soft foods to comfort overgrown teeth

[alex&sylvester]

hi all!

recently sylvester has been through a rough patch as he has an overgrown molar. he’s going to get it trimmed this coming friday, and so i will have to syringefeed him a lot in that one week before surgery. however, it seems to me that he REALLY wants to eat FOOD! not critical care but vegetables and fruits. but unfortunately, the previous vet i went to (just yesterday), had cut his lower incisors because they were “a little overgrown”. and now he has a hard time even getting foods in his mouth. not to mention that his overgrown molar has caused a small infection in his mouth, which causes him to feel pain whenever he tries to eat.

so i need any recommendation of soft foods he can eat, to comfort him before surgery. it breaks my heart to see him yearning for food and cant even bite anything.. i’ve tried cutting his vegetables or fruits into really small bits, and he gets excited by smelling them, until he takes a few bites and then feels pain, then ultimately he looses interest in it.

 

[Wiebke]

hi all!

recently sylvester has been through a rough patch as he has an overgrown molar. he’s going to get it trimmed this coming friday, and so i will have to syringefeed him a lot in that one week before surgery. however, it seems to me that he REALLY wants to eat FOOD! not critical care but vegetables and fruits. but unfortunately, the previous vet i went to (just yesterday), had cut his lower incisors because they were “a little overgrown”. and now he has a hard time even getting foods in his mouth. not to mention that his overgrown molar has caused a small infection in his mouth, which causes him to feel pain whenever he tries to eat.

so i need any recommendation of soft foods he can eat, to comfort him before surgery. it breaks my heart to see him yearning for food and cant even bite anything.. i’ve tried cutting his vegetables or fruits into really small bits, and he gets excited by smelling them, until he takes a few bites and then feels pain, then ultimately he looses interest in it.

Hi!

Mush up your pellets and mix them with critical care and syringe feed that; the pellets will help cover the taste of the critical care.
Keep in mind that around 80% of the daily food intake should be grass/hay fibre in order to not unbalance the gut additionally by causing dysbiosis (overgrowth of wrong kind of gut bacteria due to too much sugary/starchy/fatty food). You can try to feed a little fresh growing grass if that goes down but increase the amount slowly in order to allow the gut microbiome to get used to it so you can avoid any diarrhea or bloating from feeding too much too quickly. Cut any soft leafy food into strips and if necessary place them in the mouth. Start and close every feeding session with fibrous syringe feed.

Please accept that a little fruit should never be more than an occasional treat; rather offer fresh herbs instead.
Our syringe feeding guide contains a chapter on dental guinea pigs: Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

 

[alex&sylvester]

Hi!

Mush up your pellets and mix them with critical care and syringe feed that; the pellets will help cover the taste of the critical care.
Keep in mind that around 80% of the daily food intake should be grass/hay fibre in order to not unbalance the gut additionally by causing dysbiosis (overgrowth of wrong kind of gut bacteria due to too much sugary/starchy/fatty food). You can try to feed a little fresh growing grass if that goes down but increase the amount slowly in order to allow the gut microbiome to get used to it so you can avoid any diarrhea or bloating from feeding too much too quickly. Cut any soft leafy food into strips and if necessary place them in the mouth. Start and close every feeding session with fibrous syringe feed.

Please accept that a little fruit should never be more than an occasional treat; rather offer fresh herbs instead.
Our syringe feeding guide contains a chapter on dental guinea pigs: Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

hi thank you so much for your reply!
i have been mushing up his pellets, critical care, and the oxbow vitamin C as he isn’t able to eat any capsicum.
he ultimately can’t eat anything at the moment, and everytime i try to feed him he isn’t able to eat it because of the pain. i’ve also cut the vegetables into thin strips, and placed them in his mouth, but that causes him great discomfort and pain. if i leave the food there, he would try to sniff it and eat it but he won’t eat it in the end.

 

[Wiebke]

hi thank you so much for your reply!
i have been mushing up his pellets, critical care, and the oxbow vitamin C as he isn’t able to eat any capsicum.
he ultimately can’t eat anything at the moment, and everytime i try to feed him he isn’t able to eat it because of the pain. i’ve also cut the vegetables into thin strips, and placed them in his mouth, but that causes him great discomfort and pain. if i leave the food there, he would try to sniff it and eat it but he won’t eat it in the end.

