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Edward: dental problems

Claire W said:
Thank you. I'm just worried that there's something more sinister going on with his back teeth :( Sorry, my anxiety is in overdrive as I lost Enoch to dental problems so it's my worst nightmare
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I can imagine, once you’ve had a dental piggie it’s always a worry, so sorry about Enoch :hug:

As you may remember Bill broke his incisors and had the most dreadful looking front teeth but Simon regularly checked his back teeth and always said his back teeth were perfect. I would give him a little time for them to grow back if you think he has broken them and then access what they are like, keep monitoring his weight daily and support him while his teeth grow back. Otherwise if you think they are slanted and not chipped then I would make an appt with your vet for next week with a view to seek a referral to the C&R in Northampton if you can x
 
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Claire W said:
Thank you. I weighed him before his breakfast and he has lost a further 20g since yesterday morning :( I have offered him a bowl of mushed pellets and he ate a little and I’ve seen him eat a little hay. He’s just worrying me so much :(
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If his weight continues to fall, please switch from offering a bowl of mush to syringe feeding 3-4 times in a day. For today, offer him mush more often. Keep in kind that you cannot control the all important hay intake by eye but that one important role of weighing is to adjust the level of support care to stabilise the weight/slow down any weight loss.

Right now, things are not critical but you may want to book a vet appointment for next week to see what is going on if the weight loss continues or you need to up your support care to make up for it.

Is Edward on pain medication and if yes, on what and at what dosage?
 
Wiebke said:
If his weight continues to fall, please switch from offering a bowl of mush to syringe feeding 3-4 times in a day. For today, offer him mush more often. Keep in kind that you cannot control the all important hay intake by eye but that one important role of weighing is to adjust the level of support care to stabilise the weight/slow down any weight loss.

Right now, things are not critical but you may want to book a vet appointment for next week to see what is going on if the weight loss continues or you need to up your support care to make up for it.

Is Edward on pain medication and if yes, on what and at what dosage?
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Thank you. I will do. I'm just so worried and stressed out especially as he's due to come to you soon. I'm going to phone the vets when they open on Monday and try and get him an appointment for Monday or at the latest, Tuesday.

He's on cat metacam as unfortunately my vet stopped prescribing the dog version when the cat one was licensed for guinea pigs. He's on 0.3ml twice a day. It was only once a day as originally is was for his penis being swollon which has since gone down but I've been giving it him twice a day
 
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Claire W said:
Thank you. I will do. I'm just so worried and stressed out especially as he's due to come to you soon. I'm going to phone the vets when they open on Monday and try and get him an appointment for Monday or at the latest, Tuesday.

He's on cat metacam as unfortunately my vet stopped prescribing the dog version when the cat one was licensed for guinea pigs. He's on 0.3ml twice a day. It was only once a day as originally is was for his penis being swollon which has since gone down but I've been giving it him twice a day
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Please don't stress over him coming to me; I've got quite a bit more experience with ill piggies than you nor am I living in the wilderness. I have got vets within my own reach, including the Cat&Rabbit if needed. ;)
 
Claire W said:
Thank you. I will do. I'm just so worried and stressed out especially as he's due to come to you soon. I'm going to phone the vets when they open on Monday and try and get him an appointment for Monday or at the latest, Tuesday.

He's on cat metacam as unfortunately my vet stopped prescribing the dog version when the cat one was licensed for guinea pigs. He's on 0.3ml twice a day. It was only once a day as originally is was for his penis being swollon which has since gone down but I've been giving it him twice a day
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Could you please specifiy whether that is cat or dog metacam? It makes a real difference.
 
Claire W said:
Thank you for still taking him. That's a huge weight off my mind. He's on cat metacam as unfortunately my vets no longer give the dog version to piggies since the cat one became licensed
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That is the equivalent of 0.1 ml of dog metacam and as low as it gets. You can safely give three times more and see whether that make a difference with his eating (i.e 0.9 ml cat metacam twice daily).
 
Wiebke said:
That is the equivalent of 0.1 ml of dog metacam and as low as it gets. You can safely give three times more and see whether that make a difference with his eating (i.e 0.9 ml cat metacam twice daily).
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Thank you. I’ll try that and see if it helps. I so wish vets wouldn’t under dose :( How is a tooth root abscess diagnosed?
 
Claire W said:
Thank you. I’ll try that and see if it helps. I so wish vets wouldn’t under dose :( How is a tooth root abscess diagnosed?
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They usually appear as a small, hard, grain to pea-sized swelling in the upper or lower jaw area when you feel along the mouth and side of the chin; this swelling/firmly anchored lump gets bigger and softer as the abscess grows quicky and eventually bursts either into the mouth or through the skin - which brings instant pain relief from the growing pressure, if nothing else.
 
