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Teeth Sly's Medical Thread

Guinea Pig Papa

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He really is, K. And he's such a happy boy, it defies all logic. He doesn't act AT ALL like a six year old pig!

We all thank Sparky and Chip for their support. And you, of course.
 

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I also realize that I forgot to post the picture of his broken tooth. I'll add that now.



That broken tooth now appears to be why he was having so much trouble eating the day or so after his surgery. I'm positive that he broke it the night he got home. He was rather enthusiastically chewing the bars of his cage, while I cleaned the babies' cage. He isn't much of a bar chewer, but he did that night.
 

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Thank you so much, Ladies! We're definitely doing everything we can to keep him together. He's never a miserable, mopey sad pig. He's such a ham no matter what!
 

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Update:

Noticed Sly has been having trouble eating solid foods this week. Shaved carrot is fine, but he doesn't touch much of it if it isn't shaved. Not eating regular pellets, they have to be wet in order for him to eat them. Gobbles Critical Care just fine, as always.

Just did their weekly weigh ins, and Sly has dropped 42 grams since last Sunday morning. He was scheduled to go in January 2nd for a checkup and probably a planing as well, but I'm going to try and get him in this week. Ironic that his first surgery was December 22nd last year.
 

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You have been blessed to have this year with him. Maybe increase the Critical Care feedings? Chester practically existed on Critical Care for his last six months. It's good that Sly really likes CC as it makes feeding so much easier. Wishing Sly another year of loving and being loved!

Thank you so much, @spy9doc. We feel very, VERY lucky to have had another year with him. Perhaps we are being greedy wanting another year, but we think he deserves it. Today marks 6 years to the day, that he came to live with us.

I've decided to up the CC to three times a day. He's eating soft foods like most vegetables fine. Harder things like carrots are a bit of a chore, and since we started wetting his pellets to cope with the broken incisor a few weeks ago, he has no interest in eating them plain any more. I tried leaving them dry and not giving him any wet ones, and he simply didn't eat. He SEEMS to be eating regularly, but the weight loss says otherwise. I have a feeling that the broken incisor and the time spent waiting for that to heal, has used up some of the time that we used to get between planings. It took about two weeks for that incisor to heal and for him to start eating properly again, and that's about what we've lost time wise. I believe that the pain in his mouth from that has contributed to speeding up this planing. That's the biggest single week loss he's had since all this started over a year ago, so the alarm bells went off in a big way.

I don't think he's in pain, but I think it's difficult for him to eat. His water consumption generally rises when his mouth hurts, and so far it's fairly stable. I have a funny feeling that that is about to change, however. I don't think he'll be able to get through the holidays like this and I'm positive his vet will feel the same way.
 

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Chip & Sparky say, "Happy Birthday, Sly". A birthday seems more like the day they came to live with us vs. the day they were born. Sly really hit the jackpot with this Guinea Pig Papa!

It gets to be a vicious cycle, doesn't it? Something happens to the teeth, his mouth hurts, and he stops eating. But......the molars don't stop growing and the lack of consumption of hay contributes to that. Sending prayers and good wishes to you all!

Thank you for the birthday wishes, boys! And lady!

We feel like we hit the jackpot with our boys, too. Though I'm sure every piggy parent feels the same way. They truly have enriched our lives, I can say that with absolute certainty.

It DOES get to be a vicious cycle. I couldn't care less about the money, what hurts me the absolute most is that he has to go through it. No piggy deserves to go through pain or illness or abuse or neglect. No animal does, really. It just hits much closer to home when it's your family members that are going through it.
 

Guinea Pig Papa

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Oh my heart breaks. Why can't they have no issues and live forever? You are a great gp papa and he's blessed to be with you. I follow the lava empire on instagram with her 6 gps and you really do feel like its your gp too as you follow along.

I pray Sly can get a lot more time with you. Bottom line is he knows all the love and care you have for him. From Bella Rose and I, we send you all loving thoughts. Xxx

Thank you, Artista. It's true, you really do feel like you know people and their pigs, following them as you do through these forums and other media outlets. And you know how you feel when it happens to your babies, so you feel others' pain when it happens to theirs. I know it's the price we pay for the privilege to know and love these creatures as we do.

