues in guinea pigs. Those who are seen by Simon as quickly as possible, often completely cure, although some may need a periodic tidy up of teeth In almost all cases, the guinea pig is able to eat for themselves, immediately after the appointment.

It sounds like your piggies mouth may be very sore, which is possibly why they are resisting the syringe food. What are you feeding by syringe? I find most guinea pigs prefer their normal guinea pig nuggets, mushed up, than the recovery foods such as Critical Care.
 
I would recommend to ask your vet for maximum painkiller and then ring up the Cat&Rabbit Care Clinic as soon as they answer the phone for their Monday emergency slot (try from 8 am onward). Your boy should hold that way until tomorrow.

You can safely give up to 0.4 ml of dog metacam every 12 hours to a 1 kg piggy.
 
Thank you @furryfriends (TEAS) I will take him for painkillers and get him booked in to Northampton as soon as I am able. He was so anti critical care I tried his nuggets and he’s turned his nose up to that too. He’s really resisting it, even wrapped in a towel he’s making it impossible. Our appointment is in an hour, and I will tell them I’d like painkillers and will go to Northampton for treatment.
I’ve got some metacalm from a UTI issue so I’ll give him some of that and tell the vet he’s had it.
We’ve only ever had a UTI issue before so this is all quite new for me..

thank you for your help and advice, both, and @Shannon R thank you for the good wishes, I hope your piggy is much better now x
 
Sending you and your little man healing vibes. Simon Maddock is an amazing vet, we take our two dental piggies there from Cornwall, it‘s well worth the long trip x
 
We’re back. His molars on both sides are growing onwards and touching his tongue. No abrasions yet but I’m under no illusions they will be along soon.
Can I ask @Bill & Ted and anyone else with experience, how does he cut/file the teeth without GA? My vet has booked him provisionally for Friday (earliest slot) but said if he refuses food completely to go back sooner. Obviously they will work under GA so we discussed the risks. I just can’t see how you could do it without? It was almost impossible to look in his mouth and took me pinning him down in his snuggle scarf and the vet popping the viewer thing in, even then Gibson was constantly mouthing it.. So how do they do it? I’d much rather not GA of course but incredibly worried about the stress it might cause if he’s awake?
Poor boy is on his hot pad now, he’s got metacalm and is having that twice daily now, and I’ll blitz some veggies for him and see if he’ll take them.. he’s had a bit of cucumber, well, the seeds.. nothing to drink still so I’m trying to syringe that!
Thank you all for your support x
 
Gibson said:
We’re back. His molars on both sides are growing onwards and touching his tongue. No abrasions yet but I’m under no illusions they will be along soon.
Can I ask @Bill & Ted and anyone else with experience, how does he cut/file the teeth without GA? My vet has booked him provisionally for Friday (earliest slot) but said if he refuses food completely to go back sooner. Obviously they will work under GA so we discussed the risks. I just can’t see how you could do it without? It was almost impossible to look in his mouth and took me pinning him down in his snuggle scarf and the vet popping the viewer thing in, even then Gibson was constantly mouthing it.. So how do they do it? I’d much rather not GA of course but incredibly worried about the stress it might cause if he’s awake?
Poor boy is on his hot pad now, he’s got metacalm and is having that twice daily now, and I’ll blitz some veggies for him and see if he’ll take them.. he’s had a bit of cucumber, well, the seeds.. nothing to drink still so I’m trying to syringe that!
Thank you all for your support x
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The guinea pig is wrapped securely in a towel and held by a nurse. The guinea pig has all four feet securely on a table and the nurse just holds their body still. The mouth will be held open with a little gag and Simon will then hold their head and use a file to file the teeth back to the correct length and shape, ensuring all spurs are filed away and there are no sharp edges catching on the soft tissue of the mouth. I have watched Simon do this and the guinea pigs are not stressed. Simon does around 25 guinea pig dentals every week and is the reason that our sanctuary exists, as we take in guinea pigs with ongoing dental issues.
 
Thank you @furryfriends (TEAS) i will absolutely call them in the morning. Do you know if there is much of a waiting list?
Gibson weighs 1.1kg and is on a 2kg dose of dog metacalm (Loxicom) twice a day, does this sound right? I’ve soaked a vitamin c tablet (one of those oxbow ones) that he loves and he’s taken the soggy bit from me, but is just sat quietly now, curled up on his heat pad.
I am super worried about the bean. Should I try with water again? He wouldn’t take it from the syringe at all when we got back
 
Gibson said:
Thank you @furryfriends (TEAS) i will absolutely call them in the morning. Do you know if there is much of a waiting list?
Gibson weighs 1.1kg and is on a 2kg dose of dog metacalm (Loxicom) twice a day, does this sound right? I’ve soaked a vitamin c tablet (one of those oxbow ones) that he loves and he’s taken the soggy bit from me, but is just sat quietly now, curled up on his heat pad.
I am super worried about the bean. Should I try with water again? He wouldn’t take it from the syringe at all when we got back
Click to expand...
If you ring dead on 8 am you might be able to get an appointment tomorrow. Any dental work needed will be done during that appointment. I don't use the Metacam syringe. I take the top off the bottle and use a normal 1 ml syringe. For a guinea pig the weight of your boy, I would be looking at giving 0.5 ml twice daily. Is he still happy to eat grass? What about salad leaves? I cut these into thin strips for piggies who are finding eating difficult.
 