Wiebke said:
They usually appear as a small, hard, grain to pea-sized swelling in the upper or lower jaw area when you feel along the mouth and side of the chin; this swelling/firmly anchored lump gets bigger and softer as the abscess grows quicky and eventually bursts either into the mouth or through the skin - which brings instant pain relief from the growing pressure, if nothing else.
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Thank you. I couldn’t feel any lumps or bumps when I checked his mouth and chin but I guess I’m not a vet :( If he does have one, I’d prefer for it to just burst. I can’t bare the thought of him being in pain :(

I’ve managed to get 3ml of syringe feed in to him just now. I know that’s not enough but it’s all he would take :( I’ve left a bowl of mushed pellets in the cage as I assume he’ll eat it if he’s hungry? He had some earlier today away from the girls
 
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Claire W said:
Thank you. I couldn’t feel any lumps or bumps when I checked his mouth and chin but I guess I’m not a vet :( If he does have one, I’d prefer for it to just burst. I can’t bare the thought of him being in pain :(

I’ve managed to get 3ml of syringe feed in to him just now. I know that’s not enough but it’s all he would take :( I’ve left a bowl of mushed pellets in the cage as I assume he’ll eat it if he’s hungry? He had some earlier today away from the girls
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You will still need to see your vet promptly with a burst abscess because it needs flushing twice daily and 1-2 courses of preferably a strong antibiotic to minimise the risk of a return; treatment is the same as for a lanced abscess. It won't heal up nicely on its own, sorry. Nor is the stink nice... :yikes:

MUCH better to have it dealt with before it gets that bad if you can see a vet as soon as it is starting to come up!
 
Wiebke said:
You will still need to see your vet promptly with a burst abscess because it needs flushing regulars and 1-2 courses of a strong antibiotic to minimise the risk of a return; treatment is the same as for a lanced abscess. It won't heal up nicely on its own, sorry. Nor is the stink nice...

MUCH better to have it dealt with before it gets that bad!
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Thank you. I gave his mouth a good sniff earlier today and couldn't smell anything other than guinea pig breath. I'll feel better once Monday comes and I have him an appointment booked
 
Claire W said:
Thank you. I gave his mouth a good sniff earlier today and couldn't smell anything other than guinea pig breath. I'll feel better once Monday comes and I have him an appointment booked
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You can smell an abscess only once it is burst. It has a very distinct and rather overpowering smell that you cannot miss and will never forget once you have smelled it once.
 
Wiebke said:
You can smell an abscess only once it is burst but it has a very distinct and rather overpowering smell you cannot miss and will never forget once you have smelled it once.
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Thank you. At least I know if he does have an abscess that it hasn't burst and that he doesn't have oral thrush. Two things to rule out I guess
 
I'm sorry you are going through this.ive had a piggie twice with broken teeth,one from a fight with another boar.in my experience it takes 10 days for the insciors to grow back.they were slanted until wearing of both insciors were grown.your piggie is with the best slave.i hope all sorts out.xx
 
Thank you to everyone who have replied to this thread. You are all keeping me going and your advise and support is invaluable.

I see him in they hay but I'm not sure if he is eating it :( Will his back teeth overgrow if he doesn't eat hay? I keep offering grass but he's only eating a little at a time :( He's lost a further 5g since yesterdays weigh in just before breakfast taking him down to 845g. I'm trying my best not to worry. Tomorrow when I phone the vet can't come soon enough. I just hope they can fit him in tomorrow or Tuesday at the lastest x
 
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Thank you. He was losing around 20g a day so it was advised that I increased his metacam so may be that’s helped. We have come to Lytham Saint Anne’s for the day to visit by brother so I gave him a feed this morning although he was only willing to take 3ml again and have left a bowl of mushed pellets in the cage, grass and topped up the hay. He was eating veggies when we left. I’ll feed him again when we get home
 
Claire W said:
Thank you. He was losing around 20g a day so it was advised that I increased his metacam so may be that’s helped. We have come to Lytham Saint Anne’s for the day to visit by brother so I gave him a feed this morning although he was only willing to take 3ml again and have left a bowl of mushed pellets in the cage, grass and topped up the hay. He was eating veggies when we left. I’ll feed him again when we get home
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Give him several top up feeds over the evening possible to help keep the weight up. Upping the cat metacam will have helped to keep the weight stable, too.
 
Got home to find Edward eating pellets from the food bowl. He's had his tea and a top up but I only managed to get 1ml in to him as he's very un cooperative :( He's 880g after his tea and top up although I know he will lose again overnight. I am using his morning weights before breakfast to monitior him
 
Try not to weigh more than once daily as there are so many fluctuations. Try him again in maybe 1-1.5 and see if he’ll take some more. You’re doing great Claire 😉
 
Claire W said:
Thank you. I'm trying not to weigh him more than once a day, it's just hard not too. He's not doing much pooing and when he does, it's soft and clumpy :(
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Scrap that. He’s just done some poos. Slightly thin and wet but he’s pooed. Do these poos look ok considering he isn't eating very well?

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