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Need help with Guinea Pig after dental work

30 replies

Anabel1 · 05/01/2014 15:10

Hello,

I need some advice on my 20 months guinea pig, if anyone can. He stopped eating on the 26th of Dec when my mother, his owner went on holiday. We thought it was psychological and he just needed a bit more time, even if he had stayed with me on previous occasions when my mother was away. On the 4th day, 30th of Dec I took him to the vet and he had teeth and stomach XRays done. The specialised vet said that his molars were too long and needed to have them filed down but first he needed to eat because his stomach was empty and couldn't have GA in that condition. I had him on Critical Care (Oxbow), 7ml every eight hours. I also had to smash in his food a quarter of Ranitidina Teva, a stomach protector because he was receiving 0,2 ml of Metacam once a day. The doctor was supposed to file down his molars on the 2nd of Jan but had an emergency operation and it was postponed on the 3rd of Jan.

It is the 5th of Jan now and he still doesn't eat on his own. We feed him 7ml of Critical Care every eight hours with 1/4 stomach protector because he's still on his Metacam, just 1ml a day, and we're also giving him 1-2ml orange juice which he likes every 4 hours and water. His droppings are fine, the colour is a bit different and they are not so frequent and he's recovered from his anaesthesia.

It's holiday bank here now and the vet will only be able to see him in 2 days, on the 7th of Jan. If any of you have medical experience or have had a guinea pig who's had dental work done, I'd like to know if the medicine he's been given is the right one and if we should try to give him besides the Critical Care something else to eat, like smashed veggies or grass, how nad how often. He always has hay, grass, his normal food and his favourite fresh food around him buy he only smells it without taking it in his mouth, even if he opens the mouth a little bit.

Thank you!!!

OP posts:
Anabel1 · 01/02/2014 13:47

Hi everyone. A last quick and sad update this time.

As you already know the second week after the second dental work, Pixie was doing so much better, eating almost everything he used to eat and almost the normal amount, but in the third week he started again to have problems eating and the situation was getting worse by day, and again we had to complement what he was eating with Critical Care given with syringe.

We spoke again with the doctor, he reinforced that his teeth illness was chronic and we decided to put him to sleep. He had a happy last morning, when we brought so much fresh grass that he had his own little private garden on a thick blanket to walk on and eat, gave him every possible favourite fruit and vegetable and we really think he enjoyed himself and we could see that he was in less pain since we had also started given him Metacam again the previous day. We held him lots and we said good bye to him on the 30th Jan at 4 o'clock and buried him close to the previous guinea pig my mother had that lived for 7 years and was also a great joy in our lives.

OP posts:
FernieB · 01/02/2014 14:51

So sorry to hear this news. Sounds like he had a lovely last day and you clearly had his best interests at heart. Much better to have a lovely last few days than to endure continuous operations and trauma. You made a brave decision and put your piggie first. Off to the bridge little Pixie.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 01/02/2014 17:16

Aaaaww very Sad but I agree with Fernie your guinea has to be the most important piece of the jigsaw.

You absolutely gave him the Best Shot and he rallied round. But if it's something ongoing , you'll be back in the same siyuation.
Guinea-pigs are eating machines, so if they struggle to eat you know there's something wrong.

He sounds like he had a comfortable, loved and spoiled last few days.
That's what you need to comfort yourself with now.
Bye Bye Pixie, off to The Bridge now. Lots of guineas waiting for you there.

ValenciaOrange · 02/02/2014 11:41

Really really sorry to hear your sad news Anabel. When I had to get one of my gorgeous rabbits put to sleep as there was nothing more the vet could do , some one said to me "its better to do a month too early than a day too late ", and I found that did help me. It sounds like your poor Pixie would have been in pain if the situation had carried on and it was a lovely last day you gave him .

Sawdust · 02/02/2014 19:20

So sorry to hear this, but I agree with the others that you made the bravest and most selfless decision

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