• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Hazels Case Of Extreme Maloclussion

Status
Not open for further replies.

Ajf6789

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jul 18, 2016
Messages
25
Reaction score
5
Points
60
So I have an appointment at the vet in 3 hours for my Guinea pig with malocclusion. Her top incisors are over grown under and behind her bottom ones. I have been hand feeding her pellets soaked in water for the last two days. When I called the vet they said that they might have to extract her teeth. I don't know what to expect.... If anyone has been through the same thing please help me!
 
So I have an appointment at the vet in 3 hours for my Guinea pig with malocclusion. Her top incisors are over grown under and behind her bottom ones. I have been hand feeding her pellets soaked in water for the last two days. When I called the vet they said that they might have to extract her teeth. I don't know what to expect.... If anyone has been through the same thing please help me!
I guess what I'm asking is what is the recovery like
 
I understand how scary this must be, and I am not an expert in piggies with dental issues.
There are several brilliant people on this forum who are, and I am sure one of them will be along soon to give their advice.

What I would say is that I don't think the teeth will need o be extracted unless there are other issues.
If they are overgrown then they can be trimmed back to give your piggie a chance to eat normally again.

Good luck and please let us know how you get on.
 
Are you in the UK?
I can't see why the teeth would have to be taken out as opposed to burring them down? Is this a vet who specialises in exotic animals like guinea pigs?
 
I understand how scary this must be, and I am not an expert in piggies with dental issues.
There are several brilliant people on this forum who are, and I am sure one of them will be along soon to give their advice.

What I would say is that I don't think the teeth will need o be extracted unless there are other issues.
If they are overgrown then they can be trimmed back to give your piggie a chance to eat normally again.

Good luck and please let us know how you get on.
I will let you know how it goes.... Thank you for all of the reassurance!
 
Hi, could you add your location? There may be a recommended vet in your area.

The reason i am asking as i think we are a little concerned about the vet wanting to remove teeth- this shouldnt be a first port of call, hence why we are questioning how knowledgable the vet is with guinea pigs and their teeth.

Please dont allow the vet to extract teeth- this will make your guinea pig unable to pick up food, causing the back teeth to overgrow and making the situation a whole lot worse.

The teeth should be burred (filed) down and not extracted
 
Please don't let the vet take the teeth out. How experienced is the vet with regard to guinea pig dental issues?
Hello... We just got her seen by the vet and he clipped the incisors... He looked at the molars and said they where overgrown and curved in.... We are going to see a different vet an hour away that has more experience with this type of thing... I honestly don't know what to do...
 
Hi, could you add your location? There may be a recommended vet in your area.

The reason i am asking as i think we are a little concerned about the vet wanting to remove teeth- this shouldnt be a first port of call, hence why we are questioning how knowledgable the vet is with guinea pigs and their teeth.

Please dont allow the vet to extract teeth- this will make your guinea pig unable to pick up food, causing the back teeth to overgrow and making the situation a whole lot worse.

The teeth should be burred (filed) down and not extracted
I am in Eugene, Oregon in the USA.... He clipped the incisors and said the molars are already overgrown.... He is sending us to a more qualified vet on the subject...
 
I am in Eugene, Oregon in the USA.... He clipped the incisors and said the molars are already overgrown.... He is sending us to a more qualified vet on the subject...

How is he in himself now? I'm glad the front teeth wherent extracted at least. Guinea pig molars should direct inwards but obviously not overgrown or jagging the tongue.

Have you been weighing your piggie to check he is eating enough food? If his teeth are bad, i doubt he will be. Here is some info on syringe feeding, which is absolutely vital to keep the guts moving in a piggy with reduced/low appetite:

Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

I hope the specialist can help you both.

All the best
 
we took my 2 year old female Guinea pig to the vet today and the vet clipped her top incisors. He then examined her molars and said they where overgrown and slanted in. She can't close her mouth properly. I have been feeding her by hand for the last two days after descovering her issue. I was on a vacation for 3 weeks. Could this possibly have happened in that time? The vet also said that it had to do with her breed, and how she is more prone to conjenital issues. We are in the car going to a small animal specialist.

If anyone has experience in this subject, has been through it, or if anyone has any advice please share!

This is my second thread on this subject, but this one is more ipdated
 
How is he in himself now? I'm glad the front teeth wherent extracted at least. Guinea pig molars should direct inwards but obviously not overgrown or jagging the tongue.

Have you been weighing your piggie to check he is eating enough food? If his teeth are bad, i doubt he will be. Here is some info on syringe feeding, which is absolutely vital to keep the guts moving in a piggy with reduced/low appetite:

Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

I hope the specialist can help you both.

All the best
Thank you!
 