Any harder veg like peppers (capsicum) or carrot is too hard for him when chewing is painful and/or too advanced for the crucial back teeth to be able to. Guinea pigs and capybaras have some of the fastest growing teeth of all rodents because they have evolved against the very abrasive silica in grass and hay, which is their main food source. That means that they can grow premolar spurs at the back that usually trap the tongue or grow more rarely painfully into the cheeks very quickly once they stop chewing evenly because of a pain issue.

Keep in mind that herbs are also rich in vitamin C and closer to the wild forages that our veg and herbs are replacing. Herbs also contain trace elements and that critical care and pellets are vitamin C enriched.

 

[Siikibam]

Was he given any anti inflammatory to tide him over? Poor boy, I hope he’s sorted soon.

 

[Merab]

Poor boy.
When my Jemimah had dental surgery I was recommended to shred some softer veggies to help her eat.
Grated carrots or sweet potato with som raw oats may be manageable too.
I also mash a bit of banana into critical care to help.
I don’t know if these suggestions will help but it sounds as if Sylvester is in excellent hands.
Holding you in my thoughts

 

[alex&sylvester]

Was he given any anti inflammatory to tide him over? Poor boy, I hope he’s sorted soon.

hmm, not anti inflammatory, but painkillers and antibiotics. me too, i have a feeling he’ll hold out as i know he’s a strong piggie

 

[alex&sylvester]

Poor boy.
When my Jemimah had dental surgery I was recommended to shred some softer veggies to help her eat.
Grated carrots or sweet potato with som raw oats may be manageable too.
I also mash a bit of banana into critical care to help.
I don’t know if these suggestions will help but it sounds as if Sylvester is in excellent hands.
Holding you in my thoughts

aaa thank you so much for your kind words!
i will definitely take your suggestions into consideration! sylvester isn’t such a banana lover like many other piggies i’ve seen on the net, but i think he’d just have to make do with what he has...right?

 

[alex&sylvester]

Any harder veg like peppers (capsicum) or carrot is too hard for him when chewing is painful and/or too advanced for the crucial back teeth to be able to. Guinea pigs and capybaras have some of the fastest growing teeth of all rodents because they have evolved against the very abrasive silica in grass and hay, which is their main food source. That means that they can grow premolar spurs at the back that usually trap the tongue or grow more rarely painfully into the cheeks very quickly once they stop chewing evenly because of a pain issue.

Keep in mind that herbs are also rich in vitamin C and closer to the wild forages that our veg and herbs are replacing. Herbs also contain trace elements and that critical care and pellets are vitamin C enriched.

thank you so much for the information! i’ll do my best to incorporate as much nutrients in his diet!

 

[Bill & Ted]

Has anyone suggested porridge oats in a bowl, most piggies like them and they are fairly easy to eat x

 

[Little Ones]

Porridge oats are very good for dental piggies. As is grass too if you find piggy is struggling to eat hay at any point!

 

[alex&sylvester]

Has anyone suggested porridge oats in a bowl, most piggies like them and they are fairly easy to eat x

hm, i’ve never heard of that before..but it sounds really interesting! do i use quakers instant oatmeal to feed my piggie? or does it have to be rolled oats? my boy can’t exactly bite or chew on his own (everything has to be syringefed to him)

 

[Little Ones]

You want to provide rolled oats, not cooked or with water or anything like that. Make sure you fill the bowl to the top. I find bigger bowls work better too. My piggy has no bottom incisors so he can’t bite down and he manages his oats fine. It just takes him a while.
This is Little’s oat bowl:

If your piggy is unable to eat hay, please try him with some grass. Dental piggies usually struggle with hay but somehow all the dental piggies I’ve had manage grass amazingly when they are unable to eat hay.

