Dental Comfort and Care while we Wait

[amber_co]

Hello all,

I have a guinea pig which I have owned for almost 3 years. Recently, I traveled to see family, and due to car issues, stayed for 3 weeks rather than only 1. I had someone taking care of my guinea pig as far as food hay and water, but he was not so willing to clean up after my pig (I know, time to find a different pig sitter ). I returned home and immediately started cleaning her cage when I quickly noticed one of her eyes was foggy- almost a blue hue- with a white spot almost where her pupil is.

After much investigation, I assume she is dealing with a corneal ulcer. I immediately called an exotic vet and the earliest they could get me in to be seen since I am a new patient is July 1st - today is June 7th.

On top of this issue, research has also informed me about overgrown teeth causing eye, nose, and of course mouth issues, so I checked her teeth and found them to be really overgrown. Nothing is pushing into gums and she seems to not be in any pain, but her teeth are much more on the sides of each other rather than on top of each other. Ever since I adopted her she has always been small, not growing much, and sometimes sniffly, but never enough to be really concerned or worried (no colored discharge from the nose or eyes or wheezing). I’ve read on forums like this one that some piggies are just small. She has always seemed happy and comfortable eating and drinking and popcorning around, so even thinking to investigate anything further was in the way back of my mind. Because of this, I’m assuming her teeth issues have been present for a long time. I feel like THE WORST pet owner for this and can not believe I have gone this long without checking her teeth to see if this was an issue. I feel like I neglected her and should have brought her in to be seen as soon as I adopted her, but I was in college and broke and she seemed content and comfortable. She has always eaten and drank regularly with no issues, so I never thought to check her teeth.

The exotic vet assured me as long as she is eating/drinking, the eye is not getting worse or showing red/yellow/green discharge, and seems to be in little to no pain, she will be okay to wait until July 1st. If I were to experience any of these issues, I should bring her to an emergency veterinarian.

Being out of work due to COVID, it would be extremely difficult to afford a visit to the emergency vet, so if anyone has experienced this with their guinea pig and/or knows how I can keep her eye clean, and less likely to progress in the meantime I would be so grateful. Also, since she is quite small due to teeth troubles, if there’s any way I could help her eat and get more nutrients in her body for now that would be a great help as well.

 

[Piggylove82]

Poor little sweetheart. 1st July is so far away and her eye looks so painful. Is there no other vet you can try and get her booked in with? Eye issues usually need urgent treatment. The pain and discomfort for her will probably put her off eating too. Even an non exotic vet could probably help with the eye issue.

Not sure where you're located but it's late here in the UK where most forum members live. They will most likely ask you to add your location to your profile so they can give you the best advice. They may also ask if she has any company? They may be able to advise how to get around the dental issue with syringe feeding maybe? I can't really help you, I'm sorry. But I do think ANY vet (in the eye issue) would be better than waiting another 3 weeks.

 

[amber_co]

Poor little sweetheart. 1st July is so far away and her eye looks so painful. Is there no other vet you can try and get her booked in with? Eye issues usually need urgent treatment. The pain and discomfort for her will probably put her off eating too. Even an non exotic vet could probably help with the eye issue.

Not sure where you're located but it's late here in the UK where most forum members live. They will most likely ask you to add your location to your profile so they can give you the best advice. They may also ask if she has any company? They may be able to advise how to get around the dental issue with syringe feeding maybe? I can't really help you, I'm sorry. But I do think ANY vet (in the eye issue) would be better than waiting another 3 weeks.

Thank you for your response! I am from the US, I had no idea this forum was based in the UK! Definitely will update my location on my account to make it easier for everyone. It seemed to be most prevalent and trustworthy when I researched places to reach out for help. There is a general veterinarian closer to me, I will definitely reach out. From what their website stated, they are currently only doing Tele-Medicine, and I’d rather have her physically seen, but if this is a more common or well known issue, it may be worth trying to request an appointment over the phone or video conferencing. Thanks again, I appreciate it!

 

[Siikibam]

Hi and welcome.

If I remember correctly you can have her seen by a general vet when it comes to eyes. July is too long a time to wait. It’s always best to get them seen as soon as possible with eyes. The only way to stop is progressing is to have a vet take a look and decide on the course of action.

As for the teeth, I can’t really help you. Have you weighed her weekly over the time you’ve had her? You say she’s always been small but up to around 15 months thy should steadily put on weight. How much does she weigh now? Teeth are worn down by eating hay and grass, and if she isn’t eating enough (hay makes up at least 80%) then she won’t maintain or put on weight as she should. Has she always had hay available to eat?

