Hello! This is my first post here, though I've been visiting the forum to read up on health issues for months now. I'm sorry that this is going to be quite long-winded, but I just want to give you all the full history. Any help would be most appreciated!
My 4 year-old guinea pig, Loki, has a history of teeth problems; he's had his front teeth break off quite a few time, and he's been close to needing molar filing 2 or 3 times. Last Sunday we noticed Loki picking up and chewing food, before it dropped from his mouth again, so we suspected molar issues. We took him to the vet on Monday, who confirmed this, but as we're not keen on dental work (as our vet won't perform these without anaesthesia) we took him home to try and feed him lots of hay, as that's staved off the surgery in the past.
As he soon refused to eat hay (he would only eat his vegetables), we took Loki back the next day, and our vet gave him a pain injection (it was an opiate, though I can't remember the name) twice in the next two days, in the hopes that having less pain in his mouth would make him eat again. It worked for a little while, though he still barely touched his hay, but Wednesday night he had completely given up on solids, and would only eat pureed carrots (voluntarily) and critical care (forced).
We went back yesterday (Thursday), and the vet saw no more option but to file his teeth, as things simply weren't getting any better. She gave him some gas (which knocked him out immediately, as he was already so groggy on opiates and the NSAIDS he gets for his arthritis), and the surgery was a success. He was back with us just a few hours later, but in the last 24 hours he still hasn't started to feed again.
I give Loki 10-15 mls of critical care every 3.5 hours, which he won't accept without a fight, but he tries to eat absolutely nothing - he just sniffs his food, but won't touch it. We've tried to force tiny bits of his favourite treats (apple, carrot - even grape, as we were getting desperate) into his mouth, but after seeming to chew for a bit, he spits them out again. We've been to see the vet again this afternoon, but according to her the surgery went well, and everything looks okay in his mouth, so she said she's running out of options. She's given him a bit of cortisone today in the hopes that that'll help him perk up and increase his appetite enough for him to start trying to eat again, but I'm worried sick that he if he doesn't start eating soon his molars will be overgrown again, not to mention his incisors (which she didn't file - I checked). I
s it normal for a guinea pig not to have started eating again 24 hours after a successful dental? And is there anything at all I can do, other than to continue feeding him critical care and providing him with treats (even if he won't touch them)? I'm so sorry for the essay, but I love little Loki more than I can say, and I'm really worried for his life. Thank you so much in advance!
My 4 year-old guinea pig, Loki, has a history of teeth problems; he's had his front teeth break off quite a few time, and he's been close to needing molar filing 2 or 3 times. Last Sunday we noticed Loki picking up and chewing food, before it dropped from his mouth again, so we suspected molar issues. We took him to the vet on Monday, who confirmed this, but as we're not keen on dental work (as our vet won't perform these without anaesthesia) we took him home to try and feed him lots of hay, as that's staved off the surgery in the past.
As he soon refused to eat hay (he would only eat his vegetables), we took Loki back the next day, and our vet gave him a pain injection (it was an opiate, though I can't remember the name) twice in the next two days, in the hopes that having less pain in his mouth would make him eat again. It worked for a little while, though he still barely touched his hay, but Wednesday night he had completely given up on solids, and would only eat pureed carrots (voluntarily) and critical care (forced).
We went back yesterday (Thursday), and the vet saw no more option but to file his teeth, as things simply weren't getting any better. She gave him some gas (which knocked him out immediately, as he was already so groggy on opiates and the NSAIDS he gets for his arthritis), and the surgery was a success. He was back with us just a few hours later, but in the last 24 hours he still hasn't started to feed again.
I give Loki 10-15 mls of critical care every 3.5 hours, which he won't accept without a fight, but he tries to eat absolutely nothing - he just sniffs his food, but won't touch it. We've tried to force tiny bits of his favourite treats (apple, carrot - even grape, as we were getting desperate) into his mouth, but after seeming to chew for a bit, he spits them out again. We've been to see the vet again this afternoon, but according to her the surgery went well, and everything looks okay in his mouth, so she said she's running out of options. She's given him a bit of cortisone today in the hopes that that'll help him perk up and increase his appetite enough for him to start trying to eat again, but I'm worried sick that he if he doesn't start eating soon his molars will be overgrown again, not to mention his incisors (which she didn't file - I checked). I
s it normal for a guinea pig not to have started eating again 24 hours after a successful dental? And is there anything at all I can do, other than to continue feeding him critical care and providing him with treats (even if he won't touch them)? I'm so sorry for the essay, but I love little Loki more than I can say, and I'm really worried for his life. Thank you so much in advance!
