Possible Dental Problems?

[Joannajars]

Hi all,

Last night I noticed one of my boys Hugo who is 1 was not as interested in hay (he normally runs over when we put it into the cage) but didn’t think to much of it. When I woke this morning he was hunched over and had his eyes closed (he is a very nervous pig and almost never closes his eyes. Even when asleep.) I put more hay in to see if he’d be interested and he wasn’t. I then cut carrot into matchstick pieces and initially he seemed to take interest and ate a few pieces but then he started to gag (not sure if guinea pigs can gag because I’d read somewhere that they cannot vomit) and the chewed up carrot was coming back out in a drooling sort way in between the gags. I took him to the vet after that and the vet gave him 2 injections of loxicom and buprecare MDV and some oral loxicom to take home. She examined the inside of his mouth and couldn’t see anything unusual but when touching his lower jaw he seemed to squirm in pain. The vet recommended that we go back tomorrow if he doesn’t improve and have X-ray etc.. I have just tried to syringe feed him mushed up pellets but he began to gag again. Vet mentioned it could be an abscess. I’m not asking for medical opinions because obviously I will have to return to the vets tomorrow, just wondered if anyone else had expierenced similar things and what had caused it?

Thanks for reading

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all,

Last night I noticed one of my boys Hugo who is 1 was not as interested in hay (he normally runs over when we put it into the cage) but didn’t think to much of it. When I woke this morning he was hunched over and had his eyes closed (he is a very nervous pig and almost never closes his eyes. Even when asleep.) I put more hay in to see if he’d be interested and he wasn’t. I then cut carrot into matchstick pieces and initially he seemed to take interest and ate a few pieces but then he started to gag (not sure if guinea pigs can gag because I’d read somewhere that they cannot vomit) and the chewed up carrot was coming back out in a drooling sort way in between the gags. I took him to the vet after that and the vet gave him 2 injections of loxicom and buprecare MDV and some oral loxicom to take home. She examined the inside of his mouth and couldn’t see anything unusual but when touching his lower jaw he seemed to squirm in pain. The vet recommended that we go back tomorrow if he doesn’t improve and have X-ray etc.. I have just tried to syringe feed him mushed up pellets but he began to gag again. Vet mentioned it could be an abscess. I’m not asking for medical opinions because obviously I will have to return to the vets tomorrow, just wondered if anyone else had expierenced similar things and what had caused it?

Thanks for reading

Hi! Has your vet checked whether there is a blockage or swelling at the back of the mouth that closed her esophagus without being visible from the outside, whether his tongue is trapped by arching premolars or whether your boy is no longer able to swallow for neurological reasons? If an abscess is coming into play only if it is preventing your boy from swallowing.

I have lost one piggy to a large swelling in the back of the throat and another a month later because she was not able to swallow anymore; both were younger piggies with symptoms like that that went downhill very quickly. PLEASE do not hang around and have him scanned as soon as possible, as the longer he is without food, the greater he risk of him going into GI stasis.

 

[Joannajars]

She did check the inside of his mouth with a device that I can’t remember the name of but it allowed her to have a good look at the back teeth as I’d asked her to check them, she didn’t mention any swelling in the back of the mouth and I’d assume that she’d have seen it as she did note that he had small sores/cuts on the side of his tongue, possibly due to eating something he shouldn’t have. I intend to take him back to the vets tomorrow if he still isn’t eating where the vet said he’d need to stay in for X-rays

 

[Freela]

If he has cuts on the side of his tongue and is not able to eat/swallow normally, I would really suspect overgrowth of the molars. Sometimes they can be hard to spot, particular for vets who don't do a lot of guinea pig dental work. Does your vet see a lot of guinea pigs/rabbits and do dental work for them?

 

[Joannajars]

Unfortunately he passed away this afternoon, he was sedated in order to do X-rays and his back teeth were filed and he had a seizure and passed away shortly afterwards x

 

[eileen]

I'm sorry to hear you lost your piggie.how devastating.

 

[Devyn50]

So sorry to hear he passed.

 

[Jojessgaz]

I just started reading this thread as I'm in the same boat with molars and got to the end .. so so sorry for your loss. I feel for you as I was pre warned today that she may not come through it. Very hard