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Ella has a bottom incisor missing 😞

Claire W said:
No, I’ve tried and she just sniffs at it and walks away 😞 I’ve tried grated carrot and cucumber, she has a nibble but can’t manage it properly 😞 I don’t think it helps that she has a tender hole where she pulled the stitch. I get her weight up to around 920g but she loses it by the following day x
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It’s not that she’s gaining and losing. If you weigh her later in day, it’s just tummy fill, as you’ve been syringing her food. Just weigh first thing in morning, before you give her any syringe food. Then you’ve got a true weight.
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
It’s not that she’s gaining and losing. If you weigh her later in day, it’s just tummy fill, as you’ve been syringing her food. Just weigh first thing in morning, before you give her any syringe food. Then you’ve got a true weight.
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She’s weighing around 900g in the mornings. Vet said he doesn’t really want to see her much below that, it’s such a struggle 😞
 
Just weigh her at the same time, each morning. It’s very difficult to get a fully syringe fed guinea pig to gain weight, but if you can keep her weight fairly stable, that’s great. Just keep offering lots of different foods. When our dental piggies first arrive with us, they get an ‘all you eat’ buffet! I put lots of different foods in the cage to try and entice them to eat. I use lots of different flavour baby foods too xx
 
Claire you are doing great!
Elizabeth’s weight is fairly stable and at some point she is go8ng to feel able to have a go at eating. If you are worried about this stitch she pulled out and you send a photo to the vets and ask if this may be a cause of any pain?

I would try a bit of baby food, Ted liked one that was Carrot and Apple if I remember?
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
Just weigh her at the same time, each morning. It’s very difficult to get a fully syringe fed guinea pig to gain weight, but if you can keep her weight fairly stable, that’s great. Just keep offering lots of different foods. When our dental piggies first arrive with us, they get an ‘all you eat’ buffet! I put lots of different foods in the cage to try and entice them to eat. I use lots of different flavour baby foods too xx
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Bill & Ted said:
Claire you are doing great!
Elizabeth’s weight is fairly stable and at some point she is go8ng to feel able to have a go at eating. If you are worried about this stitch she pulled out and you send a photo to the vets and ask if this may be a cause of any pain?

I would try a bit of baby food, Ted liked one that was Carrot and Apple if I remember?
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Thank you. I’ll just weigh her in the mornings. I’ve tried her with baby food but she won’t eat that either 😞 I’m fearing that she’ll never be able to eat again 😞 I had a bad seizure yesterday so was in bed all afternoon and in to the evening so she went with out food and now I’m really worried.

I need to clean the cage today and then I’ll be spending all day trying to feed her what I can. I really can’t do this 😞 x
 
So sorry for you Claire, hope you are feeling better soon. I’m nit surprised you have been under so much stress and worry, these small furries take such a lot of care.
Sending Elizabeth loads of healing vibes 🤞
 
I really do understand how stressful it is to feed an uncooperative piggy. I feel for you. Sending you a massive hug. If I lived by you I’d be over to help. Can your parents or a friend help by holding Ella while you feed her? You’re doing a great job. You can only do so much. Hopefully as she heals she will start to eat for herself. Good luck.
 
Bill & Ted said:
So sorry for you Claire, hope you are feeling better soon. I’m nit surprised you have been under so much stress and worry, these small furries take such a lot of care.
Sending Elizabeth loads of healing vibes 🤞
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weepweeps said:
I really do understand how stressful it is to feed an uncooperative piggy. I feel for you. Sending you a massive hug. If I lived by you I’d be over to help. Can your parents or a friend help by holding Ella while you feed her? You’re doing a great job. You can only do so much. Hopefully as she heals she will start to eat for herself. Good luck.
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Thank you both, I’m just finding it all so stressful and overwhelming. I just wish she would eat for herself 😞

My mum held Ella for me yesterday and I fed her but it was still a struggle and my mum can’t be here all the time and I don’t have any friends close by to help and Chris is out at work all day so I’m having to do by myself 😞 I’m feeding her on the settee so she backs in to the corner and I trap her and try and feed her but it’s hard work and I feel really cruel 😞 x
 
That sounds like a good technique. Anything you get in is a bonus. Will she eat strands of grass?
 
Sorry that everything is so difficult for you at the moment. I hope that Ella starts to improve soon. You are doing a great job caring for her.xx
 
We've had a few piggies have incisor removals, but they've always been prescribed zithromax post surgery as well as a good anti-inflammatory pain relief. It does seem strange that you aren't seeing any significant improvment yet. What dose Loxicom/Metacam are you giving? Is it the dog version? x
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
We've had a few piggies have incisor removals, but they've always been prescribed zithromax post surgery as well as a good anti-inflammatory pain relief. It does seem strange that you aren't seeing any significant improvment yet. What dose Loxicom/Metacam are you giving? Is it the dog version? x
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I haven’t mentioned anything before but the vet found an inoperable growth deep down in to her root hence why he suspects she has bone cancer in her jaw. Of course, it could just be a little cyst which is what we’re hoping for. He offered to refer her to a specialist to take a biopsy but it would involve cutting in to her jaw so following his advise, I’ve declined as the outcome will be the same and he said it’s s big enough op for a cat never mind s frail guinea pig

She’s on 0.4ml dog metacam twice a day and 0.06ml Bupacare three times a day.