 

[alex&sylvester]

You want to provide rolled oats, not cooked or with water or anything like that. Make sure you fill the bowl to the top. I find bigger bowls work better too. My piggy has no bottom incisors so he can’t bite down and he manages his oats fine. It just takes him a while.
This is Little’s oat bowl:
View attachment 170169
If your piggy is unable to eat hay, please try him with some grass. Dental piggies usually struggle with hay but somehow all the dental piggies I’ve had manage grass amazingly when they are unable to eat hay.

oh i see! thank you for the tip with oats!
i’ve actually let sylvester out today, on the grass, and he had intentions to eat the grass but after sometime he just wanted to go back to his cage

 

[Little Ones]

oh i see! thank you for the tip with oats!
i’ve actually let sylvester out today, on the grass, and he had intentions to eat the grass but after sometime he just wanted to go back to his cage

You could try picking some for him in a bowl and see if he finds that easier rather than him having to bite the grass himself, if you haven’t already tried that?
I know how worried and exhausted you must be feeling. Keep trouper-ing on and remind yourself that even though it’s hard, you are literally saving his life by keeping him fed!

 

[alex&sylvester]

You could try picking some for him in a bowl and see if he finds that easier rather than him having to bite the grass himself, if you haven’t already tried that?
I know how worried and exhausted you must be feeling. Keep trouper-ing on and remind yourself that even though it’s hard, you are literally saving his life by keeping him fed!

i’ll try that first thing in the morning!
it’s been a very rough couple of weeks, i can’t help but cry a lot whenever i think about what my boy is going thru. i’m mentally drained/exhausted and i’m (unintentionally) neglecting my university assignments.
i’m currently feeding him about 10ml of CC every 2 hours. so hopefully, he won’t be so weak when he gets his molar filed on friday
but thank you so much for your kind words, i needed to hear that i feel much better about myself now, & i’ll try to remind myself that every time i start to crack or just feel tired in general.

 

[Betsy]

You are doing so well. Its exhausting round the clock syringe feeding. You're just clockwatching all the time and can't really do anything else cos you have to keep your piggy alive. You can't even have a decent night's sleep cos although the last feed is around 11ish it takes at least half a hour if you're lucky then just as it seems you have collapsed into bed exhausted you're up again a few hours later for yet another feed. We've all been there and are thinking of you. I did this for my now Rainbow Piggy Christian for weeks and I even took him on holiday in the caravan with me.

 

[Little Ones]

i’ll try that first thing in the morning!
it’s been a very rough couple of weeks, i can’t help but cry a lot whenever i think about what my boy is going thru. i’m mentally drained/exhausted and i’m (unintentionally) neglecting my university assignments.
i’m currently feeding him about 10ml of CC every 2 hours. so hopefully, he won’t be so weak when he gets his molar filed on friday
but thank you so much for your kind words, i needed to hear that i feel much better about myself now, & i’ll try to remind myself that every time i start to crack or just feel tired in general.

I’m going through something similar at the moment too, a month ago one of ours was diagnosed with bowel disease after being so close to death. I never thought anything could be more complicated and difficult than dental piggies, but this has taken the cake. It was only yesterday we are thinking we might have reached a stable place, touch wood. I’ve been monitoring him almost 24/7, only sleeping about 4 hours a night to take care of him and even then the sleeping is only light. It’s just awful. I’m not surprised you can’t do anything else, I’m not! I really hope everything goes smoothly with your piggys dental and that you get your life back. You’re getting a good amount of food in him though, that’s the main thing. I find that piggies take mushed pellets or emeraid sustain a lot better than CC. All mine hate CC and will only ever have a couple of syringes, they devour the other two though.
Are you not based in the UK? Just asking as in the UK we have a dental specialist.

 

[Bill & Ted]

My Ted was a dental piggie and I spent many weeks syringe and hand feeding him. I know the rollercoaster ride you are having. Has the vet cut his front teeth too short? This is a common problem with vets. I used to take my Ted for conscious dentals with Simon at the Cat and Rabbit Clinic in Northampton. After a terrible GA dental that left Ted unable to eat for 6 weeks we found out about this vet who saved Ted’s life. I don’t know were you live but if you can get your piggie an appointment with Simon or Kim you don’t be disappointed. Kim and Simon are the best in country and people travel with their dental piggies from as far away as Cornwall (me) and Scotland. You don’t need a referral and it’s very reasonably priced too as no anaesthetics are used, usually the piggie is eating after one conscious dental
Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic | Northlands Vets

 

[Betsy]

I took Meg to see Simon and Kim when my very experienced and very good vet couldn't diagnose what was wrong with her. Meg has facial paralysis, a heart murmur, her teeth were lacerating her cheek and she had spinal arthritis! My vet had never heard of facial paralysis in a piggy before so would never have thought to check for it and as Meg was showing no signs of arthritis the vet wouldn't have looked for those either. Simon and Kim really are your best bet if you are in the UK it was a 6 hour round trip for us and we did it twice. So worth it. If it wasn't for them Meg wouldn't be here now.

