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Dental TEETH! Issue

Bill & Ted said:
Sorry meant to say silica not silicone! Silly autocorrect 😆
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Haha that’s okay! I did think I hope they aren’t eating silicone 🤣🤣
Really good to know thank you, I’m going to be growing my own grass from now on for them.
She is very good, she will take a syringe feed then munch on some veg afterwards which I cut down for her or she rips bits off.
Wheat grass is similar but I think a bit thicker than normal grass, hope that’s okay to give her x
 
I did mean to ask, when syringe feeding I give her some veg for afters, what’s the best veg to give her that won’t be too bad for her often? And that she can eat.
I don’t want to cause any more issues such as bladder stones etc.
Here’s a pic of her platter. She doesn’t eat it all but pics and chooses the best bits 🤣🤣
 

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Aw she is gorgeous! yes, encourage her to eat any veggies she likes and can eat. Wheat grass should be fine then for her. My Ted liked the beetroot sticks out of salad bags. You can offer her plain dry porridge oats too
Hope you can get her sorted x
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
I feed lots of leafy veg, to the dental piggies and have never had a piggy with a bladder stone! I give lots of different veggies to tempt and call it their 'all you can eat buffet'. 😂
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There has to be something in this - you know I am getting quite upset at all this "cutting down and rationing veg" that is all over the internet. When I first read on here about all these bladder issues, and was astonished that I had never come across them, I rushed around asking everyone I knew with gps whether this was a problem they had come across., but it wasn't. So then when I started reading about all the restricted veg etc I actually asked three people with long lived healthy guineas about their diets - and like me, it's mainly unlimited vegetables and grass.

At the risk of horrifying the entire internet, I feed kale every single day! Until I empirically prove otherwise, I am convinced that gps were not meant to be fed such a dry diet and the amount mine drink when grass and veg are rationed is proof to me too. Also I feed what must be by internet standards a huge amount of vegetables! I deliberately feed the veg with the most amount of water in when I can, but mostly like furryfriends, they just get the lot! It is rather an "all you can eat buffet", as they do not all like the same things.
 
Bluebell said:
There has to be something in this - you know I am getting quite upset at all this "cutting down and rationing veg" that is all over the internet. When I first read on here about all these bladder issues, and was astonished that I had never come across them, I rushed around asking everyone I knew with gps whether this was a problem they had come across., but it wasn't. So then when I started reading about all the restricted veg etc I actually asked three people with long lived healthy guineas about their diets - and like me, it's mainly unlimited vegetables and grass.

At the risk of horrifying the entire internet, I feed kale every single day! Until I empirically prove otherwise, I am convinced that gps were not meant to be fed such a dry diet and the amount mine drink when grass and veg are rationed is proof to me too. Also I feed what must be by internet standards a huge amount of vegetables! I deliberately feed the veg with the most amount of water in when I can, but mostly like furryfriends, they just get the lot! It is rather an "all you can eat buffet", as they do not all like the same things.
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Wow that’s really interesting to know.
I read all these things online about do feed this don’t feed that, only feed this once a week and this 3 times a week, it gets so confusing 😂
I think I will give what she wants now as she is hungry, and can still be picky lol 😂
 
Bill & Ted said:
Aw she is gorgeous! yes, encourage her to eat any veggies she likes and can eat. Wheat grass should be fine then for her. My Ted liked the beetroot sticks out of salad bags. You can offer her plain dry porridge oats too
Hope you can get her sorted x
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Thank you! She loves the beetroot bits too! haha couldnt get enough x
 
I think with dental piggies, it’s a relief sometimes that the fact they can manage to eat anything is good, worrying too much about calcium/sugar content is unrealistic, at least they are eating something and not starving to death. Ideally they’d be eating massive amounts of hay, but if they can’t eat much hay then grass, vegetables, oats, a bit of fruit is fine. At the end of the day you do the best you can for them and be guided by them
 
Bill & Ted said:
I think with dental piggies, it’s a relief sometimes that the fact they can manage to eat anything is good, worrying too much about calcium/sugar content is unrealistic, at least they are eating something and not starving to death. Ideally they’d be eating massive amounts of hay, but if they can’t eat much hay then grass, vegetables, oats, a bit of fruit is fine. At the end of the day you do the best you can for them and be guided by them
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Thank you, totally agree. Anything she eats and I’m cheering her on 🤣
One thing I notice her stools are still small / some bigger ones are very wet almost cow pat like but I don’t know if she’s because she’s walked on them, still very loose. Do I need to try and give more syringe food?
She cries and cries sometimes it’s hard. But I get about 25ml in a day and lots of veg over the day.
 