And lastly I know you’re circumstances are very difficult at the moment but she should have a companion. Guinea pigs are highly social and need the constant company of their own kind. Unfortunately no amount of interaction with you can ever replace that. And it is in fact one of their welfare rights.

I would consider whether you’re able to get her a friend (from a rescue) once things have settled down again. As for the vet bills, are you able to borrow some money from a relative or friend for now?

I’ll also tag in @furryfriends (TEAS), @VickiA and @Wiebke

 

[Piggylove82]

Thank you for your response! I am from the US, I had no idea this forum was based in the UK! Definitely will update my location on my account to make it easier for everyone. It seemed to be most prevalent and trustworthy when I researched places to reach out for help. There is a general veterinarian closer to me, I will definitely reach out. From what their website stated, they are currently only doing Tele-Medicine, and I’d rather have her physically seen, but if this is a more common or well known issue, it may be worth trying to request an appointment over the phone or video conferencing. Thanks again, I appreciate it!

I think definitely send them a pic so they can see her eye. Obviously this is not in any way a diagnosis. Only my experience. But when any of mine have had an eye issue, it's turned out to be a hay poke. The vet has used a dye to see the damage and I've had eye drops to put in at home. That's always done the trick. But again. This has only been my personal experience and I'm not commenting on your girl's eye. Just offering a bit of hope that it might be something that's relatively easily treated. I will stand corrected when much more experienced forum members come online. Dental issues I have no experience of. So sorry. Time differences really suck

 

[amber_co]

Hi and welcome.

If I remember correctly you can have her seen by a general vet when it comes to eyes. July is too long a time to wait. It’s always best to get them seen as soon as possible with eyes. The only way to stop is progressing is to have a vet take a look and decide on the course of action.

As for the teeth, I can’t really help you. Have you weighed her weekly over the time you’ve had her? You say she’s always been small but up to around 15 months thy should steadily put on weight. How much does she weigh now? Teeth are worn down by eating hay and grass, and if she isn’t eating enough (hay makes up at least 80%) then she won’t maintain or put on weight as she should. Has she always had hay available to eat?

And lastly ☺ I know you’re circumstances are very difficult at the moment but she should have a companion. Guinea pigs are highly social and need the constant company of their own kind. Unfortunately no amount of interaction with you can ever replace that. And it is in fact one of their welfare rights.

I would consider whether you’re able to get her a friend (from a rescue) once things have settled down again. As for the vet bills, are you able to borrow some money from a relative or friend for now?

I’ll also tag in @furryfriends (TEAS), @VickiA and @Wiebke

Hi!

I plan to reach out to a general veterinarian tomorrow to see if they would be able to see her sooner. She does have a companion, I adopted them both together as I learned that they do better with a companion, but as they grew older I noticed they were not getting along well. Before them I have only ever owned one guinea pig at a time so my knowledge in owning more than one was limited. I tried expanding the size of the cage, adding more food and hay troughs and water bottles and hideouts, but the behavior I observed between both of them did not seem friendly or positive (both females). I let them roam outside of their cages in a neutral area, but that is about the extent of it unfortunately. Any help with that would be great as well!

I have not weighed her, but it will definitely be something I will do from here on out to make sure once everything is taken care of she is improving and gaining weight.

I have always supplied my pigs with Timothy based pellets, Timothy hay, wooden chew toys, and veggies since I have had them- which leads me to believe the teeth issue may have been going on longer than expected, as she has never shown much interest or interaction with the chew toys.

I really appreciate your help and concern, thank you!

 

[Piggylove82]

Hi!

I plan to reach out to a general veterinarian tomorrow to see if they would be able to see her sooner. She does have a companion, I adopted them both together as I learned that they do better with a companion, but as they grew older I noticed they were not getting along well. Before them I have only ever owned one guinea pig at a time so my knowledge in owning more than one was limited. I tried expanding the size of the cage, adding more food and hay troughs and water bottles and hideouts, but the behavior I observed between both of them did not seem friendly or positive (both females). I let them roam outside of their cages in a neutral area, but that is about the extent of it unfortunately. Any help with that would be great as well!

I have not weighed her, but it will definitely be something I will do from here on out to make sure once everything is taken care of she is improving and gaining weight.

I have always supplied my pigs with Timothy based pellets, Timothy hay, wooden chew toys, and veggies since I have had them- which leads me to believe the teeth issue may have been going on longer than expected, as she has never shown much interest or interaction with the chew toys.

I really appreciate your help and concern, thank you!

I hope you get some joy tomorrow. Please keep us posted. She's beautiful

 

[Siikibam]

Hi!

