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Teeth - Poor Titch

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Guinea Slave

Guinea Slave

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My lovely little girl Titch was looking a little off colour over the weekend. I noticed Friday evening that her front teeth had worn very slightly crooked so she is booked in to the vets for a few hours time. She looked a little worse yesterday I was/am convinced it was teeth (she was also eating very deliberately - not like her at all).

I have just checked her and weighed her and she has lost 30 g in 24 hours and her bottom and top teeth are completely misaligned..I mean not even close to meeting up.

I just hope its a spur or something on her back teeth which is causing this. If she had had an accident I woudl expect it to be immediate and not occur over a period of time. Very worried..poor girl. She is the sweetest guinea and so easy to look after. She has never been sick before. Please send healing vibes :-(
 
Make sure the vet feels all around the jaw. Very often the reason for jaw misalignment is due to an abscess. In fact I took a piggy to the vets this morning with slightly slanted incisors. On examination it was found that she has a swelling on one side of her jaw. xx
 
Oh gawd...I have run my hand over her jaw and around her neck over the last few days as I was suspicious but it feels OK, no lumps or bumps...but I am not an expert! I will let you know how she gets on. Fortunately Sally at Tilehurst does conscious dentals. Fingers crossed!
 
You were right Debbie. It looks like she has an abscess. Its very hard and very deep so not able to lance it. She's on antibiotics (Baytril) and Metacam for a few days with a check up on Friday. If no improvement then she will have to have an op to find the offending lump, figure out what it is and deal it (hoping abscess and nothing more sinister). Her teeth looked good. Poor Titch. She is such a sweet girl and doesn't deserve this. Even the vet commented on how well behaved she was when being examined.

Fingers crossed it improves as I really dont want her to be operated on really.

Titch is the one you had with Biscuit Debbie, the little black one..
 
So do I, bless her. I have a real soft spot for her, she is a little background girl who lost her mum shortly after she was born and was hand reared by Anna at Wheek and Squeak before I adopted her. She is never any bother and doesnt want to be.
 
Poor Titch, hope the antibiotics help, it may be worth asking the vet about Zithromax as that is usually very effective on abcesses.
 
I did and she preferred to use Baytril at this point in time. Its hard to convince vets to use something else. I also forgot the name which probably did not help! I think I was a bit shocked as I so hoped it was just a burr on a back tooth. I will take it with me written down on Friday.

She is eating hay at the moment and I have just mushed up some pellets for her with some probiotics which she quote liked. Dont want to stuff her with food but I dont want her to lose weight either.
 
I really wish time wasn't been wasted using baytril. It really doesn't do anything with deep abscesses. Get her back to the vets before Friday if you see a deterioration. The piggy I took in this morning has had her abscess lanced and drained and is now on Zithromax.

Sorry if it sounds like I am being rather pessimistic, but I currently have three piggies here, with major jaw bone changes due to time being wasted using inappropriate antibiotics for abscesses. Those who came here immediately and were dealt with appropriately have all recovered completely. It just scares me to think of time being wasted.

I remember Titch well, she is adorable.
 
Thanks Debbie. I will keep a very close eye on her and get her back ASAP if it changes. It's really frustrating and awkward isn't it, but how do you tell a vet I dont agree? Although I could not remember the antibiotic I did mention Simon to her. Any ideas how you get over this hurdle? She is so good to me and fits me in as she knows I have quite a way to travel, that I am loathed to cause any issues! Do you have info in writing I could share?
 
Guinea Slave said:
Thanks Debbie. I will keep a very close eye on her and get her back ASAP if it changes. It's really frustrating and awkward isn't it, but how do you tell a vet I dont agree? Although I could not remember the antibiotic I did mention Simon to her. Any ideas how you get over this hurdle? She is so good to me and fits me in as she knows I have quite a way to travel, that I am loathed to cause any issues! Do you have info in writing I could share?
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Simon would be more than happy to speak to her on the phone. Do you think she would be willing to give him a ring? x
 
She may do. I will call her tomorrow and have a chat. Thanks Debbie . Sure Simon won't mind? X

Titch is currently on 2nd teaspoon of mashed carrot and pepper :-)
 
Yes, it is probably the teeth. Many healing hopes to you. :)
 
Guinea Slave said:
She may do. I will call her tomorrow and have a chat. Thanks Debbie . Sure Simon won't mind? X

Titch is currently on 2nd teaspoon of mashed carrot and pepper :-)
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Simon won't mind at all. He is always happy to speak with other vets. He starts work tomorrow at 11 am. x
 
Well poor titch has got an abscess, she has had it removed/drained and is sporting a shaved face and gaping hole.

I did something I have never done.....I am what most would describe as a tough girl, I have treated sheep with farmers, horses with holes in their sides, horses fractured skulls, syringing Lacey's eye socket... But no, the sight of poor Titch's hole and the stitches to keep it open etc....well one minute I was speaking to the vet and next I wake up on the floor with my head in the vets lap! O m g I was sooo embarrassed. I have NEVER fainted and I am 45 fgs!

So now I have to man up and flush it out twice a day. A sample has been sent for a culture so we get the antibiotics right (I did mention Zithromax again). Poor titch is looking very unhappy... Argh what a day! I need a glass of wine!
 
