Suspected Tooth Problem, Dental, Now Aspiration

[Dill&Pepper]

Hi everyone

I took my 3yo girl Dill to the vet a couple of weeks ago as she'd been dropping weight, quiet, lethargic and off her food. She had no symptoms of URI, wasn't drooling or showing any sign of discomfort to suggest teeth, no lumps/bumps anywhere and weeing/pooing normally.

Vet agreed there was nothing obviously wrong, no signs of URI. Most likely cause thought to be dental, but incisors looked fine, couldn't see molars as she was really not cooperating. Given metacam as a test.

After 24 hours on metacam she was much, much brighter. Vet recommended a dental as the most likely cause, so after spending a couple of weeks on metacam while I fed her up (she put on 10 grams) she went in for her dental today.

(Sort of) unfortunately, her teeth were unremarkable. They rasped a couple of spurs but nothing significant. But she vomited under GA and aspirated some fluid.

She's on mega-antibiotics, but I'm desperately worried that she won't survive the next couple of weeks because of the strain of the anasthetic and the aspiration. She's quiet today but eating (not huge amounts), breathing sounds crackly but intermittent. I've seen her drink, and have added the vit c/probiotic to her water. She's wheeking and fairly bright. I've got critical care and bio lapis, should I start syringing pre-emptively to try and keep her stronger, or am I better leaving her be rather than stressing her out?

Is there anything else I can do? Sorry for the long post.

 

[pig in the city]

Sorry to hear about this. Guinea pigs can't vomit as they have a one way valve in the bottom of their gullet, so presumably some secretions from her mouth went down the wrong way.
You need to be very careful if you syringe feed her as she could aspirate and choke easily.
If she is eating l would monitor her weight daily, offer her the critical care in a bowl or from a spoon. If her weight starts dropping start syringe feeding but small amounts slowly. I hope she improves.
It sounds like there wasn't a problem with her teeth, so keep an eye out for any other issues causing pain, maybe get a second opinion from a more experienced piggy vet?

 

[Dill&Pepper]

Thanks for your reply. Yes I thought it was odd that they said she'd vomited, they did say it was fluid so I think you're right it must have been saliva.

Fingers crossed, she seems a bit brighter this morning, looks to be eating well and sounds a bit less snuffly.

You're right, it does still leave me with absolutely no clue about the underlying cause. Next best guess I think is a chronic UTI (albeit an odd presentation without visible blood in the urine) since there were no no bladder stones palpable even under GA, so after 2 weeks on antibiotics I'll start weaning her off the metacam and watch closely. If she goes back to being uncomfortable and dropping weight then it is going to have to be the specialist.

 

[pig in the city]

Thanks for your reply. Yes I thought it was odd that they said she'd vomited, they did say it was fluid so I think you're right it must have been saliva.

Fingers crossed, she seems a bit brighter this morning, looks to be eating well and sounds a bit less snuffly.

You're right, it does still leave me with absolutely no clue about the underlying cause. Next best guess I think is a chronic UTI (albeit an odd presentation without visible blood in the urine) since there were no no bladder stones palpable even under GA, so after 2 weeks on antibiotics I'll start weaning her off the metacam and watch closely. If she goes back to being uncomfortable and dropping weight then it is going to have to be the specialist.

A UTI is a possibility or interstitial cystitis. Other possibilities is a jaw abscess or jaw pain stopping her eating normally. Blood can be present in urine microscopically and not be visible to the naked eye.
The only reliable way to exclude a bladder stone is by Xray. My piggy had examination and a scan, but stone only showed up on an xray.
I hope she continues to improve!

 

[Dill&Pepper]

Update: we're now at the 2 week mark, and I'm pleased to report that the aspiration didn't progress to pneumonia.

But I don't feel like I'm any closer to working out what's wrong with her...

For the last week she's been really bright and 'normal', but the past 2 days she's gone back to being quiet and a bit puffed up. I don't know if it's a 2 week course of antibiotics taking its toll or if there's still an unidentified underlying cause. Maybe diabetes?

 

[pig in the city]

Update: we're now at the 2 week mark, and I'm pleased to report that the aspiration didn't progress to pneumonia.

But I don't feel like I'm any closer to working out what's wrong with her...

For the last week she's been really bright and 'normal', but the past 2 days she's gone back to being quiet and a bit puffed up. I don't know if it's a 2 week course of antibiotics taking its toll or if there's still an unidentified underlying cause. Maybe diabetes?

Usually antibiotics cause problems after a few days not at the end of the course. I would pop her back to an experienced vet for a review. Diabetes doesn't usually make them ill, just thirsty and losing weight, but l do think that there is something else going on