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Teeth

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Alfieboy

Alfieboy

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi, I'm worried and need a bit of advice. I rescued a beautiful little guinea pig 2 months ago. His last owners have a lot to answer for as he's had trouble with his feet being infected due to bad living conditions so he now has bumble foot. Which I'm treating him for with batrill (anti-biotic) and that's looking better! They clearly didn't feed him proper and he lacked vitamin c! I feed him lots of greens and al the recommend veg etc! But over the last two days he's missing both of his bottom front teeth! I know they grow back and he can still manage to eat most things but has anyone experienced this before! He's due a check up at the vets tthis week for his foot anyway so at least they can look at his teeth too! Such a worry!
 
I don't personally have any experience at all with broken teeth, however it does sound pretty good being as he is eating well. I wouldn't know if broken teeth right down to the bottom would be likely to get infected, but I am thinking that being as he is on Baytril this could well help to prevent that.
As Wiebke is away today I don't expect that she will be able to answer you for a while, but I am tagging @furryfriends (TEAS). x

You are doing a great job by the sounds of things, after such a rough start it really sounds like he's in for a lovely life with you :)
 
Thank you so much! The challenge is face is getting the baytril into him, he hates it He's such a lovely little thing, can't believe anyone could be cruel to him! He certainly is a much loved piggy now! X
 
It can be tough. Baytril apparently tastes foul. Some of mine have taken it like little troupers and some you feel like you are wrestling something with the strength of a creature many times their size!
Have you tried leaning him with his back against your stomach, with his chin cupped in your hand? It's not easy. Sometimes they will resign themselves to it after a few days especially if they have a lovely treat afterwards.
It breaks your heart doesn't it, to know they had a miserable life before, but each step he takes now will be very rewarding for you and will mean the whole world for him!
 
I know! I didn't realise how strong he was until I come at him with the baytrill syringe! :P I've tried but i keep managing to give him some then getting the rest all over the place! My partner doesn't like to be part of it because he feels guilty, even though it has to be done! Luckily my sister is a veterinary nurse so she's a huge help and has been pretty much doing it for me! It definatley does the trick for his little foot! He loves metacam on the other hand, he refuses to let go of the syringe when he has that haha!

It really does, he's only 2 aswell so hopefully a lot of happy years left for him! :)
 
Alfieboy said:
I know! I didn't realise how strong he was until I come at him with the baytrill syringe! :P I've tried but i keep managing to give him some then getting the rest all over the place! My partner doesn't like to be part of it because he feels guilty, even though it has to be done! Luckily my sister is a veterinary nurse so she's a huge help and has been pretty much doing it for me! It definatley does the trick for his little foot! He loves metacam on the other hand, he refuses to let go of the syringe when he has that haha!

It really does, he's only 2 aswell so hopefully a lot of happy years left for him! :)
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To make it easier ask a boyfriend/girlfriend/parent/sibling/friend to hold him while you give him the medicine.
 
Alfieboy said:
I've got recovery food from when I got him but he's eating his foot fine, and I'm just chopping his veg up tiny so he's managing that too.
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Just monitor his weight and if necessary top him up with syringe feed. Around 80% of the daily food intake is hay. You have to make sure that he is able to pick it up and eat it, or otherwise supply the fibre otherwise. ;)

It can be that his teeth are weakened from lack of vitamin C etc.
 
Thank you. He is eating perfectly just now and even managing his hay! So fingers crossed he keeps it up! I've had him two months and given him loads of veg, green pepper, kale, cucumber, spring greens and green beans but prior to that he didn Have any! Do you think that's what's caused it?
 
Just would like to add please be careful introducing new veg or veg to a pig that hasn't had it. Their body is unused to it and needs a bit of time to adjust. I'm currently having to slowly reintroduce my boy Ginny back to veg as a result of gas
 
Alfieboy said:
Thank you. He is eating perfectly just now and even managing his hay! So fingers crossed he keeps it up! I've had him two months and given him loads of veg, green pepper, kale, cucumber, spring greens and green beans but prior to that he didn Have any! Do you think that's what's caused it?
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Please don't overdo the veg. It should only make about 10 % of the daily food intake for long term health and longevity. About 50g per piggy per day is fine. Don't overdo the kale - it is very high in calcium and oxalic acid. Rather feed a srpig of coriander a day.
Recommendations For A Balanced General Guinea Pig Diet

Lack of vitamin C can weaken the teeth - and it takes a while for them to recover from that. It is however not at all uncommon for teeth to snap.

Good that he can still pick up veg and eat normally.
 
Just meant there's never been a day gone by where he hasn't had veg of some description in comparison to the time he had next to none! He was in the vets for 2 weeks before I adopted him and they introduced him back to the above items so I continued back at home x
 
Alfieboy said:
Just meant there's never been a day gone by where he hasn't had veg of some description in comparison to the time he had next to none! He was in the vets for 2 weeks before I adopted him and they introduced him back to the above items so I continued back at home x
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Thanks for clearing that one up. It is our duty to check on things to ensure longer term health as well as give support on current problems. ;)

All the best for your vet trip!
 
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