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Eating problems

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RiffnRaffsMummy

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Hey, my 1 year old gp Riff was recently having difficulty eating. When i took him to the vets, he was found to have a 'rotten food pocket' in his mouth. The vet said his teeth appeared to be fine. After a course of ABs and critical care (fab stuff!) He was happily munching again without too much difficulty (though not as heartily as his brother!). Now he seems to be struggling again- I have the unopened critical care from the vets so i've been keeping him going with this, as he's still trying to eat- he 'grazes' at carrots and can pick at things. As I'm syringe feeding him as well as his attempting to eat solids he is in good spirits and maintaining weight. I wondered if anyone else had a similar problem- i know about GPs can have many teeth probs. After close inspection this evening I also noticed he had alot of hair protuding from his gums and I also wondered whether this was a result of washing or something more sinister. I will take him to the vet, but I really dont want him anaesthetised again as I'm sure it's unnecessary to do this to look at teeth! I'm in Plymouth if anyone knows where there's maybe a good rodentologist! 98)
 
so sorry to her about the eating problems will be a hard time for you. Sorry I can;t help you with advice as I have never experienced eating problems with my piggies (touch wood). I hope someone can give you some good advice. Its great he is still happy enough. XX
 
I think his teeth probably need a trim which is quite common with guinea pigs. Most dental work can be done without anesthetic by using buccal pads to open the mouth completely. Even though your guinea may struggle there is no pain involved with having the teeth themselves cut. If you are not confident with the vet he went to last time then phone around a couple tomorrow and ask how them trim guinea pigs teeth and whether they use anesthetic. It is is good that he is still eating buy would cut veggies/fruit into small pieces so he can still eat them until taking him to the vet. Make sure he is eating plenty of hay as this is a good way to help with his teeth. I would not leave it longer than a day to take him to the vets. Good luck.
 
welcome to the forums from me and the girls from oz :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: sorry to hear about riff, glynis another great lady from oz her piggy duke has teeth problems so am sure she can advise you. you could ring vedra Tel/Text Vedra's mobile 07721 026401 who can give you a good guinea pig vet for teeth or look in health and illness in thread recomended vets and see if there is one near you. maryh a health guru, strongly believes anaesthetic for teeth is not needed. i wouldn't know as never had teeth problems (touching wood) perhaps try him on some grass. good luck and please keep us posted O0 hugs and healing vibes :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
Could be a teeth problem that has been misdiagnosed, or it may be an infected pocket. This is a common problem for humans and animals. If the pocket thing is the case, this won't go away with 1 swish and a round of antibiotics. I am a dental hygienist and pockets are the most difficult to keep clean b/c their is always bacteria in the mouth going into the pocket. So, the pocket must be frequently cleaned out for healing to take place (hard to do with a guinea pig). You might want to get a glass dropper and try to rinse the pocket daily if possible. Water will help some but an antibacterial agent is best. Try either rinsing with water and then applying a small amount of Gentian violet or Oil of cloves to the area or Rinse with Sovereign Silver once or twice a day. I only use the Sovereign Silver brand b/c it is the most effective and safe. Also, a lack of B vitamins can cause this. A B 2 vitamin or B complex can help sometimes.
 
Neem toothpaste avcailable from any health food store is a good natural antibiotic and is very soothing.This gp needs to be seen by a vet who knows how to do the dentals properly,without anesthetic,It is possible that there is a spur onn the molars that is digging into the soft flesh.

What area are you in?.
 
I'm in Plymouth and registered with the vetinary hospital there. I feel very comfortable there, but I think I was unlucky in getting a less experienced vet- it also being my first trip to the vets. He's doing well, preferring to eat carrots rather than grass/dandies as he's unable to pull it in. I'm topping up with critical care and will take him to the vets as soon as I can. I am hopeful that he seems content still. The post about infected pockets makes sense but I was unaware that it would take time to heal, and the vet who examined him couldnt give a reason why it may have happened. The follow up session was with a senior vet who said he may also suffer from a neurological problem, but only time would tell (slight head tilting, wonky face!) I have been supplementing the water with vitamin drops, but does anyone know any good sources of vitamin B(s) that would be suitable for gps- both would benefit. I'd much rather go natural food rather than supplements but I'm sure u cant get vit B from plants....

Can I also just add, this has been my first visit to this site and I want to say thank you for the support- Maybe it's that guinea pigs are special things that bond people together, but whatever it is, there are some very special and helpful people here :D
 
Dark green leafy veggies contain B2 (as well as other B vitamins) which is most likely what he is low on (romaine lettuce, spinach, etc). Avocadoes contain some B vitamins too.
 