I plan to reach out to a general veterinarian tomorrow to see if they would be able to see her sooner. She does have a companion, I adopted them both together as I learned that they do better with a companion, but as they grew older I noticed they were not getting along well. Before them I have only ever owned one guinea pig at a time so my knowledge in owning more than one was limited. I tried expanding the size of the cage, adding more food and hay troughs and water bottles and hideouts, but the behavior I observed between both of them did not seem friendly or positive (both females). I let them roam outside of their cages in a neutral area, but that is about the extent of it unfortunately. Any help with that would be great as well!

I have not weighed her, but it will definitely be something I will do from here on out to make sure once everything is taken care of she is improving and gaining weight.

I have always supplied my pigs with Timothy based pellets, Timothy hay, wooden chew toys, and veggies since I have had them- which leads me to believe the teeth issue may have been going on longer than expected, as she has never shown much interest or interaction with the chew toys.

I really appreciate your help and concern, thank you!

I’m glad to hear she had a companion. What do you mean when you say they don’t get on? How exactly do/did they behave? Do they live side by side so they can still interact through the bars? The advise is that if you’ve decided to separate and have them live individually, then you can’t give them floor time together.

If her teeth are really an issue I feel that it would have shown a lot earlier on. Lack of interest in chew toys doesn’t mean there’s an issue with teeth, she just doesn’t like them. There are cheaper ways to keep a piggy entertained - cardboard boxes or even a paper bag (handles cut off) stuffed with hay can create a lot of interest for them. But I shall hold off commenting any more as I don’t have experience with teeth.

Let us know how it goes with the vet. Perhaps send a clear photo tonight and follow it up with a phone call tomorrow. Email a few that are near you and hopefully one will be willing to examine her.

 

[amber_co]

I’m glad to hear she had a companion. What do you mean when you say they don’t get on? How exactly do/did they behave? Do they live side by side so they can still interact through the bars? The advise is that if you’ve decided to separate and have them live individually, then you can’t give them floor time together.

If her teeth are really an issue I feel that it would have shown a lot earlier on. Lack of interest in chew toys doesn’t mean there’s an issue with teeth, she just doesn’t like them. There are cheaper ways to keep a piggy entertained - cardboard boxes or even a paper bag (handles cut off) stuffed with hay can create a lot of interest for them. But I shall hold off commenting any more as I don’t have experience with teeth.

Let us know how it goes with the vet. Perhaps send a clear photo tonight and follow it up with a phone call tomorrow. Email a few that are near you and hopefully one will be willing to examine her.

Hello!

After about a year of owning them (Gwen- the one currently dealing with the eye and teeth issue, and Nikki- her companion), Nikki seemed to be becoming protective of the food And hideouts in the cage. I always made sure they had constant access to hay and pellets, so it was hard for me to believe at first that she was being any sort of food aggressive since there was plenty for both of them. As soon as Gwen would go to eat or drink, Nikki would chase her away. Once I noticed this, I expanded the cage (C&C) and doubled everything- feeders, water bottles, toys, hideouts, etc. and it seemed like when that happened, things got worse. There was constant chasing, and when I saw them both starting to stand up on their back legs towards each other I decided to separate them to ensure both of their safety. From what I observed, Nikki was almost bullying Gwen. I also assumed at the time that was another reason why Gwen would be smaller in size. My intentions from the moment I adopted them was for them to each have a companion, especially since I was in my last year of college(University) at the time and there were few days where I couldn’t give them my time. I researched and researched and eventually their individual safety was more important to me than trying to get they to be civil with each other. There have been a number of times where I have tried to re-introduce them in areas where there was plenty of space, no items from their cage with their scent on it, and as soon as I introduced common foods like hay or vegetables, the same behavior as before would occur.

They can see each other, and I made sure to put their food dishes on opposite sides of the cages, as Nikki would chatter her teeth at Gwen when they were both eating and they could see each other.

I feel horrendous about Gwens condition and I in no way wish to give off the impression that I am purposefully neglecting her or my other guinea pig. There have been plenty of tears and guilt over her current situation and with past guinea pigs I have never experienced any issues such as these. I have owned/rescued 3 guinea pigs individually in the past and each one lived long lives with no issues, so these experiences are all new to me and I really am trying to do what’s best for these animals. I would never do anything with lazy or ill intentions and with everything going on over here (it’s a mess) finding any type of help or support has been a challenge as I recently moved to the State of Massachusetts from the state of New York, so I don’t know much of what’s around me, including veterinary offices.

I have already taken new photos of her eye and her teeth, and plan to reach out tomorrow to the two general veterinarian offices/clinics near me tomorrow.