It's good that you're seeing a vet with more experience with guinea pig teeth. Inexperienced vets can sometimes make the problem worse. I'm in North America too (Canada in my case) and it can be really hard to find vets with good guinea pig experience. I also drive an hour or so to my vet, but he's been indispensable in treating my girl Sundae, who has also had dental issues over the years with a root abscess and overgrown molars as a result. Lots of luck at your appointment. Is your pig eating after having the incisors clipped? It's vital to guinea pigs that they continue to eat... if he's not eating, you will have syringe-feed, as per the guide above. My other recommendation is to run your fingers along the jawline a couple of times a day feeling for any lumps, as sometimes malocclusion can be a symptoms of an abscess brewing that will need to be treated, and feeling regularly along the jawline will help you to determine if there are any bumps that need to be looked at (it can sometimes be hard to see lumps visually, depending on the fur on your pig!) Hope this helps a bit!
 
Teeth can overgrow fairly quickly if a pig is not eating/chewing normally to wear them down. Dental issues can be due to a congenital issues, but can also be due to other factors (i.e. tooth abscesses causing uneven wearing of the teeth, food that isn't sufficiently coarse to allow normal wear, etc.) I've never heard of any particular breed being more prone to malocclusion, though it may run in individual family lines if teeth do not line up properly. However, with a problem developing at 2 years, I would not guess it's a congenital problem present at birth, as that would have showed symptoms a lot sooner. I've had two pigs with malocclusion issues, two different breeds (one aby and one short-haired.) In both of my cases, the malocclusion was secondary to abscesses in the jawline, so be sure the new vet assessed for masses that could represent infection along the jawline. However, it is possible for malocclusion to exist without an abscess. In North America, your piggie's molars will most likely be filed under a general anesthesia, as most vets here do not do dentals without anesthesia. She may be groggy after surgery and may have to stay at the vet for several hours until she is more awake. Some pigs will resume eating after a dental on their own, others don't and will need syringe-feeding. Hope this helps a bit... lots of luck!
 
Teeth can overgrow fairly quickly if a pig is not eating/chewing normally to wear them down. Dental issues can be due to a congenital issues, but can also be due to other factors (i.e. tooth abscesses causing uneven wearing of the teeth, food that isn't sufficiently coarse to allow normal wear, etc.) I've never heard of any particular breed being more prone to malocclusion, though it may run in individual family lines if teeth do not line up properly. However, with a problem developing at 2 years, I would not guess it's a congenital problem present at birth, as that would have showed symptoms a lot sooner. I've had two pigs with malocclusion issues, two different breeds (one aby and one short-haired.) In both of my cases, the malocclusion was secondary to abscesses in the jawline, so be sure the new vet assessed for masses that could represent infection along the jawline. However, it is possible for malocclusion to exist without an abscess. In North America, your piggie's molars will most likely be filed under a general anesthesia, as most vets here do not do dentals without anesthesia. She may be groggy after surgery and may have to stay at the vet for several hours until she is more awake. Some pigs will resume eating after a dental on their own, others don't and will need syringe-feeding. Hope this helps a bit... lots of luck!
Thank you so much! The vet said that we had three options: 1: filing down the teeth all the way to slow them to re align on their own... 2 bring them down enough to be realigned....3 or euthanasia which she said is always an option because the anesthesia can be risky.
Do you have any suggestions of which option I should pick?
 
It's good that you're seeing a vet with more experience with guinea pig teeth. Inexperienced vets can sometimes make the problem worse. I'm in North America too (Canada in my case) and it can be really hard to find vets with good guinea pig experience. I also drive an hour or so to my vet, but he's been indispensable in treating my girl Sundae, who has also had dental issues over the years with a root abscess and overgrown molars as a result. Lots of luck at your appointment. Is your pig eating after having the incisors clipped? It's vital to guinea pigs that they continue to eat... if he's not eating, you will have syringe-feed, as per the guide above. My other recommendation is to run your fingers along the jawline a couple of times a day feeling for any lumps, as sometimes malocclusion can be a symptoms of an abscess brewing that will need to be treated, and feeling regularly along the jawline will help you to determine if there are any bumps that need to be looked at (it can sometimes be hard to see lumps visually, depending on the fur on your pig!) Hope this helps a bit!
Do I need to have my finger inside her mouth to feel for the bumps.... Or could I be able to feel them on the skin/fur
 
With the 3 options the vet said the longest she could be able to live is 14 months
 
Do I need to have my finger inside her mouth to feel for the bumps.... Or could I be able to feel them on the skin/fur

Under the jaw, on the outside against her fur. Run your finger along the jaw line.

How did u get on with the specialist?
 
Under the jaw, on the outside against her fur. Run your finger along the jaw line.

How did you get on with the specialist?
Thank you so much! The vet said that we had three options: 1: filing down the teeth all the way to slow them to re align on their own... 2 bring them down enough to be realigned....3 or euthanasia which she said is always an option because the anesthesia can be risky.
Do you have any suggestions of which option I should pick? They said they have treated a piggie like mine and it lived for 14 months.... But some died within a week of the surgery because they "didn't have the will to live anymore"
 
I'm not entirely sure why a vet would give you options.. There should only be one way to sort the teeth. I will tag @furryfriends (TEAS) as i think you need some good dental advice here.. Its really tricky not having a piggy specialist in your area.

Are you syringe feeding your pig following the guide i posted yesterday? Has the pig been losing weight? Did the vet check for an underlying issue.. Or do any treatment today?

