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Teeth or Kidneys?

O

Olliew

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi
Wondering if any of you can help.
One of our Guinea’s who is 2 started to show signs of not being well 10 days ago - we took her to the vets who prescribed antibiotics as the vet thought Olive may have a kidney infection, she didn’t really improve and still wasn’t eating but we did notice that she wanted to eat but wasn’t able to pick food up or chew food - we thought maybe a teeth issue so last Thursday she had an anaesthetic and the vet looked at her teeth. The vet couldn’t find anything wrong with her teeth but said her kidneys felt lumpy.
They gave us rescue food and said To make her comfortable and it was a matter of time.
She’s still with us - on and off quite perky - desperately wants to eat but can’t pick food up or chew. I’m convinced it’s her teeth, do you think it’s worth a second opinion? Could a kidney issue prevent her being able to chew? It’s so sad to watch her not be able to eat and she’s not keen on syringe food but will take occasional softened pellets off your finger
Thank you
 
I'm so sorry your piggy is poorly. It very much depends on what the issue is with the kidneys, but it could well be linked. For example, 2 of my piggies have a condition called osteodystrophy which is caused by a genetic issue that means their kidneys dont produce the correct amount of hormones to regulate their calcium use, and so simply put, when they dont have enough in the blood because they cant absorb it from the diet, they strip it from the bones. My current 2 seem to be doing ok with regards to dental disease, but a previous piggy I had with the same condition had it effect her jaw which meant she needed regular dental work. Her teeth may look ok, but her jaw may not be? Were xrays taken to make sure it wasnt an issue with the jaw or tooth roots? I wonder if a second opinion might be worth trying depending on how experienced this vet was with guinea pigs.
 
Olliew said:
Hi
Wondering if any of you can help.
One of our Guinea’s who is 2 started to show signs of not being well 10 days ago - we took her to the vets who prescribed antibiotics as the vet thought Olive may have a kidney infection, she didn’t really improve and still wasn’t eating but we did notice that she wanted to eat but wasn’t able to pick food up or chew food - we thought maybe a teeth issue so last Thursday she had an anaesthetic and the vet looked at her teeth. The vet couldn’t find anything wrong with her teeth but said her kidneys felt lumpy.
They gave us rescue food and said To make her comfortable and it was a matter of time.
She’s still with us - on and off quite perky - desperately wants to eat but can’t pick food up or chew. I’m convinced it’s her teeth, do you think it’s worth a second opinion? Could a kidney issue prevent her being able to chew? It’s so sad to watch her not be able to eat and she’s not keen on syringe food but will take occasional softened pellets off your finger
Thank you
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome!

Has your vet looked at the back teeth, too? They are the crucial ones that grow spurs. Unfortunately guinea pigs don't feature much (if at all) on a general vet's curriculum and their teeth not at all.
Please be aware that mis-shapen kidneys are very painful and can impact on the appetite but not on the ability to chew. Have you been given any painkiller for them? There is unfortunately nothing else that can be done for them. :(

How piggy savvy is your vet?

Here is our syringe feeding guide: Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
 
Thank you for your reply’s.

I’m not sure how piggy savvy the vet is as she wasn’t sure what was wrong - just that it was likely to be her kidneys and there wasn’t much they could do for her.
The vet did talk about looking at her back teeth so I was confident that she knew a bit about guinea teeth. She didn’t do any x-rays
She cannot bite down on anything - she is sat trying to eat hay, can pick a piece up but can’t break it down or move it through her mouth.
I’m not sure if she is in pain, how would we know. She sits in the hunch position most of the time.
 
I very sorry to hear about your guinea pig. I’m sorry to say but I think she is in pain and should have been given painkillers with her antibiotics. I would not accept a vet saying that there is not much they can do. I’m not aware that the hunch position is normal. If she’s trying to eat then it could be a teeth related issue - I would strongly recommend taking her to a vet that specialises in guinea pigs - There is a great guy Simon in Northampton who is able to do any dental work on a guinea pig without anaesthetic and he is extremely experienced with guinea pigs - Please persevere with the syringe feeding as her digestive system needs regular food to ‘ keep it functioning’ - she will get used to it.
There are great people on here who can give more experienced advice -
 
Olliew said:
Thank you for your reply’s.