 

[Little Ones]

Agree with everyone above, but obviously we don’t know if you’re in the UK. He’s the only person to trust with your dental piggies if you are and they don’t require any anaesthesia and can eat again the same day. Usually straight after!
If you are in the UK, we are cancelling an appointment for tomorrow morning to postpone it until next week so there will be one available. I know it would be short notice though. But appointments are usually scarce with Simon!

 

[Betsy]

If you are in the UK you need to phone at 8am for any hope of getting an appointment the same day. They are very busy vets.

 

[alex&sylvester]

You are doing so well. Its exhausting round the clock syringe feeding. You're just clockwatching all the time and can't really do anything else cos you have to keep your piggy alive. You can't even have a decent night's sleep cos although the last feed is around 11ish it takes at least half a hour if you're lucky then just as it seems you have collapsed into bed exhausted you're up again a few hours later for yet another feed. We've all been there and are thinking of you. I did this for my now Rainbow Piggy Christian for weeks and I even took him on holiday in the caravan with me.

thank you! I'm doing my very best to keep him fed and comforted! i know exactly what you mean by this. within that 2-3 hour period, it so hard to focus on anything BUT your piggie! boy, your pig sounds like he had the best moments of his life before going over the rainbow bridge! it’s really heartwarming to know he had an owner like you!

 

[alex&sylvester]

Agree with everyone above, but obviously we don’t know if you’re in the UK. He’s the only person to trust with your dental piggies if you are and they don’t require any anaesthesia and can eat again the same day. Usually straight after!
If you are in the UK, we are cancelling an appointment for tomorrow morning to postpone it until next week so there will be one available. I know it would be short notice though. But appointments are usually scarce with Simon!

ah i’m sorry to inform that i am not based in the UK it was really nice of all of you guys to give me past experiences of this vet. it seems like the best option there is! i have found a vet that knows his stuff, because there isn’t many exotic vets around where i’m from. i’m from Malaysia!
also you guys are too sweet, i really can’t express how much this means to me. i wasn’t able to relate and talk to others about what am i going through now as they wouldn’t understand/get it. but i am really so glad that you guys were sharing past experiences with me. it really makes me feel less alone in this situation

 

[alex&sylvester]

My Ted was a dental piggie and I spent many weeks syringe and hand feeding him. I know the rollercoaster ride you are having. Has the vet cut his front teeth too short? This is a common problem with vets. I used to take my Ted for conscious dentals with Simon at the Cat and Rabbit Clinic in Northampton. After a terrible GA dental that left Ted unable to eat for 6 weeks we found out about this vet who saved Ted’s life. I don’t know were you live but if you can get your piggie an appointment with Simon or Kim you don’t be disappointed. Kim and Simon are the best in country and people travel with their dental piggies from as far away as Cornwall (me) and Scotland. You don’t need a referral and it’s very reasonably priced too as no anaesthetics are used, usually the piggie is eating after one conscious dental
Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic | Northlands Vets

yes unfortunately, the vet had cut his lower incisors a little too short for Sylvester’s liking, as he had so much trouble eating ever since!
however, for his overgrown molar, the vet referred me to another experienced vet (who has treated dental care for molars) as she did not have the equipment to do so. i still think back to that day, wondering if i should have voiced out that she shouldn’t cut his teeth...

 

[Little Ones]

I didn’t think you were from the UK, but thought it was worth asking just in case!
It’s good that your vet decided to refer you, even though they messed up the incisors. From posts on here, it seems some vets can be a bit over zealous and completely mess up the back teeth (and also incisors in some cases). So even though the vet did the incisors poorly, at least they weren’t quick to go for the back teeth too.
I really hope everything goes well with the dental, sometimes it can take more than one dental to correct things when it comes to other vets aside from Simon and Kim, so be prepared for that. There are also instances where the problem tooth will continue to grow back very quickly and can require dentals every month.
A piggy that has had a dental with anaesthetic can take a few days to start eating again. It is crucial that you get your piggy to eat hay or grass as soon as you can. The days spent without eating hay/grass can cause the back teeth to overgrow so that they require yet another dental. Obviously offer unlimited hay as you would anyway but providing grass during this time alongside hay might be more encouraging as many dental piggies are able to eat this even with uncorrected dental issues. The silica in grass wears the teeth down the same way that hay does. As long as piggy is eating one of the two as soon as possible, you’re on the right track.