Oh you poor thing. I once fainted in the vets when my little girl had mrsa and her bandages came off then she needed an injection. She screamed and looked for me and I fainted. I hope you and Titch are okay.
 
Don't be surprised if it comes back inconclusive, my Fred had a very nasty jaw abscess it took over 6 weeks to clear and in the end we resorted to Zithromax, the vet wasn't sure but after he found a paper on abscesses that had been carried out and Zithromax success rate was very high perhaps 94% I think. I just wish we'd have used it sooner as after so many on antibiotics Fred became antibiotic intolerant and we struggled terribly with Bloat by the end of it.

Ps - I have also fainted in the vet surgery lol! Fred abscess made me queezy! Hope your little one recovers soon. X
 
Thanks guys... You make me feel MUCH better about the fainting! I am still really disturbed by that!

Titch is perking up slightly, nibbling on hay, a little grass and some kale. Tiny steps. Re the results, let's see what comes back. Her jaw bone and teeth seem fine, no sign of the infection coming in through them, which is good news. The abscess is under her cheek muscle which makes it hard to get to and hence the hole.

I will tackle the Zithromax question again Monday when I see her, although she has dealt with three complex abscess piggies recently (weird how they come along together?!) and all have been on baytril and come through very well. Fingers crossed.
 
Guinea Slave said:
Well poor titch has got an abscess, she has had it removed/drained and is sporting a shaved face and gaping hole.

I did something I have never done.....I am what most would describe as a tough girl, I have treated sheep with farmers, horses with holes in their sides, horses fractured skulls, syringing Lacey's eye socket... But no, the sight of poor Titch's hole and the stitches to keep it open etc....well one minute I was speaking to the vet and next I wake up on the floor with my head in the vets lap! O m g I was sooo embarrassed. I have NEVER fainted and I am 45 fgs!

So now I have to man up and flush it out twice a day. A sample has been sent for a culture so we get the antibiotics right (I did mention Zithromax again). Poor titch is looking very unhappy... Argh what a day! I need a glass of wine!
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Glad she has had the abscess lanced and drained. With regard to sending a sample of the pus, it very rarely cultures, and is likely to come back as sterile. You would need to send a sample of the abscess capsule to guarantee a result. I hope the vet will consider Zithromax as it really is the best antibiotic.

A few years ago I started to feel unwell when I was in with Simon. I didn't actually faint, but I slipped down the wall and sat on the floor! I felt so silly!

How is she in herself? Hopefully she will feel much better now the pressure of the abscess has been relieved. xx
 
Thanks Debbie. I hope they do but I guess we'll see. They took out 4mls pus before even opening it up so it was big.

She is improving hourly. Sitting on me currently but been eating a little hay and veg.. Pooping for England as the nurses are great at syringe feeding ! She is talking and doing that funny noise she makes when she doesn't like the sound of something... Do you remember that?! So very happy with her progress. Just going to bring her friend in . Hadn't earlier as she was still a little zoned out!

Cannot believe you of all people nearly fainted! All these stories are making me feel so much better! Xx
 
Well we have had an interesting weekend. Titch spent the first 24 hours feeling very poorly, she Nibbled on food that evening and I kept her topped up with syringe food which she took happily. Next morning she had lost 50g and was off all food, even grass. So gave her some emeprid and Zantac and very quickly she was taking food from the syringe and hour by hour she has improved....now she is currently eating more like a horse than a pig!

Syringing her wound has not been too bad however tonight she has turned into a demon, doesn't want to have it syringed, does not want the honey etc etc. tries to grab my hand and syringe with her teeth and wriggles and cries like mad. I feel awful but neither she nor I have a choice...I have over the years become pretty good at the 'guinea pig headlock ' which is helping, she gives up eventually! :gd: The wound is about 4 cm long and about a cm deep so it's pretty gruesome. It's quite interesting how it's changing though. Getting darker and looks healthy. It's stitched open so it cannot heal over as picking a scab off that would be no fun!

She is putting on weight and I no longer need to syringe her. She still chews slightly slower than normal but now eats chopped up pepper which she could not do before.

She has tried to scratch her wound with her back leg a few times which concerns me, but it's just the odd occasion so far. Back at the vet tomorrow. She is currently giving me major stink eye! I just wonder what the next week/s will bring....it will be an interesting journey.
 
Glad things seem to be improving for Titch. I second the Zithromax recommendations though if needed.

As for the fainting, if it helps, I faint at the drop of a hat and usually in the most embarassing places - cafes, museums, work, but not the vets - yet.
 
helen105281 said:
Glad things seem to be improving for Titch. I second the Zithromax recommendations though if needed.

As for the fainting, if it helps, I faint at the drop of a hat and usually in the most embarassing places - cafes, museums, work, but not the vets - yet.
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Thanks Helen. Re the fainting, that must be really unnerving!
 
I'm so sorry to hear that Titch is poorly :( You are being very brave though, I hope all goes well with the treatment!

I burst into tears in front of my least favourite vet when she told me that my pigs had ringworm a few months back, if that makes you feel better :))
 
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