The support and concern I’ve received from this forum already has helped and I appreciate guidance from more knowledgeable owners. I’m glad I reached out and I hope to return with good news about Gwen tomorrow.

 

[LMPigs]

Hello,

Just to say good luck today with the vet and do keep us updated as to how it goes.

 

[Siikibam]

Hello!

After about a year of owning them (Gwen- the one currently dealing with the eye and teeth issue, and Nikki- her companion), Nikki seemed to be becoming protective of the food And hideouts in the cage. I always made sure they had constant access to hay and pellets, so it was hard for me to believe at first that she was being any sort of food aggressive since there was plenty for both of them. As soon as Gwen would go to eat or drink, Nikki would chase her away. Once I noticed this, I expanded the cage (C&C) and doubled everything- feeders, water bottles, toys, hideouts, etc. and it seemed like when that happened, things got worse. There was constant chasing, and when I saw them both starting to stand up on their back legs towards each other I decided to separate them to ensure both of their safety. From what I observed, Nikki was almost bullying Gwen. I also assumed at the time that was another reason why Gwen would be smaller in size. My intentions from the moment I adopted them was for them to each have a companion, especially since I was in my last year of college(University) at the time and there were few days where I couldn’t give them my time. I researched and researched and eventually their individual safety was more important to me than trying to get they to be civil with each other. There have been a number of times where I have tried to re-introduce them in areas where there was plenty of space, no items from their cage with their scent on it, and as soon as I introduced common foods like hay or vegetables, the same behavior as before would occur.

They can see each other, and I made sure to put their food dishes on opposite sides of the cages, as Nikki would chatter her teeth at Gwen when they were both eating and they could see each other.

I feel horrendous about Gwens condition and I in no way wish to give off the impression that I am purposefully neglecting her or my other guinea pig. There have been plenty of tears and guilt over her current situation and with past guinea pigs I have never experienced any issues such as these. I have owned/rescued 3 guinea pigs individually in the past and each one lived long lives with no issues, so these experiences are all new to me and I really am trying to do what’s best for these animals. I would never do anything with lazy or ill intentions and with everything going on over here (it’s a mess) finding any type of help or support has been a challenge as I recently moved to the State of Massachusetts from the state of New York, so I don’t know much of what’s around me, including veterinary offices.

I have already taken new photos of her eye and her teeth, and plan to reach out tomorrow to the two general veterinarian offices/clinics near me tomorrow.

The support and concern I’ve received from this forum already has helped and I appreciate guidance from more knowledgeable owners. I’m glad I reached out and I hope to return with good news about Gwen tomorrow.

We know it's difficult, made more so with the information that is out there. You know your girls best and so you're better placed to judge their relationship. All the best with the vet and let us know what they say.

PS pellets should be kept to a minimum of one tablespoon for each pig a day. They're the junk food of the piggy world and also contain quite amount of calcium. They're also a very small part of their diet so not necessarily essential.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello all,

I have a guinea pig which I have owned for almost 3 years. Recently, I traveled to see family, and due to car issues, stayed for 3 weeks rather than only 1. I had someone taking care of my guinea pig as far as food hay and water, but he was not so willing to clean up after my pig (I know, time to find a different pig sitter ). I returned home and immediately started cleaning her cage when I quickly noticed one of her eyes was foggy- almost a blue hue- with a white spot almost where her pupil is.

After much investigation, I assume she is dealing with a corneal ulcer. I immediately called an exotic vet and the earliest they could get me in to be seen since I am a new patient is July 1st - today is June 7th.

On top of this issue, research has also informed me about overgrown teeth causing eye, nose, and of course mouth issues, so I checked her teeth and found them to be really overgrown. Nothing is pushing into gums and she seems to not be in any pain, but her teeth are much more on the sides of each other rather than on top of each other. Ever since I adopted her she has always been small, not growing much, and sometimes sniffly, but never enough to be really concerned or worried (no colored discharge from the nose or eyes or wheezing). I’ve read on forums like this one that some piggies are just small. She has always seemed happy and comfortable eating and drinking and popcorning around, so even thinking to investigate anything further was in the way back of my mind. Because of this, I’m assuming her teeth issues have been present for a long time. I feel like THE WORST pet owner for this and can not believe I have gone this long without checking her teeth to see if this was an issue. I feel like I neglected her and should have brought her in to be seen as soon as I adopted her, but I was in college and broke and she seemed content and comfortable. She has always eaten and drank regularly with no issues, so I never thought to check her teeth.

The exotic vet assured me as long as she is eating/drinking, the eye is not getting worse or showing red/yellow/green discharge, and seems to be in little to no pain, she will be okay to wait until July 1st. If I were to experience any of these issues, I should bring her to an emergency veterinarian.