 

[alex&sylvester]

I didn’t think you were from the UK, but thought it was worth asking just in case!
It’s good that your vet decided to refer you, even though they messed up the incisors. From posts on here, it seems some vets can be a bit over zealous and completely mess up the back teeth (and also incisors in some cases). So even though the vet did the incisors poorly, at least they weren’t quick to go for the back teeth too.
I really hope everything goes well with the dental, sometimes it can take more than one dental to correct things when it comes to other vets aside from Simon and Kim, so be prepared for that. There are also instances where the problem tooth will continue to grow back very quickly and can require dentals every month.
A piggy that has had a dental with anaesthetic can take a few days to start eating again. It is crucial that you get your piggy to eat hay or grass as soon as you can. The days spent without eating hay/grass can cause the back teeth to overgrow so that they require yet another dental. Obviously offer unlimited hay as you would anyway but providing grass during this time alongside hay might be more encouraging as many dental piggies are able to eat this even with uncorrected dental issues. The silica in grass wears the teeth down the same way that hay does. As long as piggy is eating one of the two as soon as possible, you’re on the right track.

yeah. one of the reasons why i’m really stressed out a lot would be because of the cost. forking out 250 bucks every month will dry out my bank account.
how would i encourage my boy to eat hay/grass after the surgery if he does not want to eat? even if i offer an unlimited supply of hay, i’m just scared there will be a possibility of him not even wanting to eat hay anymore. i just ordered some oxbow oat hay, in case he feels like trying out that hay. because this whole problem kinda all started when he had a sudden lost in interest towards timothy hay. so i bought orchard hay, to see if he would be willing to eat that instead. so far it has not been looking good. so i’m just hoping now that once the oat hay comes, that’ll encourage him enough to eat.
i’ll do what i can with the grass, i’ll pluck out some and put it in his cage, or maybe try again and put him outside for a bit to see if he has any interest in eating grass.

 

[Little Ones]

The natural instinct is to eat hay/grass, if the teeth have been done correctly he should be able to eat it, it’s just that his mouth will be sore and he might be a bit groggy for a day or so. Make sure you have pain relief for him so dog metacam/loxicom is what would be prescribed here. The standard for dog metacam is 0.4ml twice a day, however you can’t really overdose them on metacam (I’ve had a piggy on 1.5ml twice a day - he weighed 1300 grams for reference). I also give metacam 3 times a day when I feel a piggy is in a lot of pain. So the first thing is to make sure he is prescribed a pain killer. There are other pain reliefs we use over here like tramadol, buprenorphine (tends to really knock the piggy out though from experience so they don’t really eat or move or anything because they’re so out of it), and gabapentin. So it might be possible your vet prescribes one of those instead of metacam which is the first choice here in the UK.
Grass will be a big help in getting him to eat. Encouragement can help too, like I said eating hay and grass is an instinct and something they want to do. So if piggy has been asleep/not eating for an hour then wake him up and get him to move about his cage a little. Fluff up the hay you have in the cage so it seems more fresh and appealing. Put all varieties of hay you hay in the cage too so that piggy has options. My dental piggies have found orchard hay the easiest and the most appealing. Another thing I find very helpful is readigrass/dried grass/barn dried hay, whenever a piggy is off their hay I put readigrass in the cage too and 9 times out of 10 they will eat that. It’s not suitable for them to eat all the time, but when they aren’t eating properly I give it unlimitedly. It’s like in between grass and hay. Some piggies can lose confidence in eating hay after struggling for so long, one of my dental piggys did but giving readigrass which has a lot of appeal with the consistency of hay helped him get his confidence back. The silica in readigrass also helps with the teeth.
If the incisors still aren’t the right length however, even if the back teeth have been sorted he will still struggle to eat for himself which could mean another dental is needed once the incisors are the correct length. If I were you, I’d mention this to the vet before the surgery and ask whether it would make more sense to postpone the surgery a week or so until the incisors meet enough and he can pick up food.
If you’re lucky, the dental will be a one time thing. I really hope so!