My two piggie Bill and Ted have totally different dental issues. Ted has one molar that grows a spur that catches his gum. The spur is odd like a little peg tooth in his case that sits against the molar. He has maintenance dentals every couple of months, we can tell when he’s ready sometimes as he stops eating hay and goes for softer food.
Bill broke an incisor and despite prompt attention from a local vet his incisor now grows “fat” and misshapen. Because it broke below the gum the upper corresponding incisor had nothing to wear it down against so grew very long so that has to be filed down. Bill now has four incisors but needs the have his incisors filed down and balanced now, although they are doing really well apart from the “fat” incisor is very discoloured and wide and is at risk of infection or abscess. Up to now it’s been fine though
Hope your boy can be sorted and back eating after Friday. Good luck with his operation, I hope it’s a good result. Please try and get as much food down him as you can to keep his gut working and keep his strength up for Friday x
 
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Thank you both.
@furryfriends (TEAS) he is happy to have a little grass and now very little lettuce, would it be worth trying to blitz it with some water and see if he’ll take it that way? I will also try the thin strips, the less chewing the better. I’ll call Northampton tomorrow, first thing. Sorry to ask and feel free not to answer, but do you know the cost? Roughly of course! He is insured so I can claim it if needed.
@Bill & Ted oh your poor two! I’m so glad they’ve been so well looked after though, that’s really positive! And thank you so much for the good wishes, hopefully I can get him sorted and back to his rotund self ASAP!
 
My Ted would eat grass, beetroot sticks out of salad bags and grated carrot. It’s a case of trial and error. Rolled up dandelion leaves too. Porridge oats mushed with warm water or grated sweet potato? Dill or coriander or flat leaved parsley?
here is a post of Bill’s problem incisor, with before and after conscious dental which takes about 5 minutes. There are two photos of before and after, this shows just how skilled this vets is, definitely worth the journey. Good luck x

Bill’s Problem Incisors - Dental results with Simon Maddock
 
Gibson said:
Thank you both.
@furryfriends (TEAS) he is happy to have a little grass and now very little lettuce, would it be worth trying to blitz it with some water and see if he’ll take it that way? I will also try the thin strips, the less chewing the better. I’ll call Northampton tomorrow, first thing. Sorry to ask and feel free not to answer, but do you know the cost? Roughly of course! He is insured so I can claim it if needed.
@Bill & Ted oh your poor two! I’m so glad they’ve been so well looked after though, that’s really positive! And thank you so much for the good wishes, hopefully I can get him sorted and back to his rotund self ASAP!
Click to expand...
The first appointment is the most expensive, as you pay for a consult and the dental. Any subsequent visits for dental work are charged at just the dental cost. I am not entirely sure of exact cost, as we are a charity and get a discount, but I think you are looking at just over £50 for the dental @Bill & Ted can probably give you the actual cost. You can always ask the receptionist when you call for an appointment.
 
I think there’s a one off registration cost of around £70? at the first visit plus just the cost of the dental, Ted is £44 and Bill is £28. After the first visit you just pay for the dental only.
Ted had a disastrous first dental with a local vet here in Cornwall and that cost around £250 with meds and he was worse than before the operation. Luckily we found out about Simon on this forum and help from Debbie (TEAS) x
 
Bill & Ted said:
I think there’s a one off registration cost of around £70? at the first visit plus just the cost of the dental, Ted is £44 and Bill is £28. After the first visit you just pay for the dental only.
Ted had a disastrous first dental with a local vet here in Cornwall and that cost around £250 with meds and he was worse than before the operation. Luckily we found out about Simon on this forum and help from Debbie (TEAS) x
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I think it depends on how much is done. I think if they need all the mouth filing it is just over £50
 
Thank you again. Both of you!
I’m looking at £120 for the GA treatment, and to be fair I’d pay pretty much anything anyway!
I don’t know if maybe the first dose of painkiller is kicking in, but he’s just taken 10ml of water (that has had biscuits soaking in it, with a calpol syringe) and had a very quick nibble at the hay. He’s now scouting around looking for bits to eat, so I’ve popped in some cucumber middles (his fave)..
I will absolutely call up tomorrow. I don’t want to wait until Friday or risk GA.
@Bill & Ted those before and after a are amazing!
 
@furryfriends (TEAS) ah how lovely. I don’t have Facebook but I’m so grateful to you and this forum for sharing such valuable information!
I’m happy to say Gibson has now taken loads of critical care, he did t manage any of his veg but I’m pleased he’s happy with the syringe now.
His cage mate Higgins was ever so put out so he’s just had a little squeeze of critical care, too...! He loves a syringe! Haha!
 
Gibson said:
@furryfriends (TEAS) ah how lovely. I don’t have Facebook but I’m so grateful to you and this forum for sharing such valuable information!
I’m happy to say Gibson has now taken loads of critical care, he did t manage any of his veg but I’m pleased he’s happy with the syringe now.
His cage mate Higgins was ever so put out so he’s just had a little squeeze of critical care, too...! He loves a syringe! Haha!
Click to expand...
I hope you're able to get an appointment to see Simon soon. I may see you at the clinic. I'm there tomorrow at 4.50 pm and Tuesday at 5.20 pm
 
Gibson said:
Thank you both.
@furryfriends (TEAS) he is happy to have a little grass and now very little lettuce, would it be worth trying to blitz it with some water and see if he’ll take it that way? I will also try the thin strips, the less chewing the better. I’ll call Northampton tomorrow, first thing. Sorry to ask and feel free not to answer, but do you know the cost? Roughly of course! He is insured so I can claim it if needed.
@Bill & Ted oh your poor two! I’m so glad they’ve been so well looked after though, that’s really positive! And thank you so much for the good wishes, hopefully I can get him sorted and back to his rotund self ASAP!
Click to expand...

The cost depends on how much time it takes on top of the basic appointment fee and on any further medication if needed.
With a conscious dental treatment cost will be a lot lower because that is always the largest post in any operation.

You can ask the clinic for a rough estimate when you make the appointment.

All the best!
 
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