Thank you so much for yours, and Bella Rose's support. Everyones' thoughts, prayers and support mean so very much to us.
 

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I feel like this is a good time to share this photo. Sly had been living with us for 2 days. He was SO tiny. Photo taken December 19th, 2011.
 

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Called Sly's vet this morning.

His vet is scheduled to go into surgery with another animal this morning, but they had a cancellation and Sly can get in at 2:30 this afternoon.
 

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Update:

That damn molar is overgrown again. It's a spike again, growing across his mouth and trapping his tongue down. His water consumption is fairly normal so I don't believe he's in pain yet.

He is scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning. Dr Ker believes that Sly simply needs a minimum of anesthetic, and a quick trim.

Will update tomorrow when Sly is home again tomorrow afternoon.
 

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The little man is home now, and resting comfortably.

I wasn't just the one molar as initially thought. Once he was under sedation, our vet realized that it was going to be the usual procedure that needed to be done.

He's his usual, waddling, drunken sailor self. He's been eating this and that, had some apple and some critical care, and a short time ago he was out playing with one of his toilet paper tubes. Picking it up and tossing it around.

It's been a big day. He's now gone to flop in his hay pile like a big comfy bed, puff himself up so he looks too big to eat, and relax.
 

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Wonderful news! Happy to learn all went well.

Thank you!

I was dismayed that it was only 5 weeks between this surgery and last, but I suspect that the broken incisor may have had a lot to do with it. It was about two weeks before he was eating properly again after that, and it was pointed out to me that that more than likely had a lot to do with it.

All we can do now is watch and wait. He has two weeks worth of metacam, and the last time he was on it that long it made a big difference in everything he did.
 

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Update for the little bear:

It's been four weeks since his surgery. His vet and I had a discussion about pain management after the last round, and we decided to try him on metacam to see if it made a difference as he feels there may be some arthritis in his jaw.

The first week he was on metacam he gained 27 grams, and when he was off for a week, he gained but only 7 grams. Back on the metacam, he gained almost 20 grams again.

Age is catching up with the little man. He's still a happy, active pig, but I've seen changes in him just in the last 2 months. He came running out of his pigloo a few days ago for a carrot, and his back left leg wouldn't move. He enthusiastically dragged himself over anyway, and a couple of hours later he walked fine on it. His back legs tend to shuffle now as he walks or runs, but if he just steps around slowly there's no difference.

He has a checkup a week from today. He is still eating very well, and indeed on the metacam seems to be eating better than he has in a while.
 

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Thanks for keeping us updated!

What you are describing is the typical presentation of osteoarthritis......at least in humans. It presents as stiffness and limited mobility early in the day, better movement during the day, and then stiffness again as nightfall approaches. I'm not surprised that Sly functions better with Metacam. It is an anti-inflammatory and should make his quality of life much better. I have pretty marked osteoarthritis from intense athletics plus a physical lifestyle and couldn't function without my Celebrex.

Thank you for reading!

I realize that keeping a journal like this of what Sly goes through may become tedious for some, but if it helps one person understand what their pig is going through and help them make decisions, then it's worth it.

I also have a form of arthritis, and have had it since I was 18. I know you'll be familiar with ankylosing spondylitis, but most won't be. I'm lucky in that I take one Aleve at night, and that's really all I require. I'm approaching 50, so I understand how lucky I am that one Aleve a day does the trick for me.

Other than the teeth issues, Sly is reminding me of Poopy in the summer of 2016. The same leg started failing for Pooper, oddly enough. Sly is stiff when getting up after lying in his pigloo, and sometimes drags his legs behind him but he's done that for a couple of years. The leg not moving at all right away is new. Once he was up, he was much better.

I know everyone who has watched their pigs age knows what I'm talking about when I say it's heartbreaking. At this point all I can do is give him all the love I have and the best care he can get. He's worth it. :)
 

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Yes, of course I'm familiar with AS. You must be one of the lucky ones in that it apparently is progressing slowly. I've seen some pretty severe cases and the picture wasn't pretty. Yes, watching our beloved furballs age isn't easy.......even though we know that it is inevitable. I always hoped that Chester would live a long and happy life, but he was just as mortal as the rest of us. Sparky and Chip turned 2 y.o. in November and I treasure every day with them.