Being out of work due to COVID, it would be extremely difficult to afford a visit to the emergency vet, so if anyone has experienced this with their guinea pig and/or knows how I can keep her eye clean, and less likely to progress in the meantime I would be so grateful. Also, since she is quite small due to teeth troubles, if there’s any way I could help her eat and get more nutrients in her body for now that would be a great help as well.

Hi!

Please have her seen as soon as possible. The more teeth overgrow, the harder it is to correct and rebalance the dental system.

Guinea pig teeth grow about 1.3 mm in a week if they are not ground down. 3-4 weeks is far too long; by then your vet won't be able to get into the mouth and the jaw may become dislocated. Overgrown teeth also impact on the digestive system as soon as eating is becoming difficult. Sadly there are very, very few vets who are experienced with guinea pig dentals in any country.

Here is our emergency and bridging care advice link with all the necessary information: Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

@furryfriends (TEAS) may help you more if she has time. She runs a sanctuary for guinea pigs with chronic dental disease and has moved close to one of the best guinea pig vets in the UK for this reason. the vet has now become the most esperienced piggy dental vet in the UK.

 

[Rufus&Edward]

Sorry to hear about your poor piggy's eye and teeth.

One of our pigs has had a couple of eye issues- one was hay poke (which was easily fixed once it was removed) and the other he had somehow managed to scratch his eyeball. Both times the vet put dye in to have a closer look at what was going on. The time he had scratched it, his eye also went cloudy like yours has in the picture. Obviously I can't say that's what happened to your pig, but just wanted to share my experience. As others have said, I'd really try to get her seen sooner as we were told sometimes eye problems can become so severe if left the pig will lose the eye.

I know what it's like having to deal with expensive vet care (I've got a pig who has both dental and bladder issues, and just forked out £400 last weekend for a naughty puppy who ate a raisin...) but it could well be that if it gets worse over time, the treatment will be more extensive and costly.

Re: the teeth; I unfortunately also have experience with this. One of our piggies has never really been much of a hay eater, despite offering many different varieties. His teeth eventually become overgrown when he was 3 and a half years old, and he lost a lot of weight because of it (he went from 1100g to currently 720g...though part of that is due to bladder stone issues). He now has to go to a specialist vet (the one that @Wiebke is referencing); a 4 hour drive away every 6 weeks to have his teeth filed.

It is super difficult getting their weight back up once they've lost it, and you have to do it very carefully to avoid bladder problems down the line, which we ended up with. I really wish there was some sort of weight-gain powder they could use. Our pig can drop 100g in weight in the space of 2 days no problem, but will take a month to get it back on again

Guineas are really complex little creatures, and it's really hard getting the balance right to meet all their dietary needs if they happen to be fussy eaters. Ours literally chooses to starve to death rather than eat food that he's allowed, so it's tricky.

Ours is currently on:
* Critical care (apple & banana flavour... he spits out the original flavour)- syringe fed throughout the day to try help get his weight up
* Selective naturals grain free pellets (one table spoon a day)
* Veg- romaine lettuce, spring greens, cucumber, red pepper and very occasional small bits of carrot as a treat- mix these up each day
* Bottled water with low calcium levels- tap water is often one of the main causes of high calcium intake. Check if getting bottled though as most have really high calcium levels

He's also on medication to try and keep his bladder issues at bay.

Hope you manage to find a vet who can see her sooner, and let us know how you get on

 

[amber_co]

Hello all,

I have a guinea pig which I have owned for almost 3 years. Recently, I traveled to see family, and due to car issues, stayed for 3 weeks rather than only 1. I had someone taking care of my guinea pig as far as food hay and water, but he was not so willing to clean up after my pig (I know, time to find a different pig sitter ). I returned home and immediately started cleaning her cage when I quickly noticed one of her eyes was foggy- almost a blue hue- with a white spot almost where her pupil is.

After much investigation, I assume she is dealing with a corneal ulcer. I immediately called an exotic vet and the earliest they could get me in to be seen since I am a new patient is July 1st - today is June 7th.

On top of this issue, research has also informed me about overgrown teeth causing eye, nose, and of course mouth issues, so I checked her teeth and found them to be really overgrown. Nothing is pushing into gums and she seems to not be in any pain, but her teeth are much more on the sides of each other rather than on top of each other. Ever since I adopted her she has always been small, not growing much, and sometimes sniffly, but never enough to be really concerned or worried (no colored discharge from the nose or eyes or wheezing). I’ve read on forums like this one that some piggies are just small. She has always seemed happy and comfortable eating and drinking and popcorning around, so even thinking to investigate anything further was in the way back of my mind. Because of this, I’m assuming her teeth issues have been present for a long time. I feel like THE WORST pet owner for this and can not believe I have gone this long without checking her teeth to see if this was an issue. I feel like I neglected her and should have brought her in to be seen as soon as I adopted her, but I was in college and broke and she seemed content and comfortable. She has always eaten and drank regularly with no issues, so I never thought to check her teeth.

