I have a 6 month old male guinea pig who has genetic teeth problems. He was the result of a family member's baby female pigs not being separated soon enough before she bought them. He has no bottom front teeth and as of last night, suspected overgrown teeth at the back. The vet couldn't see the ones right at the back so is assuming they are overgrown as the pig seems to have trouble closing his mouth or holding food in. His bottom lip has always been droopy though. The suggested treatment is filing under anaesthetic at a cost of £150. I was charged £50 last night for consultation and metacam. Has anyone else had this before? Is there anything else I can do? Is that price normal? And if anyone has had it done, was it worth it, and did it need repeating?
Thanks!
Overgrown teeth
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Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
I am very surprised the vet could not at least visually examine the molars. Is this an exotics veterinarian? Read over the teeth pages. www.guinealynx.info/teeth.html Are the front incisors preventing closing the mouth properly? They could be gently filed perhaps by you to keep the length in check.
A veterinary dentist would also take xrays to evaluate the teeth. I do not know if the cost is reasonable. If it is not just the incisors but also the molars requiring regular filing, this will be a challenge.
Are you weighing daily? Are you hand feeding? Is this guinea pig white? If your guinea pig is a lethal (various genetic issues from roan X roan breeding), you might want to look over this page, which describes how Fairy's incisors were trimmed:
https://www.guinealynx.info/records/view ... ?f=5&t=303
A veterinary dentist would also take xrays to evaluate the teeth. I do not know if the cost is reasonable. If it is not just the incisors but also the molars requiring regular filing, this will be a challenge.
Are you weighing daily? Are you hand feeding? Is this guinea pig white? If your guinea pig is a lethal (various genetic issues from roan X roan breeding), you might want to look over this page, which describes how Fairy's incisors were trimmed:
https://www.guinealynx.info/records/view ... ?f=5&t=303
The vet looked into his mouth using the kind of implement which doctors use to look into our ears. He said he couldn't see the molars right at the very back, although the ones further forward didn't seem to have any problems. The front incisors were what I took him there for, but the vet thought they weren't long enough to be causing a problem yet. I would be happy to gently file them myself rather than letting them get to the problem stage then clipping. Where could I find a suitable file?
I don't know if the vet was a dental specialist or not. He seemed to leave the room quite frequently, and sometimes I could hear him asking advice, so I'm going to guess he wasn't.
He is a ginger rosette piggy. Not sure of exact breeding, but likely brother/sister inbreeding. Thank you for the link. I think that is how his front incisors were trimmed the first time.....
I don't know if the vet was a dental specialist or not. He seemed to leave the room quite frequently, and sometimes I could hear him asking advice, so I'm going to guess he wasn't.
He is a ginger rosette piggy. Not sure of exact breeding, but likely brother/sister inbreeding. Thank you for the link. I think that is how his front incisors were trimmed the first time.....
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bpatters
- And got the T-shirt
I'd recommend finding a vet with rodent dental experience. Even some exotic vets don't know much about pig dentistry, and you can waste a lot of time and money on ineffective treatment from vets who don't know what they're doing.
If the molars don't need regular planing, you can learn to trim the front teeth yourself with a glass file or bone rongeurs. Do read MildredM's account about Fairy that Lynx linked you to. She had to trim Fairy's teeth all her life.
If the molars don't need regular planing, you can learn to trim the front teeth yourself with a glass file or bone rongeurs. Do read MildredM's account about Fairy that Lynx linked you to. She had to trim Fairy's teeth all her life.
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Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
That link I posted above includes the video MildredM took showing how she trims the teeth:
https://www.guinealynx.info/records/view ... ?f=5&t=303
I think Pinta (very teeth savvy) has used a "glass" file for incisors.
https://www.guinealynx.info/records/view ... ?f=5&t=303
I think Pinta (very teeth savvy) has used a "glass" file for incisors.
Thank you very much for all the links to Fairy's videos. Those are very helpful. Rocky's incisors were trimmed by the vet like that the last time, but if I can keep them under control with a file it will be better and less traumatic than going to the vet.
Do you know if the molars can be filed back in a similar way at home? I want to make certain that the molars really do need filing first as a general anaesthetic for no reason seems unfair to the piggy. I am thinking of asking for a second opinion from a piggy specialist vet.
Otherwise, he is hit or miss eating wise at the moment. He seems to be getting attached to Critical Care. You can't get it into him fast enough! I put a little on the end of a sliver of celery this morning, and the whole sliver dissapeared no problem, implying he can eat if he wants to. He's also eating a lot of nuggets, but still has a soggy chin. All very odd!