The vet did put a suture over the hold but she’s managed to pull it out so this is causing tenderness too. She was prescribed baytril but we’ve ran out now x
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
Many years ago we had a piggy who had a very strange mass growing from around her tooth. We got histology done and it was identified as a tooth origin tumour. Sadly it grew into her nasal cavity and affected her breathing, so she was put to sleep x
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I’m very sorry 😞 the mass is deep down in to her jaw and he couldn’t get at it even if he tried. I didn’t want to put anything on fb about this x
 
Sorry to hear Ella’s not doing the best.

You are doing great, I know how tough it is.
All you can do is doing your best by her as you are.
I have my fingers crossed she starts to feel better soon x
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
With a much larger species you could potentially remove part of the jaw bone, but it’s not possible in such a small pet.

I hope you start to see some improvement soon x
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I wouldn’t want to put her through it anyway.

Thank you, I do to. I’m not ready to say goodbye 😞 x
 
Claire W said:
No, she won’t eat anything 😞 I’ve been grating up her veg, she has a little nibble and then leaves it. Same with grass. Did Pepper eat anything? x
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Only a tiny bit of coriander. It was the Zithromax that stopped him eating. Not his tooth issue.

It’s just a waiting game really. You feed as much as you can while waiting for her to feel better and eat on her own.

Is there anything a vet can give her to improve her appetite?

How was her weight this morning?
 
weepweeps said:
Only a tiny bit of coriander. It was the Zithromax that stopped him eating. Not his tooth issue.

It’s just a waiting game really. You feed as much as you can while waiting for her to feel better and eat on her own.

Is there anything a vet can give her to improve her appetite?

How was her weight this morning?
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I wish it was medication that was stopping her from eating 😞

Thank you. I’m trying to feed her as much as she will take but it’s so hard as she hates the syringe so much 😞 She has cisapride but she has an appetite and trying to eat but she can’t 😞 She was 906g this morning x
 
Sending you my support Claire. I am so sorry you are going through this, I know how hard it is to feed a reluctant piggie. I hope she improves soon.
 
I’ve just nearly aspirated her while feeding 😞 She struggled to breathe for a few seconds and then coughed. Thankfully her lungs are clear but I feel awful 😞 She also has soft poos so I think I’ve gone a bit overboard making sure she’s hydrated
 
It’s easy done Claire. Don’t worry I’m sure Ella will be ok. At least your husband is home this weekend and will be able to help you feed her.
 
Claire W said:
Thank you both, I’m just finding it all so stressful and overwhelming. I just wish she would eat for herself 😞

My mum held Ella for me yesterday and I fed her but it was still a struggle and my mum can’t be here all the time and I don’t have any friends close by to help and Chris is out at work all day so I’m having to do by myself 😞 I’m feeding her on the settee so she backs in to the corner and I trap her and try and feed her but it’s hard work and I feel really cruel 😞 x
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Claire I’m so sorry, that must be really scary, hope Ella is ok, good that her lungs sound nice and clear.. (Sorry I think I called her Elisabeth previously :mal:)
What I used to do with Ted is place his bottom into my tummy and with my left arm/hand place along his body and face and use the other hand to administer the syringe. But it’s not easy is it, they always seem reluctant, but just remember you are doing it for her good. Did the vets only take out the dodgy root/tooth or did they do any other dental work?
 
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weepweeps said:
It’s easy done Claire. Don’t worry I’m sure Ella will be ok. At least your husband is home this weekend and will be able to help you feed her.
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Thank you. Yes, he’s home although he’s just informed me that he’s offered for us both to go and weed a friends mum and dads garden. Like I don’t have enough to do 😞 x
 
Bill & Ted said:
Claire I’m so sorry, that must be really scary, hope Ella is ok, good that her lungs sound nice and clear.. (Sorry I think I called her Elisabeth previously :mal:)
What I used to do with Ted is place his bottom into my tummy and with my left arm/hand place along his body and face and use the other hand to administer the syringe. But it’s not easy is it, they always seen reluctant, but just remember you are doing it for her good. Did the vets only take out the dodgy root/tooth or did they do any other dental work?
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Thank you, yes, it was really scary but thankfully she seems ok now. Well, as ok as she can be 😞 Aw don’t worry about calling her Elizabeth, it’s easily done. Thank you, I’ll try that too. No, the vet only removed the dodgy root / tooth apart from checking her back teeth a few days before, no other dental work was done x
 
Claire W said:
Thank you, yes, it was really scary but thankfully she seems ok now. Well, as ok as she can be 😞 Aw don’t worry about calling her Elizabeth, it’s easily done. Thank you, I’ll try that too. No, the vet only removed the dodgy root / tooth apart from checking her back teeth a few days before, no other dental work was done x
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Well maybe she still has a fair bit of bruising, sometimes they can feel tender and she has had a big op. I wish I could think of a way of building her confidence up to really get stuck in? Once she’s eaten and swallowed something well then I’m sure she would get eating, it’s just finding that something.
Is there a fruit or veggies/herb that she finds totally irresistible? My lot love cantaloupe melon, I give them all a thin 2” slither once a week, is there anything she would go crazy for?
 
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