The exotic vet assured me as long as she is eating/drinking, the eye is not getting worse or showing red/yellow/green discharge, and seems to be in little to no pain, she will be okay to wait until July 1st. If I were to experience any of these issues, I should bring her to an emergency veterinarian.

Being out of work due to COVID, it would be extremely difficult to afford a visit to the emergency vet, so if anyone has experienced this with their guinea pig and/or knows how I can keep her eye clean, and less likely to progress in the meantime I would be so grateful. Also, since she is quite small due to teeth troubles, if there’s any way I could help her eat and get more nutrients in her body for now that would be a great help as well.

UPDATE:

After much calling around and emailing between yesterday and today, I was able to get through to a veterinary office that many general veterinarians recommended to me, as they either did not accept guinea pigs or did not have any available appointment times to offer. The woman who answered the phone understood the severity of the issue and told me that there are time slots they keep open each day for emergency situations such as mine, and that I should call early Thursday morning and take one of the open spots (there were for some reason none available for tomorrow). They seem very knowledgeable and also offer teeth filing so, to me, waiting the extra day and a half seems worth it as all issues would be addressed in the same appointment effectively.

Gwen seems to be doing okay considering the circumstances. Somehow, her eye looks almost as if it is improving(?) with less fogginess and more of her natural eye color, although I am sure that is not the case. I am making sure to give her water and a small amount of critical care via a small 1ml syringe each day. I have not been giving her the full amount of critical care suggested as she still is trying to eat (to usually little to no avail) and I do not want to put too much nutrients and vitamins and all of that into her body considering what it could do in the long run. Is any of this a bad decision, or are there other better alternatives tothe approach I’m currently taking? I have heard both good and bad things about critical care, but anything is better than nothing, I feel.

I did weigh her, and it is not much at all which is very concerning for me. From what I could manage with my small little food scale, it seems she weighed in at 0.561 kg. I know this is extremely underweight, and I’m hoping she will be able to come back from all of this.

Again, I really do appreciate everyone’s concern and support. Although I have owned guinea pigs in the past, this forum has definitely opened my eyes to many factors which I have missed when it comes to guinea pig care and ensuring my piggies are being taken care of properly. I’ll make sure to update when I can.

 

[Wiebke]

UPDATE:

After much calling around and emailing between yesterday and today, I was able to get through to a veterinary office that many general veterinarians recommended to me, as they either did not accept guinea pigs or did not have any available appointment times to offer. The woman who answered the phone understood the severity of the issue and told me that there are time slots they keep open each day for emergency situations such as mine, and that I should call early Thursday morning and take one of the open spots (there were for some reason none available for tomorrow). They seem very knowledgeable and also offer teeth filing so, to me, waiting the extra day and a half seems worth it as all issues would be addressed in the same appointment effectively.

Gwen seems to be doing okay considering the circumstances. Somehow, her eye looks almost as if it is improving(?) with less fogginess and more of her natural eye color, although I am sure that is not the case. I am making sure to give her water and a small amount of critical care via a small 1ml syringe each day. I have not been giving her the full amount of critical care suggested as she still is trying to eat (to usually little to no avail) and I do not want to put too much nutrients and vitamins and all of that into her body considering what it could do in the long run. Is any of this a bad decision, or are there other better alternatives tothe approach I’m currently taking? I have heard both good and bad things about critical care, but anything is better than nothing, I feel.

I did weigh her, and it is not much at all which is very concerning for me. From what I could manage with my small little food scale, it seems she weighed in at 0.561 kg. I know this is extremely underweight, and I’m hoping she will be able to come back from all of this.

Again, I really do appreciate everyone’s concern and support. Although I have owned guinea pigs in the past, this forum has definitely opened my eyes to many factors which I have missed when it comes to guinea pig care and ensuring my piggies are being taken care of properly. I’ll make sure to update when I can.

Hi!

Please monitor her weight via weighing daily on the kitchen scales and give her as much as syringe feed as she will take willingly. Seeing a piggy nibbling on food can be very deceptive. 1ml of syringe is not really contributing to the 90-120 ml a healthy piggy is eating in a day. Only the scales are telling you whether she is eating enough to hold her weight or not; and to which degree you need to step in.