 

[alex&sylvester]

The natural instinct is to eat hay/grass, if the teeth have been done correctly he should be able to eat it, it’s just that his mouth will be sore and he might be a bit groggy for a day or so. Make sure you have pain relief for him so dog metacam/loxicom is what would be prescribed here. The standard for dog metacam is 0.4ml twice a day, however you can’t really overdose them on metacam (I’ve had a piggy on 1.5ml twice a day - he weighed 1300 grams for reference). I also give metacam 3 times a day when I feel a piggy is in a lot of pain. So the first thing is to make sure he is prescribed a pain killer. There are other pain reliefs we use over here like tramadol, buprenorphine (tends to really knock the piggy out though from experience so they don’t really eat or move or anything because they’re so out of it), and gabapentin. So it might be possible your vet prescribes one of those instead of metacam which is the first choice here in the UK.
Grass will be a big help in getting him to eat. Encouragement can help too, like I said eating hay and grass is an instinct and something they want to do. So if piggy has been asleep/not eating for an hour then wake him up and get him to move about his cage a little. Fluff up the hay you have in the cage so it seems more fresh and appealing. Put all varieties of hay you hay in the cage too so that piggy has options. My dental piggies have found orchard hay the easiest and the most appealing. Another thing I find very helpful is readigrass/dried grass/barn dried hay, whenever a piggy is off their hay I put readigrass in the cage too and 9 times out of 10 they will eat that. It’s not suitable for them to eat all the time, but when they aren’t eating properly I give it unlimitedly. It’s like in between grass and hay. Some piggies can lose confidence in eating hay after struggling for so long, one of my dental piggys did but giving readigrass which has a lot of appeal with the consistency of hay helped him get his confidence back. The silica in readigrass also helps with the teeth.
If the incisors still aren’t the right length however, even if the back teeth have been sorted he will still struggle to eat for himself which could mean another dental is needed once the incisors are the correct length. If I were you, I’d mention this to the vet before the surgery and ask whether it would make more sense to postpone the surgery a week or so until the incisors meet enough and he can pick up food.
If you’re lucky, the dental will be a one time thing. I really hope so!

i’ve bought some wheatgrass seeds for planting, in hope of him really liking the taste. i tried searching for readigrass around my area and i couldn’t find anything. would dried wheatgrass hay be acceptable for him? i’m hoping he will find the oat hay i bought for him stimulating. if not, i’ll get meadow hay for him and see if he eats that.
good news about sylvester right now, is that he’s starting to eat BY HIMSELF! it’s not much, but he has been willing to eat some vegetables and fruits that i have been giving him! i feel even the slightest progress in him gives me hope and strength to continue whatever i am doing. so in relation to that, i think that he is either adjusting to his incisors, or they are growing back ever so slightly-his incisors were cut last friday, but at least their teeth never stops growing!
i sure hope that things will start to go well after his dental filing. i’m feeling positive that he will regain his appetite along with hay, pellets and vegetables.

 

[Little Ones]

i’ve bought some wheatgrass seeds for planting, in hope of him really liking the taste. i tried searching for readigrass around my area and i couldn’t find anything. would dried wheatgrass hay be acceptable for him? i’m hoping he will find the oat hay i bought for him stimulating. if not, i’ll get meadow hay for him and see if he eats that.
good news about sylvester right now, is that he’s starting to eat BY HIMSELF! it’s not much, but he has been willing to eat some vegetables and fruits that i have been giving him! i feel even the slightest progress in him gives me hope and strength to continue whatever i am doing. so in relation to that, i think that he is either adjusting to his incisors, or they are growing back ever so slightly-his incisors were cut last friday, but at least their teeth never stops growing!
i sure hope that things will start to go well after his dental filing. i’m feeling positive that he will regain his appetite along with hay, pellets and vegetables.

I can’t see why it wouldn’t be acceptable, you basically want him to be tempted and encouraged to eat as much as possible.
So glad to hear he’s started munching for himself, even if it is just a little! Come on Sylvester, you can do it !