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URGENT ADVICE NEEDED-PLEASE HELP!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gill@London
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Gill@London

Hi Everyone,

I am new here and firstly would like to say a very big hello. My name is Gill, I'm 25 from Newcastle, but living and working in London. This site is very impressive and I'm really pleased I found you!

I am really needing some help and advice about Trixy my 3 and half year old Guinea Pig. He is very sick and has become very thin due to having overgrown teeth in his cheeks. I never even knew something like this could happen but ive been looking into it and seeing a vet as he seems like he is in alot of pain. I've heard it's quite common which is reasurring. Basically I'm now in a difficult situation, as my vet told me last night that he is in alot of pain and needs to have an operation to have these teath trimmed and to have a look at any infections in his mouth. Even though he told me that he has a good chance to recover he also told me that since he is now frail and week due to losing wieght there a chance he may not survive the operation. Not to mention there is the recovery afterwards of getting him through this and building him up again. It's really heartbraking to know he is in so much pain and I have considered to put him down, but I feel that would be giving up on him and he has brought me so much over the years. Another problem i have are the cost involved as I do work full time and have a job but I am having financial problems and I can not afford this operation for him. But at the same time I'm really just not sure what to do. Does anyone have any experiences with thier little piggle about this? Should I put him through this operation or since he already in pain now should i put him down? I know this is not a decision anyone could really tell me, but I would appreciate any wise words as It's very upsetting as I don't know what to do for the best :-\ :'(

Thank you in advance for all your help. I have over the weekend to decide as I really can't leave it any later then that, so I hope I can come to the right decision.

Best Wishes to you all :)
 
Hi Gill, I am so sorry to hear about your poor piggie. I have not had this problem myself, but I know someone on here will be able to help you. I just wanted to say what every you decide will be the right decision, as I know you will do the best for him.

sending you a ((( big hugs ))) sally
 
Hi Gill and welcome to the forum from us in OZ :)
Very very sorry to hear about little Trixy :'(
I'm not sure about the operation, could the vet not look inside his mouth and trim the molars and incisors this way? As i live in Australia it's different for us we do not have savvy piggie vets who'll do toofie trims without anaes >:( but i know many of your wonderful vets and rodentologists do... have a check on the list of recommended vets and give one of them a call :) You could also ask your vet if you could do a deal with them and pay off the account, just a thought :-\
My boy is over 6 and has regular toofie trims every 3 weeks and he has been doing so for over 1 1/2yrs and he's been under 600g but i've got him back up to over 1000g so with perserverence and lots of TLC you can do it O0
We wish you all the best and i'm sure you'll get lots of help from the Londoners on here as well as the other lovely people :)
 
Hi my piggie had dental problems when she was 5 years old, she too was frail and weak and i chose for her not to have the op instead she had her front teeth cut every few weeks, if its just the front ones surely they can trim them?

as for costs, do you have a local PDSA? they help out people who cant afford vet treatment.. not sure if you need to be on benefits or not though, worth a try.

maybe go and see another vet and get a second opinion? i saw on tv that they could look to the back teeth without needing to go under anaesthetic it was on exotic vet on itv he had a rod looking thing that he just put into the back of the mouth, now my vet said the same she would have to go under anaesthetic which i said no to. why cant all vets be as good as the guy on tv!

it might be an idea to get some critical care which is syringe fed to help the piggy maintain weight and contains everything he needs to keep his gut in working order www.thistlecavies.com sell it in a pouch or a tub. especially if you go ahead with the op you can feed him this during recovery - also mushed up pellets and offered on a spoon until you can get some if he's not eating much

is he managing to eat anything?
 
welcome gill from me and the girls from oz :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: so sorry to hear trixy is under the weather. i would ask the vet whether you could pay bit by bit for your fur baby. could you give vedra a ring? here are her details Vedra runs the Cambridge Cavy Trust which is a fantastic facuility for guinea pigs

The Cambridge Cavy Trust (Info on the Gorgeous Guinea site)
Cambridge Cavy Trust (Registered Charity no 801103)
1 Splash Lane
Wyton
Huntingdon,
Cambs
PE28 2AF

Membership £25 per year includes quarterly worming, nail clipping and routine dental work free of charge, no consultancy fee.

