• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Dental Dental abscess

E

Elthysia

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jan 14, 2019
Messages
263
Reaction score
359
Points
430
Location
London - UK
I noticed last night just before bed that Ragnar’s eye looked a little sunken compared with his other one (slightly, wasn’t sure if I was imagining it). On further inspection I found an abscess on his jaw. It’s about 1cm round, not very big and not visible to the eye only by feeling.
I feel bad for not noticing before but he hates chinrubs so I don’t go there too often!

After a night of no sleep going over all the horror stories of botched tooth jobs and debating whether to go my usual vet (one vet at that practice 4 years ago decided to cut his incisors during neutering op “to be helpful” but I forgave it as they saved his life in many ways at that time) and taking the trip to Simon and Kim (I’ve never been) I’ve settled on the latter this morning.

I’m booked in for Monday as it’s a 2h drive there and back and my car is in for the first available appointment since lockdown eased this Saturday to have its brakes replaced and I don’t want to drive to the vet on dodgy brakes.

Please cross all fingers and toes that the abscess doesn’t become much worse over the weekend - if it does I can go to my normal vet by taxi if needed and instruct them not to cut his teeth but just deal with the abscess emergency whilst letting Kim deal with the teeth on Monday.

He’s nearly 5 so not too keen on having him treated whilst being asleep (I can never spell that word for it).

So that’s the plan. I don’t like waiting for treatment. At all. I’m a nervous wreck but I guess sleep derivation does that.

He has no behavioural change at all yet and is still 1370g and popcorning yesterday so I’m hoping waiting till Monday will work out!

There is no question in this post I suppose but I feel I need a bit of support! Penny is on eye drops and Arya was wheezing a little and I feel like telling them to stop all being ill at the same time as it’s so stressful!
 
I would definitely go and see Simon or Kim Maddock at the Cat and Rabbit. I have had two botched dentals with anaesthetic now with Ted and it’s really not worth the risk unless you know your vet can do excellent dental work on piggies x
Good luck, they do conscious dentals there so it’s far safer, hope all your piggies get well soon and give you a breather
 
Bill & Ted said:
I would definitely go and see Simon or Kim Maddock at the Cat and Rabbit. I have had two botched dentals with anaesthetic now with Ted and it’s really not worth the risk unless you know your vet can do excellent dental work on piggies x
Good luck, they do conscious dentals there so it’s far safer, hope all your piggies get well soon and give you a breather
Click to expand...

Thank you - I’ve been quietly following your thread and I do emphasise for your situation with Ted. Hope things get easier soon as you find a rhythm perhaps.Funny enough my usual vet have been awarded London best vet but I just don’t feel confident on this matter.

There’s another vet nearby who is supposed to be specialist in small animals including guineas but I could never get an appointment when I tried them so I didn’t feel like that was right either. I think Simon and Kim need to start anacademy haha! They need missionaries to learn from them to go teach other vets through the rest of the country.

in one of my mad moments during last night no sleep I decided to spend the next 10 years retraining as a vet so I can then focus on doing guinea pig dentals only. I’ve come to my senses this morning

all my love to Ted. You’re a fab owner, an example to us all
 
Elthysia said:
Thank you - I’ve been quietly following your thread and I do emphasise for your situation with Ted. Hope things get easier soon as you find a rhythm perhaps.Funny enough my usual vet have been awarded London best vet but I just don’t feel confident on this matter.

There’s another vet nearby who is supposed to be specialist in small animals including guineas but I could never get an appointment when I tried them so I didn’t feel like that was right either. I think Simon and Kim need to start anacademy haha! They need missionaries to learn from them to go teach other vets through the rest of the country.

in one of my mad moments during last night no sleep I decided to spend the next 10 years retraining as a vet so I can then focus on doing guinea pig dentals only. I’ve come to my senses this morning

all my love to Ted. You’re a fab owner, an example to us all
Click to expand...
Aw thank you so much, I’m doing my best for him with Debbie’s care too. I think you are right to be cautious, there are amazing vets out there to be fair but most lack any knowledge and experience of guinea pig dentistry. Yes Simon and Kim are fab, I wish they could set up training schemes for interested vets too especially down here in Cornwall. Those thoughts are very similar to ones I have too while I’m half asleep!
Hope everything goes well x
 
Simon saved my piggies life regarding a jaw abscess. It was a horrific case though so not the same situation as yours. The abscess had burst from his jaw up under one of his bottom incisors and then infected the tooth root. Then and there Simon took Little for an op to remove everything from inside abscess and remove the tooth too. He’s 100% the best person to go. He is very skilled and lives up to his reputation.
 