Hi and welcome to the forum from us in OZ also :) :)
Oh dear your poor little piggie Riff :'( :'( :'( i would def get a vet to check his toofies out without anaes if it all possible O0 O0 can you ask your vet hospital if you could book in with a piggy savvy vet and then discuss things with them O0 If the molars are over growing this will cause your Riff's mouth to get ulcers and other problems ..... this could be one of the factors :( My piggie has had ulcers, spurs etc... so i know how you're feeling and how Riff's little mouth would be so sore :'(
Does Riff eat lots of hay? this is very good for grinding down their teeth O0
Toofies can be trimmed without anaes (unfortunately we have not got anyone in OZ who will do this :( )
Wishing Riff all the best on his toofie visit to the vets, please let me know how you go we'll have our paws crossed that they can find the problem and rectify it for him :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
As for the concerns on the head tilt etc... your piggie might have had a stroke at some stage did you notice when this occured? Have a read thru some other threads on here we've had some successful come backs from this, don't give up hope O0 :)
 
I would be careful if you decide to pick up some neem toothpaste. Great product, but not great companies currently making it. In fact, one particular brand that most stores carry has been banned in Canada due to additions of some chemicals found in antifreeze as well as bacteria (which neem is supposed to kill). Anyways, this particular one is made by Neem Genie aka Neem Active, actually made by Chemical company in India. Beware of where the neem toothpastes are made and amounts of fluoride and active ingredients, etc. 1ppm fluoride should be ok, but any more for a pig could be harmful.
 
[quotynsayDH ]
Dark grn lafy vggis contain B2 (as wll as othr B vitamins) which is most likly what h is low on (romain lttuc, spinach, tc). [colorr]Avocaos contain som B vitamins too.
[/quot]


Avocaos ar poisionous to gp's :o
 
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Dark green cabbage like Savoy and Broccoli stalk is full of essential vitamins for guineas but be careful with the greens because you don't want to feed too many at one time because your guinea may develop soft poops. Maybe one variety of green every other day with usual veggies/fruit.
 
Yes avocado is toxic to gps and spinach is not too good for them either.It is best to give a large variety of veggies and herbs rather than just a few varieties.

The Neem toothpaste sold by Chrissie at GG is made by the India Chemical company so maybe email her about this.
 
Riff and Raff have a wide variety of fruit/veg and always trying something new! There favourites are carrot, curly kale/spring greens and peppers (any colour!). What is interesting is that Riff finds it easier to eat harder food like carrot and apple, but is struggling with grass, dandies and leafy stuff in general. There is always a large supply of hay but his interest at the minute is in the crunchy pellets and carrot he can gnaw at!
 
From what I've heard from vets the leafy stuff is the best for the teeth - I don't know if it's because it is harder to chew and break up? My guinea was the same when she had teeth problems - ate the hard stuff and left the leaft ones (her favourite).
 
Sorry to hear about Riff ... I can sympathize with you as I have been having trouble with my piggie, Joey, eating for a couple of months.

I am going to do a thread on him and post some photos but I am having a few hiccups with Photobucket tonight ... well, forgetting my password doesn't help I suppose! ::)
Anyway, Joey is a strange one. He has lots of problems but not being able to eat is certainly one of them! He has been to the vets three times who has checked his mouth which was all ok and trimmed his teech - ouch, that made me cringe! :o

Joey can only manage soft veg or fruits such as tomatoes, cucumber, pear or grapes although he can manage to eat a limited amount of dried food. Have you tried Riff on any of these for the time being so that he gets some nutrients?
 
hoping riff and raff are doing well and wishing you luck at the vets O0 perhaps see one who specialises in guinea pigs and their teeth, or you could give vedra a ring as she specialises in teeth and if too far away she could recomend someone near you. please keep us posted, hugs and healing vibes :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
Thanks Goldie, and sorry to hear about Joey. Funnily enough Riff goes for the hard stuff- he likes a challenge- I've tried soft fruits with both boys before and they're not so keen- they're not even bothered in a juicy watermelon!

I think the healing vibes are working, though. He's out alot more at the moment and munching away- small munching, but still munching, carrot tops and parsley. He's maintaining his weight at doesnt look so wobbly. He's always been wobbly from a young age so he gets alot of attention and i think he's grown to quite like mummy helping him! Haven't gone to the vets just yet, he's looking better I'm inclined to give him a chance to sort himself out-as long as he's eating and maintaining weight, although i will get him checked out this week just in case. Thanks for all your advice and thoughts :smitten:
 
I personally would still take him for a check up as teeth problems in guineas can be hidden especially if a spur is the problem rather than a few teeth needing a trim. Sometimes they eat more one day than another so keep a close eye.
 
They probably don't like the fruits right now because it may burn the sore area.
 
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