Tel/Text Vedra's mobile 07721 026401
Hope this is helpful
maybe just ring her and talk to her if she is too far away, being in australia have no idea where vedra is. but have heard glowing reports by other memebers, she may even be able to recomend a vet for you. i would certainly NOT put trixy down as where there is a will there is a way, as said you could put some pellets through a food processor or coffee grinder, boil some water and let it cool add pellets to water, and then add 2-3 teasoons of baby food puree i use sweetcorn, mix into a paste and eith syringe feed or spoon feed, also syringe water with vitamin C in it. sending you both hugs and healing vibes and please keep us posted :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
My guinea had her teeth cut up until the age of 8. I would never put a guinea pig down because they need their teeth cut as this is quite common with all guinea pigs. If the teeth are at the front or if they are the pre molars/molars these should be done without anesthetic. If they are right at the back (which was the case with my guinea) she was put under anesthetic 4 times and survived each one. Once the operation/teeth cutting is done guinea pigs usually cope very well with this and within 2 days are usually back to their normal selves. The vet would probably give a mild painkiller as the mouth will probably be sore afterwards. I had to syringe feed my guinea for the first couple of days because she wouldn't eat herself which should be done every two hours. For now syringe mashed pellets with water or vegetable baby food which can be syringed. Another option would be to grate some carrot or chop soft fruit/veg like grapes or kiwi into small pieces. I do hope you make the right decision and let us know how you get on.
 
The Cambridge Cavy Trust may be able to recommend a Rodentologist or vet in your area that can trim all teeth without an anaesethetic (Just got back from one in the Midlands)
 
spudnik said:
as for costs, do you have a local PDSA? they help out people who cant afford vet treatment.. not sure if you need to be on benefits or not though, worth a try.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately for PDSA assistance, you do need to be on benefits.
 
Even if you get Council tax benefit you can get help at the PDSA.

Sorry no advice, but welcome to the forum. All my pigs are young with no teeth problems right now. Good luck! x
 
I would hope you could find a gunea savvy vet who could see to these teeth problems without the need for anaesthetic or an operation. It is this which makes it expensive. My vet does not need to use anaesthetic, she is located in Ewell which isnt too far out of London, just down the A3. Her name is Anne Taylor and the surgery number is 020 8393 6049, it is called O`Meara. Perhaps consider her? she is brilliant and I dont trust anyone else with my pigs. I would never PTS for teeth problems.

You should be feeding your guinea via a syringe, critical care available from a vet is best or you could mush up pellets in warm water. Some use veggie only baby food. Also offer veg sliced very thinly and put into the mouth. Your piggy needs attention asap as their system shuts don quite quickly if not eating.

Good luck :)
 
Yeah I would start by syringe feeding trixy to at least him a boost :( put water with some pellets and mash it down, he may want to eat that, or you can use a syringe (with no needle in obviously) which you can ask your vet for. If you can, ask your vet for either Science Recovery or Critical Care, both of which can be syringe fed to pigs. The pellets are only a part time thing for this evening/tomorrow, get some SR or CC if you can.

As for teeth problems, I am constantly worried one of my pigs will have teeth issues as all my vets in the nearest area do not and would not do the teeth fileing without anesthetic. It is possible for a vet to do all teeth without anesthetic though.
 
I have the same vet as Fiona ,and she doesmost dentals without anesthetic./Anne would only give a light anesthetic if the work was very complicated.Most dental work is not.As you work in London you should be able to get to her surgery o..k.The surgery is right on the Ewell-By-Pass.
 
yep true what mary said, ewell is not too far out of london. I'm sure you could get her there. It would be worth it :)
 
Hi Everyone! :)

Thanks you all so much for taking the time to reply to my message. I really appreciate that and I was overwhelmed at such lovely responces. You seems like a lovley group of peolpe with alot of wise words O0

Since my post I have rang the vet that I saw in London, it's a chain called Village Vets. The vet was the first time I have saw him as I was really impressed with the website and he was very nice and professional. I called him to ask for some more information as to why Trixy would need to be put to sleep for the operation on his teath. He said that Trixy has overgrown cheek teath which are causing him alot of problems and he possible ulcerations which are really painful. At the time he had a good look with a little rod, but said becasue these animals have small mouths the only way to see the full extent of the damage would be to open his mouth alot wider and this has to be done whilde he is asleep. He did talk to me about sedating trixy but he said it's not what he would advice as piglets can oftern still twitch throughout and be aware of whats going on which can make them very scared and even though they watch the pain relief they can still feel some elements of the procedure. He assured me that the least painful method would be to operate on him while he is asleep. I do worry about this as my piggy is very thin and frail and weak. I'm doing all i can with the Science Recovery until he goes for the operation but i worry he wont make it through the operation. I have decided to go with this vet even though i can not afford it. I'm trying to do all i can to pay for it as I can't give up on him. I just hope I'm doing the right thing as I don't want him to be in any more pain and right now he is in pain. I worry too for his survival and also the recovery after.