@Wiebke @helen105281 @Elwickcavies
 
I would see what @furryfriends (TEAS) or @MintyAndGarry (TEAS) are saying. They are running a sanctuary for guinea pigs with dental issues and have got by far the most experience.

Please continue to syringe feed and water and also weigh your piggy daily at the same time; your home care is in its own way as important!
 
I'm not entirely sure why a vet would give you options.. There should only be one way to sort the teeth. I will tag @furryfriends (TEAS) as i think you need some good dental advice here.. Its really tricky not having a piggy specialist in your area.

Are you syringe feeding your pig following the guide i posted yesterday? Has the pig been losing weight? Did the vet check for an underlying issue.. Or do any treatment today?

@Wiebke @helen105281 @Elwickcavies
Yes I am syringe feeding my Guinea pig....my Guinea pig has lost a lot of weight she weights less than my other Guinea pig that is younger than her. The vet said she has a small frame and has some some sort of calcium problem, hence the teeth and small bones. Her weight is 1.1 pounds.
 
How old is the sick piggy? 1.1 pounds is about the weight of a healthy 10-16 week old guinea pig.

Have they offered any sort of plan for her treatment? I.e an appointment set for doing teeth?

I really hope they get to the bottom of it soon. Syringe feeding is vital to keep her guts moving so keep doing that as often as she will take it.
 
How old is the sick piggy? 1.1 pounds is about the weight of a healthy 10-16 week old guinea pig.

Have they offered any sort of plan for her treatment? I.e an appointment set for doing teeth?

I really hope they get to the bottom of it soon. Syringe feeding is vital to keep her guts moving so keep doing that as often as she will take it.
She is 3.... This is why I am worried for her... The vet said she will never be able to get to s normal weight because of her small frame. A quick question about the syringe feeding... Is she supposed to be licking it or grabbing it with her teeth? I am sitting with her and she is eating her critical care from a bowl just fine.

The plan for treatment is waiting for her to regain some health to be able to go under anesthesia. Then they will grind down her molers either all the way or enough to alight them now. The vet gave the vibe that the surgery won't change her Heath.... is that true?
 
She is 3.... This is why I am worried for her... The vet said she will never be able to get to s normal weight because of her small frame. A quick question about the syringe feeding... Is she supposed to be licking it or grabbing it with her teeth? I am sitting with her and she is eating her critical care from a bowl just fine.

The plan for treatment is waiting for her to regain some health to be able to go under anesthesia. Then they will grind down her molers either all the way or enough to alight them now. The vet gave the vibe that the surgery won't change her Heath.... is that true?

It is great she is eating willingly. Let her eat it this way if she wishes, but if could measure the food you have made in a syringe before putting it in the bowl, you will know how much she is eating. 40-60ml a day is the minimum requirement, so try and aim much above that to get some weight on her.

If she stops eating willingly, place the syringe in the side of her mouth and give no more than 0.2-0.3ml in her mouth at one time- make sure she is swallowing it before you give her more. Try syringe water too, little amounts in the mouth at a time so she doesnt aspirate.

I think what your vet means is, there is a reason your piggy has become ill, gone off her food resulting in her teeth overgrowing. Fixing the teeth will provide temporary relief and may help her eat again, but they will likely grow back if her cause of ill health hasnt been identified and treated.

Have they taken any blood for tests? Xrayed or scanned her chest and abdomen? Checked her mouth for any abcesses? The cause of her lack of appetite will need to be identified to give her any chance of recovering from this.

Is she on pain relief? Metacam/loxicom is usually the drug of choice.
 
It is great she is eating willingly. Let her eat it this way if she wishes, but if could measure the food you have made in a syringe before putting it in the bowl, you will know how much she is eating. 40-60ml a day is the minimum requirement, so try and aim much above that to get some weight on her.

If she stops eating willingly, place the syringe in the side of her mouth and give no more than 0.2-0.3ml in her mouth at one time- make sure she is swallowing it before you give her more. Try syringe water too, little amounts in the mouth at a time so she doesnt aspirate.

I think what your vet means is, there is a reason your piggy has become ill, gone off her food resulting in her teeth overgrowing. Fixing the teeth will provide temporary relief and may help her eat again, but they will likely grow back if her cause of ill health hasnt been identified and treated.

Have they taken any blood for tests? Xrayed or scanned her chest and abdomen? Checked her mouth for any abcesses? The cause of her lack of appetite will need to be identified to give her any chance of recovering from this.

Is she on pain relief? Metacam/loxicom is usually the drug of choice.
Good call on the syringe water!

She is on .1ml of meloxicam every 12 hours

The vet gave us a powder called critical care(the apple banana flavor to be specific) and told us to mix a tablespoon of the wpowder with 2 table spoons of warm water, and then syringe feed it to her throughout the day (4-6) sessions. So is it unhealthy to let her eat as much as she wants/can? I just let her eat out of the bowl and she ate a lot. She has eaten 3/4 of the tablespoon so far today and it's 12:36 am my time. So is that okay or should I limit how much she is eating
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top