Bill & Ted said:
I think with dental piggies, it’s a relief sometimes that the fact they can manage to eat anything is good, worrying too much about calcium/sugar content is unrealistic, at least they are eating something and not starving to death. Ideally they’d be eating massive amounts of hay, but if they can’t eat much hay then grass, vegetables, oats, a bit of fruit is fine. At the end of the day you do the best you can for them and be guided by them
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Did you find your piggie was a bit subdued for a while after the dental treatments?
She almost seems like shes in a bit of pain still (I'm waiting on the vet to call me back about htis today) She twists her head to the side sometimes when eating so I'm wondering if its still sore. once shes back in her house she doesnt come out until i get her out again :(
 
Lisanjake said:
Did you find your piggie was a bit subdued for a while after the dental treatments?
She almost seems like shes in a bit of pain still (I'm waiting on the vet to call me back about htis today) She twists her head to the side sometimes when eating so I'm wondering if its still sore. once shes back in her house she doesnt come out until i get her out again :(
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No usually my Ted was fine afterwards, he and his brother then had a 300 mile journey back h8mim and they would both sit in the travel cage chomping away quite happily. If she’s got soft poops then try to get a little more syringe food into her. Sometimes dental piggies do tend to get soft poops as they are lacking in the fibre that only hay or critical care gives. The main thing is to keep her fed. Make sure she gets some pain medication (Metacam/Loxicom) twice a day to relieve any pain x
 
Bill & Ted said:
No usually my Ted was fine afterwards, he and his brother then had a 300 mile journey back h8mim and they would both sit in the travel cage chomping away quite happily. If she’s got soft poops then try to get a little more syringe food into her. Sometimes dental piggies do tend to get soft poops as they are lacking in the fibre that only hay or critical care gives. The main thing is to keep her fed. Make sure she gets some pain medication (Metacam/Loxicom) twice a day to relieve any pain x
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I'm wondering if theres not something else to it. Its quite funny as when I give her a syringe feed she eats straight afterwards whilst sitting on my knee, seems quite happy & bright. soon as u put her back she sleeps for 3 hours lol.
Simon mentioned its a little strange for a 4/5 year old guinea pig to suddenly have bad dental problems late on in life.
Perhaps something else is bothering her :/ she also has polycystic ovaries poor girl.
Shes currently on Metacam twice a day <3
 
Lisanjake said:
I'm wondering if theres not something else to it. Its quite funny as when I give her a syringe feed she eats straight afterwards whilst sitting on my knee, seems quite happy & bright. soon as u put her back she sleeps for 3 hours lol.
Simon mentioned its a little strange for a 4/5 year old guinea pig to suddenly have bad dental problems late on in life.
Perhaps something else is bothering her :/ she also has polycystic ovaries poor girl.
Shes currently on Metacam twice a day <3
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She sounds like she is enjoying your company snuggling up on your knee. It’s funny Ted always started eating bits of grass and veggies after he had had some critical care, I think is must stimulate them to eat. Only a vet can decide if there’s something else which has caused her teeth problems. Pain is the obvious one which stops them eating, perhaps you could ask when you see him again. Simon is very good, he diagnosed a large kidney stone/tumour which my local vet had completely missed despite examining him, I trust his judgement completely x
 
It doesn’t make sense I’m giving more syringe feed and she’s losing more weight
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
Did you get to speak to Simon? xx
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Yes yesterday morning, he said see how she goes over the weekend.
I’m only managing 50ml feeds now. Beginning of Last week was 20/30.
I’m adding purée and pellets to make it taste a bit nicer for her as she spits it out lol.
Should I just stick to the CC for now? X
 
Lisanjake said:
Yes yesterday morning, he said see how she goes over the weekend.
I’m only managing 50ml feeds now. Beginning of Last week was 20/30.
I’m adding purée and pellets to make it taste a bit nicer for her as she spits it out lol.
Should I just stick to the CC for now? X
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Try and see what’s best, they are funny little things, they don’t help themselves either. I’d give her whatever she prefers for now and see how she is after the weekend, ideally the critical care but in the real world whatever she doesn’t spit out x
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
I rarely use Critical Care. I mush up their normal nuggets and add Pro C Probiotic to it. I find they eat that much more readily xx
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But does the pellets have everything she needs in them as she’s unable to eat any hay at all? Or anything tough, even skins on veg xx
 
Lisanjake said:
But does the pellets have everything she needs in them as she’s unable to eat any hay at all? Or anything tough, even skins on veg xx
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I feed mushed nuggets to all the dental piggies, before they can eat for themselves and have always done so. If she can eat grass give that too, as it’s as good as hay for wearing the teeth. Some piggies manage hard foods better, like a chunk of carrot or a broccoli stalk. It’s a case of trial and error to work out what they can and can’t manage xx
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
I feed mushed nuggets to all the dental piggies, before they can eat for themselves and have always done so. If she can eat grass give that too, as it’s as good as hay for wearing the teeth. Some piggies manage hard foods better, like a chunk of carrot or a broccoli stalk. It’s a case of trial and error to work out what they can and can’t manage xx
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Ahhh I see, is it any brand in particular?
She can eat grass but she’s a funny little thing, she will have 2 strands and stop!
She will quite happy neck down blueberries if I gave her a pile of them 😂
She has a few mouthfuls of carrot, spinach, coriander, apple and lettuce xx
 
Update! Winnie has eaten a few strands of hay! AND some Oat hay at that, about 3 pieces at a time.
So proud of her, the only thing is she cant cut the hay in half when its its sideways in her mouth, so it has to go in at the right angle for her to catch it.
She doesnt always take it from my hand but so happy shes eaten some small pieces of hay at least. just need her to have a bit more patience to eat some more as she does get frustrated bless her lol xx
 
Goes to show you should ALWAYS get a second opinion if something doesnt sit right.
One vet told me she would never be able to eat again and probably wont live a few more months.. now shes managing veg, grass and hay (with a bit of help but still!)
 
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