I did look into talking to the ladys you both reccommended but since i dont drive, it would be very hard to get on public transport and its quite far outside of london. Even travelling anywhere in london is hard lol. But I do appreciate your reccomendations and your time.

I will be making an appointment for his operation hopefully for next week as I'm going to Newcastle tonight for the weekend. I wish i hadnt planned to go home as i hate to live my boy like this. My house mates going to syringe feed him like i have been, but i just feel a bit bad to leave him when he is so sick. I hope he will pull through this....animals give us so much dont they..?

Thanks again for all the support.

Have a lovley weekend and I will keep in touch.

Gill xx
 
I am sending healing vibes to your piggy and hope he comes through O0

Just check with the vet that he will use the anaesthetic isoflorene as any other one is dangerous for guineas :)
 
wishing you and trixy all the best for his surgery and i have everything crossed all will go well. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: people say they are only guinea pigs i feel sorry for these people as they don't know the joy and love these little critters can give. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: they wiggle into your hearts and those eyes when they look at you just melts you everytime, they may be naughty but those eyes one look and all is forgiven :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: i know how you feel and i am sending big hugs to you both and hoping all goes well and that he recovers, it is plain you love him and he loves you :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: i might be in oz and you in the UK but still sending healing vibes and prayers for trixy :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: please keep us posted. O0 glad you're sticking with your vet and that you trust him, and your house mate will do all they can for trixy O0 good luck :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
Hi Gill,


You really do need to find another vet as I am afraid the one you are going to is talking nonsense.What is the "rod thing" he used?.The only way to look at teeth properly is with the use of bucal pad separators,and you do not need anesthetic to use them.
I am not sure what he means by "cheek teeth", gps have incisors,pre molars and molars.Maybe he means spurs on the molars.Spurs do not require anesthetic for removal.

If this vet is open minded,do you think he would be willing to discuss with my vet?.She is always happy to send diagrams etc to interested vets,and she would explain the dental technique and advise about instruments.There are proper instruments to do gp teeth and not all vets have these.My vet had to buy in special tools when she first learnt the dental technique from Peter.
 
Thank you all for the kind words, your so sweet! i'll pass on the hugs to little Trixy :)

In answer to your question Maryh the vet actually really impressed me with what he said. He explained about the different teath and said it was the teath around the cheeks (cheek bone) that were inflamed and overgrown. He explained that with ulcers this can be very nasty and painful for pigs and that becasue it is not as simple as just trimming the teath he would need full acess to the mouth so it can be opened up wide enough to acess the full damage of the ulcers, infection and overgrown teath. He said he was open minded for sedation but feels in all his experience that this is the only way he knows that successful to treat all these things at the same time. The rod he used was a special tool that woudl allow him to see as much of the mouth and throat as he could. Trixy was so uncomfortable that after a few attempts the vet was really anxious that the state of his mouth needed to be operated on asap. I do appreciate the offer to ring your vet too but i feel that this vet was very professional in giving me alot of explainations and advice and had dealt with alot of the same problems in the past. From what i know it is not guarenteed to be pain free if you dont put them to sleep, and I really dont want my piggie going through any more pain and discomfort. I realise putting Trixy to sleep for the operartion has risks, but there risks with it all, and least this risk is pain free.

Gill xx
 
I went through this with my Billie

I left it very late and he had an operation on his teeth when he was very frail and weak.
If Trixy comes through the op (hope she does) then you will need to clear your diary for a bit.