PLEASE NEVER STARVE A GUINEA PIG!
Unlike cats or dogs they rely fully on a constant supply of hay to keep going. By 'not putting a lot of weight on her body' you basically deliberately starve her and slow down the gut at a time when she needs all the energy from her food she can get for healing and getting better! Your lack of support can really make the difference between life or death during a crisis.

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre

 

[amber_co]

Hi!

Please monitor her weight via weighing daily on the kitchen scales and give her as much as syringe feed as she will take willingly. Seeing a piggy nibbling on food can be very deceptive. 1ml of syringe is not really contributing to the 90-120 ml a healthy piggy is eating in a day. Only the scales are telling you whether she is eating enough to hold her weight or not.

PLEASE NEVER STARVE A GUINEA PIG!
Unlike cats or dogs they rely fully on a constant supply of hay to keep going. By 'not putting a lot of weight on her body' you basically deliberately starve her and slow down the gut at a time when she needs all the energy she can get for healing and getting better.

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre

I have been feeding her (as she accepts it) 3ml of food about 4-5 times a day, which is about half of what critical care suggested based on her weight (25ml/day- 3ml 8 times a day). Do you suggest I feed her the full amount suggested by critical care? Again, this is a new experience for me so I’m just trying to do what is best.

 

[Wiebke]

I have been feeding her (as she accepts it) 3ml of food about 4-5 times a day, which is about half of what critical care suggested based on her weight (25ml/day- 3ml 8 times a day). Do you suggest I feed her the full amount suggested by critical care? Again, this is a new experience for me so I’m just trying to do what is best.

Please do not feed on spec and WEIGH her at least once daily at the same time so you know whether she needs more feed or not. Without weighing you can easily get it totally wrong because you cannot judge how much your piggy is eating by eye, only that it has not yet lost their appetite completely; which is an encouraging sign but it is too vague to rely on.

 

[anyar.dris]

Whenever I have a dental piggy that is losing weight, I make sure I feed him/her 15mls every 3 or 4 hours, so that's around 100-120 mls a day, especially before he/she can be seen by the vet and have the dental procedure. I start to gradually reduce the amount of feeding times depending on what his/her weight after the dental procedure everyday. I make sure the piggies never get starved. If you see that your piggy is losing weight, that means she needs more feeding. I do not follow what it says in the CC packet coz a lot of the times, it's not accurate for every piggy.

 

[Rufus&Edward]

I have been feeding her (as she accepts it) 3ml of food about 4-5 times a day, which is about half of what critical care suggested based on her weight (25ml/day- 3ml 8 times a day). Do you suggest I feed her the full amount suggested by critical care? Again, this is a new experience for me so I’m just trying to do what is best.

I've made the mistake of following this feeding guidance (both on the guidance of the CC pack, and advice from a local vet); your piggy will continue to lose weight rapidly on such low doses. Mine similarly was 'still eating' when he first was diagnosed with teeth problems, but on closer inspection he was just putting food in his mouth and licking at it, as his poor teeth were then too bad for chewing. That's how I also had initially missed that there was a problem, as he was seemingly still eating normally. It was only from daily weighing that I realised there was a problem.

My pig went to see Simon at the Cat & Rabbit Clinic only a couple of weeks ago for his latest dental; I'd asked Simon what dosage of CC I should be aiming for to get my pig's weight up and he said a minimum of 100mls a day.

As I said before, it's super hard getting an adult pig's weight up when they've lost it. For reference, my pig weighs 730g and has been on approx. 130mls CC each day, spread over 6-8 feeds, for the last 2 weeks, and has only gained 40g from all that effort. And he's also eating oats, vegetables and a little bit of hay in addition to this. Their weight is so important though;I've been told if my pig's bladder stones come back, he's now likely too underweight to survive another surgery

 

[amber_co]

Hello all,

I have a guinea pig which I have owned for almost 3 years. Recently, I traveled to see family, and due to car issues, stayed for 3 weeks rather than only 1. I had someone taking care of my guinea pig as far as food hay and water, but he was not so willing to clean up after my pig (I know, time to find a different pig sitter ). I returned home and immediately started cleaning her cage when I quickly noticed one of her eyes was foggy- almost a blue hue- with a white spot almost where her pupil is.

After much investigation, I assume she is dealing with a corneal ulcer. I immediately called an exotic vet and the earliest they could get me in to be seen since I am a new patient is July 1st - today is June 7th.

