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Dental Eva And Her Teeth

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Midge&Panda

Midge&Panda

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A little bit of reassurance and advice needed please also some healing vibes for Eva if you could.
Eva is a 2 1/2 year rescue, recently she lost her 'sister' and has been quiet ever since. We tried bonding her with a couple of babies but she was having none of it, she still has lots of contact with other pigs all be it through the bars of the cage. I noticed she was slowly losing weight so off she goes to the vets who like me thinks its to do with her teeth. Eva had a dental on Wednesday, it was discovered her molars were slightly overgrown as well as having spurs. This was dealt with and she came home rather quiet but she was eating by herself. She was also having a top-up of critical care. Thursday she stopped picking at her hay so I started to hand feed her, this went very well. All good so far- Friday night she can no longer eat the hay, its like when I thread the hay into the mouth she cannot get a grip on it. Post-up check today and its decided that she is to stay in the hospital so she can get 24 hour care and feeding. She has lost about 80g since the op. Any thoughts or suggestions or is this what can happen after a dental. I've had 2 other dental pigs, Albert sadly died after the GA due to heart failure, Pappy resumed eating straight away with no problems. I think what I'm trying to say is it early days to start panicking or is it something to be worried about. Many thanks.
 
Just an idea but when Eva came home after the op she was rushed back in, something wasn't quire right with her and it was discovered she had blood in her urine. She was given baytril 0.5ml twice a day. Just reading up on antibiotics I found that it can cause loss of appetite as well as iritibility/hyper excitement (as well as others) Eva has been displaying both of these symptoms. I have spoken to the nurse to stop the medicine and if it is deemed necessary to put her onto septrin. Hopefully this might sort out her problem. Fingers crossed.
 
Was the dental carried out under GA?

Dental issues in guinea pigs are incredibly difficult to get effective treatment for. Many vets simply do not have the experience or the expertise to be able to use techniques that will actually resolve or even manage the symptoms.

Even if a vet understands the correct anatomy of piggy teeth (many wrongly assume they are the same as bunny teeth), it is the GA that prevents success. Obviously, the procedure can't be carried out as regularly as is required initially to tackle the problem (often weekly, and even every few days in some cases). With standard practice under GA, the piggy's teeth are 'sorted' under GA and then won't be touched again for several weeks, until the piggy can't eat again, leaving them back at square one, usually weighing less than before and with teeth in poorer condition.

We have had great successes, both at the Sanctuary and with our own pigs. Our vet, Simon Maddock, has over a decade of experience using conscious dentistry in piggies, with more and more being successfully cured. His knowledge is second to none. If teeth are particularly bad, an initial dental under GA may be required (although this is rare). Because piggies are then treated without anaesthesia, their teeth can be tidied up as and when it is needed, in order to maintain momentum with their
their progress and removing the need to recover from any anaesthesia. Coupling this with supportive care from TEAS, piggies can have good outcomes. Some will only ever be able to have their condition managed, needing a quick tidy up every few weeks, others (generally if seen by Simon before too much damage has been done by others) can go back to leading a dental free life. Obviously, there are no guarantees with any of this. Time really is of the essence, though - sadly we have had some piggies brought to the Sanctuary this year, who had been receiving inadequate treatment for too long and they arrived in such a weak state, their little bodies gave up on them.

It is normal for a piggy to not want to eat after a dental, particularly if their mouth has been made sore - ulceration and the like - and it will depend on how their teeth have been filed - do they still meet? The effects of a GA can also knock their system for six. If a guinea pig is not eating anything for themselves, you will need to be looking at syringe feeding around 120ml of recovery food (many prefer mashed up nuggets) per 24 hour period, to maintain weight.

I am aware that you are miles away from us, but temporary places can be offered for piggies at TEAS, depending on availability. If you'd like a chat about options, you can find the contact details on the website: www.teasnorthampton.co.uk
I'll tag Debbie and also Stewart, for transport options.

@furryfriends Excellent Adventure Sanctuary
@Stewybus
 
If you need help in getting Eve to Debbie at TEAS, The Piggy Train can provide volunteers to do the journey iin stages. If you need help with this please tag me or send a pm :) x
 
I have just spoken to the nurse ,It looks like Eva's front teeth are growing back at an odd angle, The original op was done under GA. They are thinking about putting her back under to 'redo' the teeth. I think a visit to TEAS is a definite option.
 
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