Kirstones
New Born Pup
I need some serious advice with a dental issue I’m having with one of my pigs, 4 year old Bruce.
A few weeks ago I noticed his poops getting softer so booked him in for a check up with the vet, before this came he stopped eating food completely. I took him in to the vets asap and they found that he had overgrown molars. The next day he had surgery to burr these and the incisors too.
That surgery was on the 11th of June, he recovered well and was fine in himself afterwards but still wasn’t eating at all. He tried to eat and was very excited for food but couldn’t actually puncture the food with his incisors even though they had been trimmed. I gave him critical care and the vet wanted to re-check on Saturday.
On Saturday the vet said he’d never seen a guinea pig unable to eat after having dental surgery. He was booked in to have another incisor burr to see if they were still too long although they were meeting perfectly. He ended up going under GA again on Monday and I requested an X-Ray. The vet found that the molars had grown into Bruce’s jaw, his mouth shape/the roof of his mouth had changed slightly too. The vet took the molars down almost to the gums and burred the incisors as well.
Since Monday I have continued with critical care because Bruce is still unable to eat food himself at all. He still can’t puncture the food with his incisors and isn’t interested/can’t grab food when I hand feed very small pieces. I even try to hold things like lettuce for him and if he grabs it to pull, it just slowly slides out of his mouth as if he can’t grip it.
He has been on metacam since his surgery. He initially lost weight but is now maintaining. I have a phone call with the vet today and probably another face to face appointment with Bruce tomorrow. I have seen a vet recommended in Northampton that specialise in dental issues (I live in north west Leicestershire). Believe me I have tried everything under the sun to get him to eat.
Please please does anyone have any advice on what to do or have been in a similar situation. I am at such a loss right now and I want to exhaust every single possibility before the doom and gloom.
Picture for cuteness
A few weeks ago I noticed his poops getting softer so booked him in for a check up with the vet, before this came he stopped eating food completely. I took him in to the vets asap and they found that he had overgrown molars. The next day he had surgery to burr these and the incisors too.
That surgery was on the 11th of June, he recovered well and was fine in himself afterwards but still wasn’t eating at all. He tried to eat and was very excited for food but couldn’t actually puncture the food with his incisors even though they had been trimmed. I gave him critical care and the vet wanted to re-check on Saturday.
On Saturday the vet said he’d never seen a guinea pig unable to eat after having dental surgery. He was booked in to have another incisor burr to see if they were still too long although they were meeting perfectly. He ended up going under GA again on Monday and I requested an X-Ray. The vet found that the molars had grown into Bruce’s jaw, his mouth shape/the roof of his mouth had changed slightly too. The vet took the molars down almost to the gums and burred the incisors as well.
Since Monday I have continued with critical care because Bruce is still unable to eat food himself at all. He still can’t puncture the food with his incisors and isn’t interested/can’t grab food when I hand feed very small pieces. I even try to hold things like lettuce for him and if he grabs it to pull, it just slowly slides out of his mouth as if he can’t grip it.
He has been on metacam since his surgery. He initially lost weight but is now maintaining. I have a phone call with the vet today and probably another face to face appointment with Bruce tomorrow. I have seen a vet recommended in Northampton that specialise in dental issues (I live in north west Leicestershire). Believe me I have tried everything under the sun to get him to eat.
Please please does anyone have any advice on what to do or have been in a similar situation. I am at such a loss right now and I want to exhaust every single possibility before the doom and gloom.
Picture for cuteness
I now have my third and final piggie that has just been diagnosed with heart disease so she is palliative. I honestly feel like I can’t catch a break from bad news this year, I’ve lost two pigs in 4 months and now this. Keep little Mabel in your thoughts for me 