He’s currently at the clinic with Kim. She examined him earlier and is fairly sure it’s an abscess but it could be a tumour so she’s going in with the sharps, hopefully today so I’m hanging around Northampton at the moment but in “bad” scenario tomorrow so I’d have to leave him and make the trip again.

she said he is in really good health (he’s nearly/about 5 yrs old) and the teeth seem good so perhaps the location of the abscess a bit of coincidence and not likely to have ongoing teeth issues.

anyway, will update later, if he’s going under today.

on the plus side, I got to meet @alpacasqueak and Jess earlier as our appointments were next to eachother I think!
 
alpacasqueak said:
Really lovely to meet you! We’re home thank god! Sorry for getting tearful! And pleased Jess didn’t pee on you! :))Hope it all goes well for your little man today and not too much of a long day! x
Click to expand...

It was so lovely to meet you and your girls! Don’t worry about tears! Plenty have been shed from my side today!

Ragnar is coming around from his Op. unfortunately (maybe?) it’s a mass rather than an abscess but it could be benign.

ive decided to have it tested in due course (the sample keeps for a few months, Kim told me) so that for now I can focus on his wound healing and of course make sure he eats and is not in pain as Kim had to go through a few layers of muscle so it’s going to be painful and it’s his jaw after all.

once that is all healed and he’s fine, I’ll get the test done so I have some emotional load space to hear whether it’s benign or not!

Now waiting for the call to when he can get home. I’m liking this area and may well move here! Had plenty of time to explore it today haha!
 
Elthysia said:
It was so lovely to meet you and your girls! Don’t worry about tears! Plenty have been shed from my side today!

Ragnar is coming around from his Op. unfortunately (maybe?) it’s a mass rather than an abscess but it could be benign.

ive decided to have it tested in due course (the sample keeps for a few months, Kim told me) so that for now I can focus on his wound healing and of course make sure he eats and is not in pain as Kim had to go through a few layers of muscle so it’s going to be painful and it’s his jaw after all.

once that is all healed and he’s fine, I’ll get the test done so I have some emotional load space to hear whether it’s benign or not!

Now waiting for the call to when he can get home. I’m liking this area and may well move here! Had plenty of time to explore it today haha!
Click to expand...
These piggies and their trouble! 🙄
Really glad he’s coming round ok, he’s definitely a little fighter! Sorry to hear it’s a lump rather than an abscess but fingers crossed all nothing to worry about, at least it’s out now! Big hugs to him from me and the girls!
Thanks for the support too, it was nice you were there to talk to! Just wish I could have met the piggies too! Hope he heals well xx
 
Claire W said:
Sending lots of healing thoughts and vibes and it’s lovely you got to meet @alpacasqueak x
Click to expand...
Sure it was definitely better to meet Jess though! She’s great! When lovely @eileen came to drop my naughty Aliona off in January Jess fell asleep on her shoulder for a good half an hour! :)) She’s a lover! And a licker!:))
Luigi spent five mins trying to jump off the sofa! :doh:
 
alpacasqueak said:
Sure it was definitely better to meet Jess though! She’s great! When lovely @eileen came to drop my naughty Aliona off in January Jess fell asleep on her shoulder for a good half an hour! :)) She’s a lover! And a licker!:))
Luigi spent five mins trying to jump off the sofa! :doh:
Click to expand...

She sounds like a very special piggy x
 
We just got home, we left at 7.30am so longest vet trip ever! I’m exhausted but nevermind that! He’s really quite sleepy still but he’s eating so I’m happy about that (ok “happy” is an understatement, I had a little cry to see him eat on his own).

Fingers crossed healing goes well. Poor thing had half his face shaved for the Op so looks rather sorry! Bless

Here is a pic from the weekend pre-op. Ragnar on the left and ginger Arya on the right. I had Kim also do a quick health check on Arya as she’s about 4 now and all ok 😁

you can see the lump on his jaw to the left.
 

