Not eating after dental treatment

[NicoleA]

Hello,

I would like to get advice on my 3 year old guinea pig Lilly. She had her teeth filled one year ago after she stopped eating and got me very worried. I tried a couple vets until I found my current practice where she had them done. She recovered well and all was fine until last weekend when she stopped eating again. She had her molars (bottom left) filled again on Thursday, under GA and the vet said that her teeth were very bad growing towards her tongue and that she filled them quite a bit. I have been feeding her syringe food and giving her the medication but it has been a struggle. She really refuses to eat the critical care food.
She had some grass and pellets yesterday but nothing close to what she normally eats. She broke the food more than she ate. I thought she will have a bit more breakfast (lettuce) this morning but she didn’t even touch it. I tied her favourite cucumber but only a few small bites, the same with a piece of carrot and apple. She showed Interest in food but couldn’t eat.
I called the vet this morning and they asked me to bring her in which I did. The vet gave her two injections of a stronger painkiller and gut stimulant and ask me to continue with the syringe food and keep trying vegetables.
Back home, I notice that my little Lilly was very quiet and stayed in one place, not interested in moving around. She had the syringe food without too much of a fight but she just doesn’t come out of her enclosure. She looks a bit like after the general anaesthetic. Will she be ok? Is she quiet because of the injections? What else can I do? She was happy and lively before the injections.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello,

I would like to get advice on my 3 year old guinea pig Lilly. She had her teeth filled one year ago after she stopped eating and got me very worried. I tried a couple vets until I found my current practice where she had them done. She recovered well and all was fine until last weekend when she stopped eating again. She had her molars (bottom left) filled again on Thursday, under GA and the vet said that her teeth were very bad growing towards her tongue and that she filled them quite a bit. I have been feeding her syringe food and giving her the medication but it has been a struggle. She really refuses to eat the critical care food.
She had some grass and pellets yesterday but nothing close to what she normally eats. She broke the food more than she ate. I thought she will have a bit more breakfast (lettuce) this morning but she didn’t even touch it. I tied her favourite cucumber but only a few small bites, the same with a piece of carrot and apple. She showed Interest in food but couldn’t eat.
I called the vet this morning and they asked me to bring her in which I did. The vet gave her two injections of a stronger painkiller and gut stimulant and ask me to continue with the syringe food and keep trying vegetables.
Back home, I notice that my little Lilly was very quiet and stayed in one place, not interested in moving around. She had the syringe food without too much of a fight but she just doesn’t come out of her enclosure. She looks a bit like after the general anaesthetic. Will she be ok? Is she quiet because of the injections? What else can I do? She was happy and lively before the injections.

Hi and welcome

I am very sorry about your problems. It can be likely a reaction to the injections.

Please cut everything into small strips; she will be able to deal better with softer veg (plenty of grass for the abrasive silica against with guinea pig teeth have evolved, fresh herbs, shredded lettuce, cucumber than with harder veg, which she cannot chew if the teeth are not meeting properly. Guinea pig dentals are unfortunately not something that features on a vet curriculum. Apple and carrot should be only occasional treats anyway.
When your girl is hopefully brighter again, try and see whether she will take her feed from a bowl instead of a syringe. That will hopefully make your own life a bit easier. Use your kitchen scales to manage your feeding regime.
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

It usually takes a few rounds (ideally without lots of sedation) to get the teeth corrected as soon as they start overgrowing again with the time between treatments gradually becoming longer to get them right again for the long term.

If your vet struggles with getting on top of the teeth, you can ask her to refer you to the Cat&Rabbit Care Clinic in Northampton, who specialise in piggy dentals but are so oversubscribed that they will only accept referrals from struggling vets. You are luckily not too far away, considering that they are seeing dental piggies from all over the country from Cornwall to Scotland and do about 25 piggy dentals in a week!
The Cat and Rabbit Clinic, Northampton - Referrals for guinea pigs with dental issues

 

[Bill & Ted]