Billlie weighed less than half his normal body weight after his op and it took all my energy and time to turn the situation around.
He was on syringe feeds every 2 hours during the day and 4 hourly during the night for the first 3 full days
We started on Science Recovery and after 2 days I started introducing pureed veggies
I weighed him each day and there was a little improvement and then after a week I stopped the syringes completely as his mouth recovered

Good luck. It can be done. You need to stick at it though sweetie for the sake of your little one. She will not be able to feed herself
 
maryh said:
Hi Gill,


You really do need to find another vet as I am afraid the one you are going to is talking nonsense.What is the "rod thing" he used?.The only way to look at teeth properly is with the use of bucal pad separators,and you do not need anesthetic to use them.
I am not sure what he means by "cheek teeth", gps have incisors,pre molars and molars.Maybe he means spurs on the molars.Spurs do not require anesthetic for removal.

If this vet is open minded,do you think he would be willing to discuss with my vet?.She is always happy to send diagrams etc to interested vets,and she would explain the dental technique and advise about instruments.There are proper instruments to do gp teeth and not all vets have these.My vet had to buy in special tools when she first learnt the dental technique from Peter.
Click to expand...

I know that this is an issue that some members have strong views on but lets get this little one fixed first any way we can to stop her getting thinner and weaker.
It doesnt sound as though there is time for vets to share information and learn new techniques.
Poor Gill is coping with an anxious situation and is already utterly confused about what to do for the best. I feel we should be supporting her whatever she decides to do.
Trixy is ill and Gill is getting her sorted - thats the main thing

I'm not having a go at you Mary. I'm truly not. I just know what Gill is going through
 
Welcome.

I had all this with my darling Dr Atkins.

Someone has already said - make sure the gas is isoflurane. It is the best for guineas and is used for humans too.

Please don't ever consider getting a guinea destroyed because of dental problems.
 
Pigs with dodgy teeth & the way vets choose to deal with them can be a nightmare. Just hoping you get trixy sorted asap O0
 
Actually I was trying to help as well.When Gill first p[osted she had not mentioned that the mouth was ulcerated.This makes a difference,and anesthetic would be needed.As I said before,my vet does use anesthetic for dental work that is unusualy complicated.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
Good luck Gill.
From my recent experience with Nibbles, Trixie may need her teeth trimming a few times during her recovery until she's eating normally again, so a vet that can do this without sedation (especially the back ones) would be a good idea even after the op. I hope your vet can do this, but if he cant its worth ringing Vedra at CCT (01480 417378 mon&wed 11-4 fri 11-7) as I believe she has a list of vets, there surely must be one in London within reach.

Might some pain relief help her eat while she's waiting for the op.?
 
Hi, first you need a cavy experienced vet - not all are. My understanding is that buccal pads are used to get into the mouth properly and the teeth are trimmed. I believe metacam is a suitable pain relief.
Hope all goes well. it is not too uncommon.
 
I must admit, I went through this with one of my guinea pigs, Cheeky, he just stopped eating. Our vets gave him an anaesthetic in order to trim his back teeth and he never did eat properly again and we were syringe feeding him for weeks. He lost a lot of weight and eventually I am afraid to say he passed away one morning. I do hope you have more success, I am sure there are plenty of people out there who have successfully managed to get their little piggies back to good health. Hope all goes well with your little pigg and that he is soon well again.

Joy xx
 
Hi Everyone :)

I'm sorry I havent wrote back for a while but it has been a busy few days, not to mention some personal things of my own I'm trying to deal with. Life is complicated isnt it lol.

Trixy is having his operation as we speak, and I'm a bit nervous sitting here at work becasue he my pride and joy, but I'm hoping he will be ok. It was horrible to leave him today but i know he is pain and suffereing and I have to help him in anyway i can. He put on a little wieght since last week so vet said that it was good to know as he has been so frail and this is a risk for the operation.

I am waiting by the phone at work, and a bit worried but will let you know how he gets on. Isn't it crazy what these little things give us.

Thanks for all yor kind words and advice. I really appreciate them all.

GILL
 
awww i hope everything goes well with his operation, such a worry when they are frail like trixie but its for the best and hopefully he wont be uncomfortable with his mouth any longer and they sort the problem out for him :)

I had my 6 year old piggie operated on when she had a burst cyst and i was should I/shouldnt I with her age it was very worrying her going under anaesthetic, but she was a good size stocky pig and she was fine, shes still with me now :)

let us know how trixy gets on :)
 
Will do Spudnik, thanks alot.

Your little piggle sounds like a fighter!

I still havent had the phone call..........fingers crossed. I'll be in touch

Gill :smitten:
 
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