My AS is in the SI joints. I had some pain when I was 17 or so, but I was out with some friends in go karts one day, and when we were parking them at the end of our run, one of my friends bumped my kart from behind. Instant agony, I couldn't get up out of the kart. That's when I finally went and got a diagnosis.

Every day I wake up, and I see those furry little faces staring at me is a gift. Sly, always staring at me over his pellet bowl, and the other two standing at the bars like starving little waifs. Hardly starving, at 1560 grams for one and 1460 for the other!
 

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Sly had his checkup yesterday, at 5 weeks post surgery.

He is now permanently on metacam. His molars are also overgrown again, and he is scheduled for surgery a week from today, the 31st.

On a positive note, he is still eating well. At this weeks weigh-in, he gained the most in quite some time. He gained 33 grams, and is now up to 1250. Immediately post surgery just before Christmas, he was at his lightest point ever, at 1169 grams. In 4 weeks we've managed to get about 80 grams back on him. At the vets yesterday afternoon, he was 1261 grams but that was at 230 in the afternoon, after having eaten and drank all day.

Will update again next week post surgery.
 

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Update:

Sly had molar planing number 7 yesterday.

He was doing well when he came home, all things considered. He wasn't that active, but he never really is. He had some things to eat, and mostly laid in his bed resting.

This morning, he doesn't want to eat. I'm sure his mouth is sore, but it IS distressing. He loves his morning slice of red pepper, and attacked it as soon as he got it. After a few minutes and a few bites, he abandoned it. I mixed up a batch of critical care, and he sat for a bit, slowly and methodically eating several mouthfuls. He didn't finish it.

He's just kind of hiding underneath his wooden arch near his food bowl, kind of puffed up. He still seems a bit out of it. Last night I gave him an orange segment and he ate the whole thing. I've got a small bowl of pellets that have been moistened next to his regular pellet bowl, as he's liked those in the past when his mouth was sore.

I think I may try some orange again, just to get some food into him.

Edit:
I did try a couple more small orange segments, and he has eaten both of them. He seems to only want very soft foods, understandably. Not sure why he isn't interested in the critical care.
 

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Edit:

He's eaten some very soft things. He ate the orange segments, and he ate half a slice of cucumber, the inside only. Wouldn't eat the dark green outer edge. He's eaten some alfalfa hay, and he ate a small slice of banana as well.

He still seems rather out of it. It isn't normal for him to be this way 24 hours after surgery, but I also understand that each time he has the anesthetic it will take longer for the effects to wear off. I know his little body takes a hit every time he has it, so I'm hoping this lack of appetite is part and parcel of that and it will wear off soon.
 

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I actually had a conversation with him this morning, I stopped in to pick up a new curved syringe in case it came down to force feeding him.

Everything was normal and routine, nothing out of the ordinary than previous surgeries. Just in the last hour since I last posted, Sly has been up and around, and he's drank quite a fair bit. He IS a little unsteady, but as I type he's standing in his hay pile munching away.

I do believe it's just taking longer to come out of the anesthetic this time. It's been about 24 hours now.
 

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Update:

Sly has had quite a bit of trouble eating post surgery this time around. For the first time since all of this started, we've actually had to force feed him Critical Care. Before he would eat it willingly from the syringe or from a bowl, and this time he had to be held while it was syringed into the back of his mouth where he had to chew. He showed plenty of interest in food, but when it came down to actually eating it, he would try, and then open his mouth wide several times as if he was choking, and then walk away. I have the feeling that he may have had an injury inside his mouth, either due to the overgrown molars or perhaps being nicked during surgery.

Either way, after weigh ins this week, Sly has lost 72 grams since last Sunday. Thankfully, this morning his appetite and ability to eat seem to be returning. For the first time post surgery, he has eaten his entire slice of red pepper, albeit in two sittings. He's also had a pair of baby carrots, surprisingly. He's been in his pellets and also in his hay. I don't feel he's out of the woods yet, but he is much improved over the last couple of days.

For anyone reading these updates and may be going through a similar situation with their pig, I cannot stress enough the importance of making sure your pig gets enough to eat. Even with regular force feedings, Sly still lost more weight than I am comfortable with.
 
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