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Dental Missing teeth and not eating!

Gemm24

Gemm24

Junior Guinea Pig
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Manchester
Hello
A while ago my guinea pig Alvin lost his bottom incisors and over time his top ones grew so he had a dental. Since then he has been though the wars, he initially improved and then got worse and was loosing weight fast. I took him back to the vets who diagnosed an ulcer and he was given two painkillers and an anitibiotic (as a precaution). Since then he has been eating critical care by himself (he likes the taste) and veg but very VERY slowly and his cage mate keeps stealing all his food (she LOVES critical) care. I feed them separately for their morning veggies to give him a chance but I found he was still loosing weight during the day and overnight. I started to split the cage over night so he can eat at his own pace without her stealing his food and for the first time he maintained his weight. But during the day I unsplit the cage so they can be with each other (the have a very very close bond) but he is still loosing weight during the day. I started to syringe feed him tonight even though he can eat by himself just to keep his weight up. I don’t know if this will be a long term thing but he has lost about 60g in two weeks since the dental.
Please can you help/give advice. I am trying my best with him (I have blended veg/pellets/treats just to try and make it easier for him but any help will be appreciated) also he isn’t eating much hay so his teeth will be over grown again soon which means he will need another dental this is very stressful and getting me down as I don’t want him to suffer but I will try literally anything to make him better.

Thanks in advance and sorry for rambling.
 
Gemm said:
Hello
A while ago my guinea pig Alvin lost his bottom incisors and over time his top ones grew so he had a dental. Since then he has been though the wars, he initially improved and then got worse and was loosing weight fast. I took him back to the vets who diagnosed an ulcer and he was given two painkillers and an anitibiotic (as a precaution). Since then he has been eating critical care by himself (he likes the taste) and veg but very VERY slowly and his cage mate keeps stealing all his food (she LOVES critical) care. I feed them separately for their morning veggies to give him a chance but I found he was still loosing weight during the day and overnight. I started to split the cage over night so he can eat at his own pace without her stealing his food and for the first time he maintained his weight. But during the day I unsplit the cage so they can be with each other (the have a very very close bond) but he is still loosing weight during the day. I started to syringe feed him tonight even though he can eat by himself just to keep his weight up. I don’t know if this will be a long term thing but he has lost about 60g in two weeks since the dental.
Please can you help/give advice. I am trying my best with him (I have blended veg/pellets/treats just to try and make it easier for him but any help will be appreciated) also he isn’t eating much hay so his teeth will be over grown again soon which means he will need another dental this is very stressful and getting me down as I don’t want him to suffer but I will try literally anything to make him better.

Thanks in advance and sorry for rambling.
Click to expand...

Hi!

Have you considered serving his veg grated or cut into small slices? Try and see whether he can eat plain porridge oats to help with his weight.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Weight - Monitoring and Management

Please see a vet whenever your boy is starting to lose weight again; it can be another dental problem brewing. There is also a greater risk of his back teeth overgrowing because he is not chewing as much; it is the silica in hay that is keeping the back teeth ground down in the main. :(

@furryfriends (TEAS)
 
Thank you for your advice. I weighed him this morning and he is down another 20g. I have chopped and grated veg and he is slowly eating it but is very picky.
I am considering talking him to Simon Maddock. It’s 2.5 hrs away but I heard guinea pigs travel quite well. Do you know if they are seeing new patients?
Thanks in advance
 
Give Simon’s practice a ring and I’m sure they’ll fit you in. I was over there last week and got an appointment for the next day when I rang. It’s the best pig dental practice I have been to and they can do a teeth exam without general anaesthetic, which is such a bonus. I hope you get him sorted soon.
 
I go to see Simon Maddock with my two piggies Bill and Ted to have conscious dentals. He is fantastic, it takes 10 minutes and no GA to worry about. Just ring them up, there is no bar as far as taking on patients. We travel from Cornwall which is 300 miles each way and I can assure you that your piggie will be fine and settle very soon into the journey and sleep/chill or eat most of the way. My two travelled nearly 1000 miles in total last week and are fine. Simon will assess his teeth and do the work needed and it’s very reasonably priced too x
 
Simon is definitely worth the trip but he and Kim are off for a week next week so I would call them to see if they can fit you in before they go on holiday.
 
Gemm said:
Thank you for your advice. I weighed him this morning and he is down another 20g. I have chopped and grated veg and he is slowly eating it but is very picky.
I am considering talking him to Simon Maddock. It’s 2.5 hrs away but I heard guinea pigs travel quite well. Do you know if they are seeing new patients?
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

Yes, please Simon. They do take new patients all the time as they see piggies with dental issues from all over the country all the time.
Here is the link to the clinic: The Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic
 
Thanks for your help. I ended up going back to my vet because I can’t get to Simon till the weekend and Alvin needs treatment ASAP. He has rapidly lost weight. My vet said even though he had a dental only 3 weeks his molars arenover growing again because he didn’t fully recover from it. He is going to be syringed over the weekend to get his strength up and then another dental in a couple of days. The vet said that if this doesn’t work then I need to think about his quality of life. I don’t want to even think about that yet. It’s very stressful and I miss him. I just want him well but I can’t stop crying and thinking about the future.
 
Please don’t think about putting him to sleep until you have seen Simon. That’s what my local vet said to me last year after a very poor dental that made him worse last year. My Ted is the picture of health now after being reduced to skin and bone. He weighs 1380 gm and is happy and healthy and eats like a trooper. Your boy needs to see Simon Maddock and get a proper assessment ASAP, don’t be fobbed off with your current vet. Please keep up with hand feeding and syringe feeding and get as much into him as you can, I found a little grass and dandelion leaf is irresistible to them if you help them feed Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
 
Your vet may be good, but Simon is excellent. If you are already being told about Possibly being put to sleep you have to try everything possible.
Have you tried veg in his critical care & for now separate them for their food. Good Luck
 
Things I tried when Micah needed to put on weight we’re grated sweet potato with oats and mashing banana into his Critical Care. He loved that and wouldn’t let go of the syringe.
Sounds as if you’re in a difficult situation- holding you in my thoughts
 
Gemm said:
Thanks for your help. I ended up going back to my vet because I can’t get to Simon till the weekend and Alvin needs treatment ASAP. He has rapidly lost weight. My vet said even though he had a dental only 3 weeks his molars arenover growing again because he didn’t fully recover from it. He is going to be syringed over the weekend to get his strength up and then another dental in a couple of days. The vet said that if this doesn’t work then I need to think about his quality of life. I don’t want to even think about that yet. It’s very stressful and I miss him. I just want him well but I can’t stop crying and thinking about the future.
Click to expand...

Please hang on in there until you can see Simon!
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
 
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