Attachments

  • A185AF29-1112-4D5D-B372-C40456116ABA.webp
    A185AF29-1112-4D5D-B372-C40456116ABA.webp
    91.4 KB · Views: 7
So pleased you’re home but what a bloody long day! Long for me but nothing compared to you! You’re amazing!
They’re both gorgeous and look pretty calm considering the day they’ve had, all that squabbling takes it out of you too :))
Hope you all have a good night and he feels better in the morning when the drugs have worn off!
Great about Arya too :love: x
 
alpacasqueak said:
So pleased you’re home but what a bloody long day! Long for me but nothing compared to you! You’re amazing!
They’re both gorgeous and look pretty calm considering the day they’ve had, all that squabbling takes it out of you too :))
Hope you all have a good night and he feels better in the morning when the drugs have worn off!
Great about Arya too :love: x
Click to expand...
Thanks for saying I’m amazing! I find the guilt really hard! In his mind there was nothing wrong with him so he suddenly gets dumped in a carrier to go in the car for hours to then have a stranger do something to him and now he’s pretty sore! How do you explain that to a piggy? I just always feel like he’ll now think I’m evil!
 
Elthysia said:
Thanks for saying I’m amazing! I find the guilt really hard! In his mind there was nothing wrong with him so he suddenly gets dumped in a carrier to go in the car for hours to then have a stranger do something to him and now he’s pretty sore! How do you explain that to a piggy? I just always feel like he’ll now think I’m evil!
Click to expand...
You’re definitely not evil! You were doing it for him and that’s definitely amazing!
Sure my girls weren’t too impressed I dragged them on a noisy trains full of strange masked people either though to be honest! :doh:
Hope he’s ok today anyway and you all got a good sleep after your very long day! x
 
Hello all, quick update - I didn’t want to post yesterday as I was keeping a close eye and not overly happy with him not eating much. I had a bit of a battle trying to give him The antibiotics tablet crushed up in Critical Care and it was a nightmare. This morning I put it on the top of the fibreplex syringe and he didn’t even notice it as he goes mad for fibreplex! How easy that was compared with yesterday.

he then screamed for breakfast and dashed in, grabbed tomato and ran back out with it and it makes me happy to see he’s got his appetite back. I’m so happy to see him so normal again!

In cuteness factor 10, after he had last night’s fibreplex he had a bit spilt down his chin and Arya dove under him in “Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel-style“ to lick it off him for a good 10 mins, whilst he stood there feeling like a god thinking she was lovingly grooming him 😂

Fingers crossed no infection will occur and all will be well! I will have the biopsy sample tested probably next month so let’s hope the mass was benign. Thanks all for your support!
 
Aah bless them :love:So pleased he’s perked up and enjoying his tomato :D Hope he carries on munching and causes no more worry for his mummy!
I’ve always crushed tablets too but I recently learnt from lovely Debbie at TEAS on one of her videos you can give them whole via syringe if that’s any easier for you both?
Medicating your guinea pig - Instructional video on Facebook
Just a thought but it sounds like he doesn’t mind it crushed on the fibreplex!
 
alpacasqueak said:
Aah bless them :love:So pleased he’s perked up and enjoying his tomato :D Hope he carries on munching and causes no more worry for his mummy!
I’ve always crushed tablets too but I recently learnt from lovely Debbie at TEAS on one of her videos you can give them whole via syringe if that’s any easier for you both?
Medicating your guinea pig - Instructional video on Facebook
Just a thought but it sounds like he doesn’t mind it crushed on the fibreplex!
Click to expand...
That’s a great tip, thank you! I’ve never done tablets before yesterday! Little rascals!
 
Elthysia said:
That’s a great tip, thank you! I’ve never done tablets before yesterday! Little rascals!
Click to expand...
Glad it helped! Jess has decided she hates metacam, loved it for years and would desperately lick Rupert's lips for it after a dose, nope, it’s now disgusting! 🙄:doh:
 
Elthysia said:
Thank you - i wish I’d known this one yesterday haha! Yes, those are the ones, Marbocyl. Only 2 more tablets to go but he hates critical care too so I think I’ll just stick it on the fibreplex tube for now.
Click to expand...

I never use critical care. I mush up their normal guinea pig nuggets. The piggies usually prefer them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top