Sly's Medical Thread

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Update for those following Sly's journey, or just interested in life with a pig who deals with malocclusion:


Sly went this morning for his 7 week checkup, and, as expected, his molars are again overgrown. They are not critical yet, his mouth isn't cut up, nor is his tongue cut, trapped or abraded. In short, just in time for surgery before anything becomes a problem.

He is now booked for surgery November 14th. His vet feels that he will not have any issues between now and then, but if a problem does arise he will take him on an emergency basis and do his molars immediately. He prefers to do surgery in the mornings, and have the afternoon to monitor the pig for any potential problems. He will however do the surgery in the afternoon if it becomes an emergency.

His weight was 1275 grams, up from the last time he visited Dr Ker, and he was very pleased by this. So generally, where we're at is that Sly requires planing every 7-8 weeks or so. He turns 6 at the end of next month.

[lisa325]

Bless him <3 He has certainly been on a long journey with those darn teeth, but he keeps on going like the trooper he is. I'm sure his 6th birthday will be a big celebration for you, as it should be :).

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Bless him <3 He has certainly been on a long journey with those darn teeth, but he keeps on going like the trooper he is. I'm sure his 6th birthday will be a big celebration for you, as it should be :).

It certainly has been a long journey, Lisa. But, due to this forum and a great vet, we've had, so far, almost another year with Sly since it started. We are very, very thankful for that.

He most definitely is a trooper with the surgeries, he takes it all in stride and always just seems to be a happy fella no matter what. We're going to have to figure out something special for the big number 6 for him!

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Update:

Sly has now had his 5th molar planing, on Nov 14th. All went well, and Sly came home late yesterday afternoon.

He was a very happy, energetic boy when he got home, exploring everything and making sure that none of his stuff was messed with while he was gone. It was quite comical to see.

This morning, he's not eating well. Usually his slice of red pepper, even after the surgeries, is gone within 10 to fifteen minutes at most. Then he has a glob of Critical Care, which is gone in 5-10.

This morning, 3/4 of the red pepper is still there 45 minutes after being given to him. And he's taken the last 20-25 minutes to eat the CC, which he's just abandoned and left a good chunk of. He's now gone back to the pepper slice.

I do understand that his mouth is likely rather sore, but this is out of character even for him after the surgery. The vet may have nicked something, so all I can do really is monitor him and see how he does. I'm sure he'll improve.

He's just had his morning dose of metacam, so we'll see how the days play out.

[spy9doc]

M......I know that you mean well in being proactive and not permitting Sly's teeth to overgrow, but keep in mind that each time he has anesthesia, his little body takes a "hit" and he will be slower to recover. Try to space out his dental planings as long as you can without it becoming a major problem again.

My Chester's little body just gave out and he couldn't fight any more. Of course, he had an abdominal mass and we'll never know what it was and how much it contributed to his demise. The day he crossed the Bridge, the Vet bill was $750 and yet Chester was becoming limp as I walked through my back door. He passed peacefully with being cuddled on my chest and my stroking him and talking to him softly.

You know that I hope you and Sly are together for a very long time. I know that you love Sly the way that I loved Chester....passionately and with your whole heart. I didn't know if I could ever love another cavy as much. But, then Chester sent me Sparky to fill that hole in my heart...............and I love him as deeply as I loved Chester.

[Guinea Pig Papa]

I do know that the anesthetic is cumulative, and I know that he takes a hit every time it's used on him. I understood that going in. We have taken the approach to space them out as long as possible, and it was 8 weeks between this surgery and the last. It was about a week too long, the few days before his surgery he was having some trouble eating, and his drinking had increased. We've come to the conclusion that 7 weeks is the "sweet spot" so to speak.

I neglected to update further from this morning. By noon, when he got his afternoon vegetables, he destroyed them. Ate almost every last thing he was given, save for a few scraps that he likely couldn't be bothered with. He was actually quite active when he got home yesterday, more so than in previous surgeries. We were quite pleasantly surprised. As for this morning, we chalked it up, actually, so something you've said before. No matter how good the vet is, sometimes they may nick something and cause them some more discomfort. He IS slower eating right now, but his mouth is also likely rather sore. His poops are good and his drinking, though slightly elevated, is also good.

You are absolutely correct in that I love my pigs with everything I have, and everything I am. So I know you understand, as you know I understand, how very painful it is to lose one. I'll do everything I can to keep them healthy and happy, but I also know that when it's time to let go, as much as it will hurt me it will be far kinder to do so than let any of them suffer. I can do that for them, if it's what is necessary.

I want you to know that I greatly appreciate your advice, and your concern. Your friendship means a great deal to me, and your wisdom is, and will continue to be appreciated. You know what my pigs mean to me, so anything I can do for them at all is what I will do. I think sometimes I have more of their best interests at heart than anything else!

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Update for Mr. Sly...

The hits seem to keep on coming for the poor little man. I finally got to have a conversation with his vet on Friday. Sly had some issues with his upper molars now, they were beginning to become a little overgrown, and I wasn't really surprised to hear that. Dr Ker also thought that his incisors were getting a little long, so he trimmed a few millimetres from the upper and lower to level them off (they were also angled). One of his bottom incisors must have developed a crack, and even though Sly rarely chews the bars, he did that night and broke the end off of one of his teeth.

He is still able to eat, and is on metacam for pain management. We have found a few creative ways to help him to continue eating, such as wetting his pellets in a special bowl, and shaving down carrots with a potato peeler. Of course he also gets Critical Care. He really seems to enjoy both!

Unfortunately tonight, all of a sudden, he developed a very pronounced limp. He is favoring his back left leg, and sometimes dragging his toes when he walks. We think that he may have gotten his toes caught in the carpet or fleece, or even one of his beds. It developed VERY suddenly.

The poor little fella turns six this weekend, and this really isn't the celebration that he needs, or deserves.

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Update for Sly:

I sent a photo of Sly's teeth to his vet. He got a hold of me on Friday and asked me to bring him in, at no charge. He wants to ensure that the end of the tooth that broke off hasn't split vertically, and he also wants to make sure that his leg is healing.

Sly is on his way to see the Dr. as we speak. The limping is all but gone, except for when he runs. He's using it no problem and even standing up at the bars with his full weight on it.

His teeth even appear to be wearing back to normal rather quickly. He usually doesn't let me see his teeth very often, and the picture I got to send to the vet was pure dumb luck. I did get a rather quick look earlier and they seem to be wearing very well. We will know for sure when he gets home.

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Update:

I failed to update Tuesday after Sly came home. Dr Ker was unhappy that Sly had lost weight since his surgery, but he generally does for a couple of weeks after his surgery so that isn't terribly concerning. He was also in disbelief that after viewing the photo he was sent, that Sly's incisors have basically worn themselves almost perfectly straight in about 10 days. He was fairly confident that he would be doing some dental work for Sly when he came in and was pleasantly surprised to find that that wasn't the case. His limp is also now gone. I see the occasional hop with that leg when he runs, but he's standing on his hind legs at the cage bars on it begging for treats, so I'm sure it isn't bothering him much.

[spy9doc]

He is obviously a fighter and determined to prove both of us wrong. Sparky & Chip say, "way to go Sly.....we're rooting for you"!

[Guinea Pig Papa]

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.

[Guinea Pig Papa]

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.

[Artista]

Bella Rose and I are rooting for Sly! He got the best papa!

[Guinea Pig Papa]

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!

[Guinea Pig Papa]

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.

[spy9doc]

Ironic that his first surgery was December 22nd last year.

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!

[Guinea Pig Papa]

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.

[spy9doc]

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!

[Artista]

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

[Guinea Pig Papa]

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.