Jan's Toothy Smile medical thread

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daisymay
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Post   » Tue Feb 03, 2015 2:37 am


Image

This is a picture of Jan's mouth. Jan is just over 2 years old, ever since we got her she has been a dribbly eater. but slowly over time her incisors have gotten worse to where they now look like this. Should I be worried?

Sorry for the largeness of this picture. Hope you can see the problem, where you have up the top a left and a right incisor they are seperating at the middle and the left incisor is slowly turning inward going behind the right one.

Hope I have not confused you all. Thanks for any suggestions.

GPIG

Post   » Tue Feb 03, 2015 2:51 am


I do see what you mean about her left turning. If it's just dribbling eating and she’s able to eat all foods without discomfort or frustration, if she were mine, I think i would just keep an eye on it for now.

Teeth seem to be so tricky I wouldn't let anyone do anything to them unless it was causing a serious problem. I’ve heard too many stories of harm coming to them in regards to teeth when it wasn’t a serious problem to begin with.

Talishan
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Post   » Tue Feb 03, 2015 4:32 am


Ditto GPIG. If her weight is stable and no tooth is so long or sideways that it injures her mouth or lips, I'd keep an eye on it but otherwise leave it alone.

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Tue Feb 03, 2015 9:41 am


Thanks for the replies, our vet wanted to remove incisors and make her have regular teeth filings and have us cutting her food up small for the rest of her life.

She does get a green chin, and her skin gets red from the moisture so we use a hair drier to dry it.

Here's a picture of her wet chin, she's always had wet chin from day one when we got her over 2 years ago.

Image

GPIG

Post   » Tue Feb 03, 2015 11:00 am


I think I would try cutting up the food but I would absolutely not have incisors removed or the regular teeth filing, at least not at this point.

I'm in no position of experience to advise against the advice of a vet, but perhaps another opinion?

bpatters
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Post   » Tue Feb 03, 2015 11:40 am


If you have to cut the food, cut it in slivers, not in chunks. It seems to be easier for them to eat.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Tue Feb 03, 2015 11:56 pm


Ditto bpatters. Long, thin slivers of things seem to be easiest for them to eat.

"Here's a picture of her wet chin, she's always had wet chin from day one when we got her over 2 years ago. "

If her weight has held and she's been otherwise normal for those two years, I'd just leave her alone.

"I'm in no position of experience to advise against the advice of a vet,"

Oh, hey, I will!! :-) In a flat heartbeat! ;-)

Lots of guinea pigs' dentition is not perfect. If it works for them IMO it doesn't need to be. I am against tweaking things for perfection that don't need to be, because the animal has successfully accommodated whatever that "it" may be.

TL;DR: if it ain't broke don't fix it.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Tue Feb 03, 2015 11:58 pm


Ditto Talishan! I've seen some totally incompetent vet recommendations and have no problem advising against them. We had one recent pig at GPC with an x-ray with an obvious stone in the bladder, but the vet said it couldn't be a stone because he couldn't see it on ultrasound. WTF?

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Wed Feb 04, 2015 12:49 am


I don't know how some of these people either obtain or retain veterinary licenses. :-(

Of course, there's a lot of folks with no business with a driver's license, either, so there you go. :-/

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Wed Feb 04, 2015 9:01 am


Thanks for the replies. Jan has slowly gained weight, I think she was the runt of the litter and in the six months has put on 40grams.

I am just concerned about her chin and the skin at times the skin does look angry and red. And her teeth have gotten worse over last 2-4 weeks. As far as we can see she has NO prblems eating just dribbles at the side of her mouth. She picks up food just fine.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Feb 04, 2015 12:11 pm


Have you carefully watched how she eats? Does her mouth hang open at rest? I would try to watch a healthy guinea pig and see if you can observe how she is eating (movement of ears, swallowing, not eating in the same manner) to try to figure out what it is that is different. I take it the molars have been examined? Has a skull xray been done to check for abnormalities? Breaks in the jaw?

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Thu Feb 05, 2015 7:47 am


No X-rays taken, no broken jaw. It's all I can do to stop vet removing incisors.

Have watched her eat compared to Jasmine and Joy and she chews the same as them. BUT the corners of her mouth seem to droop like she's sad.

It is through these corners she dribbles juice and tiny amounts of food. Hoping picture shows what I mean.

Image

Mouth closes further than what Jasmine's does and about the same as Joy's. Molars have been looked at whilst Jan was awake not sedated. She is currently 850grams.

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