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Suddenly taking to the syringe!

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Gingerspider

Junior Guinea Pig
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I have been posting about our boy Lens tooth troubles in the last year.
A while ago we took him to have some spurs removed and his front teeth trimmed and he has maintained weight (sometimes even gaining) and has definitely been trying to wear those tooth's down (cue nighttime chew noises!) . We have also kept up with a daily metacam dose, which used to be forced but he now takes very VERY willingly (he loves it)
The last few weeks his teeth have been bothering him again and he's been so hungry and struggling to chew again
Tonight we tried him on the Emeraid again and to our delight he absolutely wolfed it down, just free feeding through his cage.
I have no idea why he's suddenly taken to willingly syringe feeding both his painkillers and food but honestly I'm so relieved. I just wanted to share an update and how bloody relieved I am!
Now if I could just find a vet that would burr down the spurs without knocking him out, anywhere near us, I would be delighted!
 
Thanks. Molly is who we have been using (although she has moved to Manchester now, which is closer)
I can't offer any tips because he just suddenly started really willingly taking it.
Keeping an eye on weight and it's not too sudden but probably time for another visit...although the GA effects really get me every time. He's such a trouper, I love him to bits ❤️
 
Oh man...today's heart attack...there's blood on his fleece. One fairly large spot on top of his ramp and a little further down. It definitely looks and feels like fresh bloody but we've given him a good once over and nothing obvious. Checked round the genitals, his paws and mouth and nothing. He has a tiny spec of it on one of his toes but that could be from stepping on it
Behaviour fine and can't see any injuries. Any ideas?
 
I think he might have nicked a nail or something but he's off to see the vets tomorrow for his teeth anyway. Keeping fingers crossed he's ok with the GA 🤞
 
Gingerspider said:
I have been posting about our boy Lens tooth troubles in the last year.
A while ago we took him to have some spurs removed and his front teeth trimmed and he has maintained weight (sometimes even gaining) and has definitely been trying to wear those tooth's down (cue nighttime chew noises!) . We have also kept up with a daily metacam dose, which used to be forced but he now takes very VERY willingly (he loves it)
The last few weeks his teeth have been bothering him again and he's been so hungry and struggling to chew again
Tonight we tried him on the Emeraid again and to our delight he absolutely wolfed it down, just free feeding through his cage.
I have no idea why he's suddenly taken to willingly syringe feeding both his painkillers and food but honestly I'm so relieved. I just wanted to share an update and how bloody relieved I am!
Now if I could just find a vet that would burr down the spurs without knocking him out, anywhere near us, I would be delighted!
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Hi

The taste has become familiar and the experience that the last time it has made him feel better has helped. They have now been moved into the 'safe to eat' category.
Syringes have been accepted as a dispenser of certain foods just the way piggies have to learn how to operate a water bottle nozzle - that is also an acquired behaviour and not an instinctive one. But for him formula obviously comes in the same caregory. :)

Guinea pigs, like all rodents, don't have a vomit reflex. This makes them instinctively wary of new things that they have not learned to be safe by snatching them from their elders' mouths as babies or by smelling it on the mouths of others when still young. You will also find that some under-piggies will happily eat one food when living with one companion but won't touch it if the next leader is not keen on it. My Lleian will for instance no longer eat celery because Bran doesn't like but she had no problems when living with Dryw and her cousin Llinos.

But it is great news for you and is going to make your life a lot easier. It also means that he is trusting you fully now. :tu:
 
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Thank you, that's super interesting and useful. He definitely is very trusting of us these days (it took 5 years!) as we rescued him from a very traumatic start in life (his mate was eaten by a fox!)
One thing I have noticed with our boars is that there's seems to always be one that likes us and trusts us and the other doesn't, then when the trusting boar dies, suddenly the other boar changes personality (almost overnight) becomes calmer, more trusting and weirdly stops communicating (wheeking ect) then when we bond them a new friend the new friend does the communicating, won't go near us. I wondered whether is was a hierarchy or possibly bonding?
Either way, the usually rambunctious Len had turned into a thoroughly gentle and loving older gentleman
 
@Gingerspider I find that too! It’s happened after Percy and Pepper passed away and then the quiet, more timid one comes out of his shell. I thought I was imagining it. But it’s definitely a thing.
 
Pleased to say we had Len off to The Exotic Animal Vets in Urmston this morning (new but fantastic so far). Thoroughly checked over and after some gas, a light sedation and a large spur burred down he was back home and straight into climbing up the cage for treats. He doesn't seem to have been affected by the meds this time, which is fab. They really have been great at this surgery and there were people in there from miles away who had brought their rabbits, guineas, tortoise and parrots to follow the vets there. Fingers crossed he is eating ok at the minute and the spur removal will get a bit more weight on him!
 
Oh my...it never ends. So we have been wondering why he had two lumps of hair shaved either side and the vet rang this afternoon to explain that when they x-rayed him, they saw something, so did a scan and have found bladder stones (queue anxiety from our last bladder piggy) the vet said he could pass them himself but didn't want to give the meds straight away and then just as we got off the phone, we saw some more spots of blood. Lifted his hidey up and this awful scene. We've tried to call the vets back but they are closed, so will have to try and get him in, in the morning. We've not seen any bladder piggy symptoms in him at all (and we are well versed in those) so I am wondering if they've formed quickly and maybe the blood is from him trying to pass them
 

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I should say as well that she did a super thorough check and nothing wrong with his kidneys etc
 
Gingerspider said:
Oh my...it never ends. So we have been wondering why he had two lumps of hair shaved either side and the vet rang this afternoon to explain that when they x-rayed him, they saw something, so did a scan and have found bladder stones (queue anxiety from our last bladder piggy) the vet said he could pass them himself but didn't want to give the meds straight away and then just as we got off the phone, we saw some more spots of blood. Lifted his hidey up and this awful scene. We've tried to call the vets back but they are closed, so will have to try and get him in, in the morning. We've not seen any bladder piggy symptoms in him at all (and we are well versed in those) so I am wondering if they've formed quickly and maybe the blood is from him trying to pass them
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Oh dear. What a worry. Good luck getting in touch with the vets tomorrow.
 
Does your vet have an emergency number. If you’re worried I’d give them a call tonight.
 
It does but they're based over an hour away so I think we're going to have to keep fingers crossed. He seems ok, climbing up for his Emeraid and taken all his meds (he's on Metacam and paracetamol and something to get his gut moving)
We have two types of syringe feed: Emeraid and something from the vets with more fibre, which he's being a trouper with so we will keep checking on him. Can't help feeling with all the issues we have had with all our boys that we've been doing something wrong ☹️. Just never seems to end
 
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