I’m not sure how piggy savvy the vet is as she wasn’t sure what was wrong - just that it was likely to be her kidneys and there wasn’t much they could do for her.
The vet did talk about looking at her back teeth so I was confident that she knew a bit about guinea teeth. She didn’t do any x-rays
She cannot bite down on anything - she is sat trying to eat hay, can pick a piece up but can’t break it down or move it through her mouth.
I’m not sure if she is in pain, how would we know. She sits in the hunch position most of the time.
Click to expand...

She is in pain. The hunch is typical for kidney problems or other issues with nearby inner organs. :(
If she is not able to bite down and chew, then she has got a dental issue; perhaps a brewing root abscess, which is also very painful.

Personally you may want to see either another vet or discuss quality of life with your vet re. pain relief vs. longer term kidney damage (which is frankly in your situation no longer all that relevant).

Where are you located?
 
Ok - thank you for the feeding links we have had a little bit more success with the syringe feeding and Olive has eaten some pellets soaked in water. I had some metacam left, the vet gave it to us a couple of days before the anaesthetic so I have given this to her tonight - after she had her anaesthetic the vet had said she wasn’t in pain.
We are in Ipswich Suffolk - I will try and speak to a different vet tomorrow don’t think we’ve been advised very well.
Very grateful for all your advice.
 
Good luck Olliew it’s great that she is eating more - I’m sure if you can get to Orwell vets they’ll be able to help Olive 🥰
 
Olliew said:
Thank you for your reply’s.

I’m not sure how piggy savvy the vet is as she wasn’t sure what was wrong - just that it was likely to be her kidneys and there wasn’t much they could do for her.
The vet did talk about looking at her back teeth so I was confident that she knew a bit about guinea teeth. She didn’t do any x-rays
She cannot bite down on anything - she is sat trying to eat hay, can pick a piece up but can’t break it down or move it through her mouth.
I’m not sure if she is in pain, how would we know. She sits in the hunch position most of the time.
Click to expand...

My guinea pig pooped out her intestine, and she didn’t look like she was in pain, but when we visited the vet they said that she was in a lot of pain but couldn’t show it because then her predators would see she was weak. So, my point is, maybe your guinea pig is in pain. I hope this helps you, best of luck!
 
Just wanted to update you on Olive.
she saw the exoctic vet today.
Bloods weren’t taken as the vet knew straight away that she had cyst on her ovaries not a kidney issue. As a secondary her front bottom teeth were not sitting as they should with her top teeth maybe because she hasn’t eaten much.
Her teeth have been trimmed and she is home with pain relief. We need to see if she’ll start eating again on her own before we make a decision about what to do about the cyst. Apparently she needs to put on a bit of weight before they consider removing the cyst, if we decide to go ahead. Also some piggy’s don’t eat for themselves again so the vet thought it a good idea to see if she would and see how her pain is once she’s eaten more.
She desperately wants to eat everything but her new size teeth are a bit if a struggle. She just had a syringe feed and is now trying to eat a cucumber - more successful than a few hours ago.
Thank you again for the advice
 
Oh that’s great the news on Olive Olliew - hopefully she will pick up quickly and put lots of weight on. Cucumber is always a favourite 😊
Hopefully you are feeling a bit better with this diagnosis ? It’s so hard when these little piggles become poorly (and you know you did the right thing going to a specialist vet.)
Take care and good luck - keep me posted I’d love to hear how you are both doing 🥰
 
Hi
Thank you for your reply. Sadly Olive passed away today - she had a good day yesterday and seemed quite happy last night, this morning she wanted to eat and no longer so hunched in her position but ar midday she suddenly lost the ability in her back legs - it was awful at first as she kept trying to stand up and move I considered taking her to the vets but decided it would all be too stressful for her so we gave her some pain relief and made her comfortable and she passed away at 5pm.
I think with the cyst it was only a matter of time, although a difficult afternoon We are relieved that she’s not in pain any more.
Take care & thank you x
 
I’m so sorry Olliew - its been a roller coaster for you and Olive - you looked after her and kept her comfortable - our piggles leave big imprints on our hearts and it’s never easy when they leave us. But having Olive meant she enriched all your lives and gave you wonderful times and memories and that will help you to grieve.
take care and thank you for letting us know x x
 
Virtual hugs. As you say, you can take comfort in the fact that you were able to make her comfortable and she's no longer suffering, but still hard to lose a little friend.
 
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