Do you know if the molars can be filed back in a similar way at home? I want to make certain that the molars really do need filing first as a general anaesthetic for no reason seems unfair to the piggy. I am thinking of asking for a second opinion from a piggy specialist vet.
Otherwise, he is hit or miss eating wise at the moment. He seems to be getting attached to Critical Care. You can't get it into him fast enough! I put a little on the end of a sliver of celery this morning, and the whole sliver dissapeared no problem, implying he can eat if he wants to. He's also eating a lot of nuggets, but still has a soggy chin. All very odd!
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bpatters
- And got the T-shirt
I don't think you can trim the molars yourself, and in every case that I know of, the pig has been anesthetized for work on the molars.
A pig's mouth is very small, and even under anesthesia, the pig often winds up with the cheek, gum, or tongue being nicked with the planer. I imagine the damage would be much worse with a wriggling, uncooperative pig.
A pig's mouth is very small, and even under anesthesia, the pig often winds up with the cheek, gum, or tongue being nicked with the planer. I imagine the damage would be much worse with a wriggling, uncooperative pig.
I had a Sanctuary piglet who had really bad teeth. She actually had to have surgeries to have her incisors removed as they grew sideways and were crumbly (I say surgeries because they grew back and she had to have another surgery to remove the roots again). She needed to have her back molars filed/cut about every 4-6 weeks. We were lucky that she tolerated the anesthesia really well, she lived quite a few years.
Because her front teeth were gone, she had trouble pulling food into her mouth. Hay was fine. So I figured that I would try long thin veggies. It worked, she could pull them into her mouth (pellets weren't a problem until her molars got long then she wouldn't want to eat). Arugula was her favorite. Carrot slices were easy to eat about a week after her dentals until about a week before she needed one. That's was a good tell on when she needed another dental.
I agree with bpatters, there would be no way you could do the molars yourself. I personally, wouldn't even trust myself to do the front teeth either.
Where are you located? Maybe we could help you find a cavy savvy vet in your area?
Because her front teeth were gone, she had trouble pulling food into her mouth. Hay was fine. So I figured that I would try long thin veggies. It worked, she could pull them into her mouth (pellets weren't a problem until her molars got long then she wouldn't want to eat). Arugula was her favorite. Carrot slices were easy to eat about a week after her dentals until about a week before she needed one. That's was a good tell on when she needed another dental.
I agree with bpatters, there would be no way you could do the molars yourself. I personally, wouldn't even trust myself to do the front teeth either.
Where are you located? Maybe we could help you find a cavy savvy vet in your area?
Thank you, everyone. I certainly won't try filing the incisors, it was just a thought! He has been eating well, even if just nuggets, although last night we had to soak them first. He is booked into an exotic specialist vet tomorrow evening for a second opinion. I'm hoping that if it is his teeth, it doesn't need repeating every 4-6weeks at £150 a go, as we simply couldn't manage that!
Thank you, everyone, for all your help!
Siouxsie, we're in South Somerset.
Thank you, everyone, for all your help!
Siouxsie, we're in South Somerset.
Siouxsie, yes, that's right.
Unfortunately, the cavy savy vet who saw him tonight took one look and strongly suggested he be put down by the end of the week. Mixture of bad teeth and inbreeding making it unlikely he'd survive the anaesthetic. Plus he would be into a 6 week cycle if he were treated with him.never being entirely healthy or happy. Very sad, but not entirely unexpected news. He has been spoilt rotten tonight with as much critical care as he can eat (He goes mad for that!), lots of cuddles, drying his front with a hairdryer, and is now tucked up with a heat pad to keep him warm.and snuggly. I will.make his final appointment tomorrow morning. Thank you so much to everyone for your help and suggestions!
Unfortunately, the cavy savy vet who saw him tonight took one look and strongly suggested he be put down by the end of the week. Mixture of bad teeth and inbreeding making it unlikely he'd survive the anaesthetic. Plus he would be into a 6 week cycle if he were treated with him.never being entirely healthy or happy. Very sad, but not entirely unexpected news. He has been spoilt rotten tonight with as much critical care as he can eat (He goes mad for that!), lots of cuddles, drying his front with a hairdryer, and is now tucked up with a heat pad to keep him warm.and snuggly. I will.make his final appointment tomorrow morning. Thank you so much to everyone for your help and suggestions!
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