On top of this issue, research has also informed me about overgrown teeth causing eye, nose, and of course mouth issues, so I checked her teeth and found them to be really overgrown. Nothing is pushing into gums and she seems to not be in any pain, but her teeth are much more on the sides of each other rather than on top of each other. Ever since I adopted her she has always been small, not growing much, and sometimes sniffly, but never enough to be really concerned or worried (no colored discharge from the nose or eyes or wheezing). I’ve read on forums like this one that some piggies are just small. She has always seemed happy and comfortable eating and drinking and popcorning around, so even thinking to investigate anything further was in the way back of my mind. Because of this, I’m assuming her teeth issues have been present for a long time. I feel like THE WORST pet owner for this and can not believe I have gone this long without checking her teeth to see if this was an issue. I feel like I neglected her and should have brought her in to be seen as soon as I adopted her, but I was in college and broke and she seemed content and comfortable. She has always eaten and drank regularly with no issues, so I never thought to check her teeth.

The exotic vet assured me as long as she is eating/drinking, the eye is not getting worse or showing red/yellow/green discharge, and seems to be in little to no pain, she will be okay to wait until July 1st. If I were to experience any of these issues, I should bring her to an emergency veterinarian.

Being out of work due to COVID, it would be extremely difficult to afford a visit to the emergency vet, so if anyone has experienced this with their guinea pig and/or knows how I can keep her eye clean, and less likely to progress in the meantime I would be so grateful. Also, since she is quite small due to teeth troubles, if there’s any way I could help her eat and get more nutrients in her body for now that would be a great help as well.

Update on Gwen:

I was able to have Gwen seen by a veterinarian today, and it was discovered that she has very advanced and severe case of Dental Disease. Ultimately, her back cheek teeth grow very much inwards towards and over her tongue, making it incredibly hard for her to eat and drink and bring about several eye and nose issues. The vet informed me that, with the severity of her case, Gwen would need dental surgery every 4-6 weeks to keep her capable of eating and eating comfortably. This dental disease was nothing I could have avoided and she was likely born with it. We discussed how the constant surgery and anesthesia could bring about even more possible issues for Gwen, and considered the quality of life she would live for the rest of her life having surgery every month and a half, and how hard this first surgery would be on her considering how skinny and weak she already is. After a long and heartbreaking discussion, both the vet and I decided it would be best for her to be at peace and to not have to live the rest of her life in and out of surgery.

This was an incredibly difficult decision, and I hope it’s clear that I made the decision with no factor in mind but Gwen’s comfort and quality of life.

I was given the opportunity to donate Gwen’s remains to the hospital I went to to be used to educate current and future veterinarians and Vet techs. Although this was an unfortunate situation, I take comfort in knowing that there will be something good coming out of this.

Thank you all for taking the time to give your input and help me maneuver through this situation.

 

[Elthysia]

There is no judgement from others in making these decisions - I can feel the guilt you feel in your post. You did the right thing although it’s never easy and the last caring decision to make. Big hugs

 

[Rufus&Edward]

Update on Gwen:

I was able to have Gwen seen by a veterinarian today, and it was discovered that she has very advanced and severe case of Dental Disease. Ultimately, her back cheek teeth grow very much inwards towards and over her tongue, making it incredibly hard for her to eat and drink and bring about several eye and nose issues. The vet informed me that, with the severity of her case, Gwen would need dental surgery every 4-6 weeks to keep her capable of eating and eating comfortably. This dental disease was nothing I could have avoided and she was likely born with it. We discussed how the constant surgery and anesthesia could bring about even more possible issues for Gwen, and considered the quality of life she would live for the rest of her life having surgery every month and a half, and how hard this first surgery would be on her considering how skinny and weak she already is. After a long and heartbreaking discussion, both the vet and I decided it would be best for her to be at peace and to not have to live the rest of her life in and out of surgery.

This was an incredibly difficult decision, and I hope it’s clear that I made the decision with no factor in mind but Gwen’s comfort and quality of life.

I was given the opportunity to donate Gwen’s remains to the hospital I went to to be used to educate current and future veterinarians and Vet techs. Although this was an unfortunate situation, I take comfort in knowing that there will be something good coming out of this.

Thank you all for taking the time to give your input and help me maneuver through this situation. ❤

So sorry to hear this; poor Gwen It's clear how much you cared for her- you did your best for her and put her comfort first. I think you made the right decision if conscious dentals aren't an option near you; lots of anaesthesia is tough on a pig.

Be kind to yourself, and pay special attention to your other piggy as she'll likely be grieving too and could likely be feeling lonely soon.

 

[Bill & Ted]

I am so sorry you have had to make the agonising decision to have Gwen PTS. You have done this for all the right reasons, sending you big hugs. I fully understand having a dental piggie myself and know the heart searching this problem continually causes x