Hello and welcome to the forum
So sorry Lilly is having problems with her teeth. Please continue to syringe feed her, looking at around 60 ml intake per day. So maybe 5 feeds of 12ml a day, more if she will take it. Anaesthetic does often leave them very flat so you must keep her intake going and get that tummy filled again. Try tempting her with her favour herbs, grated veggies or a bowl of plain porridge oats placed near her too. Does she like a bit of mashed banana? Or some vegetable baby food? her mouth my be very sore atm so it may take a few days for it to heal up.
If she is still having problems do consider getting a referral to Simon or Kim Maddock at the Cat and Rabbit Clinic in Northampton, they are the number one vets for anything dental with guinea pigs. People travel from all over the country for their conscious dentals and other dental related issues. No anaesthetic needed, takes around 5-10 minutes using tiny files, they are amazing vets wit’s a wealth of experience of dental issues doing around 30 GP dentals per week

Good luck x

 

[NicoleA]

Hi and welcome

I am very sorry about your problems. It can be likely a reaction to the injections.

Please cut everything into small strips; she will be able to deal better with softer veg (plenty of grass for the abrasive silica against with guinea pig teeth have evolved, fresh herbs, shredded lettuce, cucumber than with harder veg, which she cannot chew if the teeth are not meeting properly. Guinea pig dentals are unfortunately not something that features on a vet curriculum. Apple and carrot should be only occasional treats anyway.
When your girl is hopefully brighter again, try and see whether she will take her feed from a bowl instead of a syringe. That will hopefully make your own life a bit easier. Use your kitchen scales to manage your feeding regime.
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

It usually takes a few rounds (ideally without lots of sedation) to get the teeth corrected as soon as they start overgrowing again with the time between treatments gradually becoming longer to get them right again for the long term.

If your vet struggles with getting on top of the teeth, you can ask her to refer you to the Cat&Rabbit Care Clinic in Northampton, who specialise in piggy dentals but are so oversubscribed that they will only accept referrals from struggling vets. You are luckily not too far away, considering that they are seeing dental piggies from all over the country from Cornwall to Scotland and do about 25 piggy dentals in a week!
The Cat and Rabbit Clinic, Northampton - Referrals for guinea pigs with dental issues

Hello,

Thank you so much for your advice. Grass was all she could eat a bit better than the rest of the vegetables. She struggles with leafy ones (spinach, watercress, parsley, dill) - she wanted to have a go at least. It was easier to start with the stems. She had taken syringe food from my hand before but I will try a bowl to see if she wants to eat it that way.
I am so worried now because I have never seen her sit so still and looking close to lethargic. I put some kale in the cage a few minutes ago and she didn’t even move. Her sister came straight away to check. This morning she was happy to come around and have a little sniff even though she couldn’t eat much.
Hopefully she will be a bit happier and start eating on her own if not I will ask my vet for a referral. The vet who did the treatment last year was not available this time around so another vet filled her teeth on Thursday. I just don’t want to put her through another GA to try things out. She is 3 and not sure how many times she will see it though.

 

[NicoleA]

Hello and welcome to the forum
So sorry Lilly is having problems with her teeth. Please continue to syringe feed her, looking at around 60 ml intake per day. So maybe 5 feeds of 12ml a day, more if she will take it. Anaesthetic does often leave them very flat so you must keep her intake going and get that tummy filled again. Try tempting her with her favour herbs, grated veggies or a bowl of plain porridge oats placed near her too. Does she like a bit of mashed banana? Or some vegetable baby food? her mouth my be very sore atm so it may take a few days for it to heal up.
If she is still having problems do consider getting a referral to Simon or Kim Maddock at the Cat and Rabbit Clinic in Northampton, they are the number one vets for anything dental with guinea pigs. People travel from all over the country for their conscious dentals and other dental related issues. No anaesthetic needed, takes around 5-10 minutes using tiny files, they are amazing vets wit’s a wealth of experience of dental issues doing around 30 GP dentals per week

Good luck x

Hello,

Thank you so much for your advice. I will try the grated vegetables and have offered her all her favourites including treats like apples and carrots. She only likes crunchy food, no way I get her near mashed banana!
I just hope she starts being a bit happier. This is my biggest worry at the moment. She sits so still and doesn’t show interest in food like she did before the injections. She is normally very cheeky and playful. I will try to get a referral to see Simon or Kim. I read only amazing reviews but they are so busy.
Have a lovely evening,