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  • ONE THREAD per pig please!
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Teeth Dental exam coming up

lennier1

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Luna--5.5 yr female--has started making strange noises while eating. I guess I'd call it grunting if I had to pick a word, definitely not something she used to do. I noticed it especially loudly when I gave her some tomato (maybe because it's acidic?). When she eats her vitamin C treat, she seems to have a little trouble chewing, kind of moving her mouth oddly. One time only, I saw her drool. She has continued eating though, and her weight is OK. Anything else I've noticed is pretty vague--maybe not eating quite as much hay, or seeming a little restless.

I took her to the vet, and she couldn't find anything wrong for sure. Heart and lungs sounded good. I brought some spring mix, and the vet thought she was maybe grinding more than would be typical when eating. But, Luna was too "rambunctious" to examine her back teeth. So, she recommended a full dental exam with light sedation, and if they find any issues they can work on them.

Has anyone done this before? What should I expect? Anything I should do to help recovery?

When I scheduled the appointment, the receptionist told me not to let her eat anything after midnight (water is OK). Then I'll drop her off at 8:00 in the morning and they don't know exactly when the procedure will be that day. They said I'd go back home and then they'd call me. Does that sound right? I thought I'd read before that it was dangerous for guinea pigs' digestive tract to go too long without food, but I don't really know how long is too long. I couldn't find a lot on-line about fasting before dental work, but this page says fasting an hour is sufficient for the oral cavity to empty.

https://www.dvm360.com/view/small-herbivore-dental-disease-proceedings
 

Guinea Pig Papa

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Yes, I have been through this sadly on so many occasions I have lost count.

First, let me ask if this is a proper exotic vet. DO NOT withhold food from your guinea pig for any reason. They are hardwired to eat constantly and their stomachs are always moving and withholding food is absolutely wrong.


I had an elderly boar, Sly, who developed malocclusion when he was just a little younger than your Luna. Here is the link to Sly's journey.

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/114592-Sly-s-Medical-Thread?highlight=Sly's+medical

With a great vet he lived almost another two years, and was almost 7 when we had to send him across the Rainbow Bridge.

If you have any other questions please feel free to ask. Many of us here have been through the adventure you're about to embark upon.
 

bpatters

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Do NOT withhold food from your pig, and report that receptionist to the vet.

Also ask about when the procedure is scheduled (for instance, does the vet only do procedures in the afternoon?), and drop the pig off right before. And report that to the vet also.

Sheesh.
 

Kelsie

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If this was an exotic veterinarian then this receptionist should not be giving out pre-op instructions. She is using the procedure that would be given for a dog or cat surgery. I worked mostly in a dog/cat practice but occasionally we would do a guinea pig neuter or a tumor removal on a rat. We always told the owners to continue feeding up until they arrived for surgery.

Stories like this really upset me. Fortunately you were knowledgeable enough to know that this didn't sound right. What worries me is people who just take the word of someone who answers the phone and assumes that they are giving the correct information.

There are many excellent people who work in the veterinary field but there are also a few that shouldn't be working in a practice. As you found out, if it doesn't sound right always question what someone tells you.
 

lennier1

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Actually turns out that this morning they left a voicemail reminder about the appointment, and said since she was exotic not to withhold food. I'm sure Luna will appreciate that! So yeah, it really does sound like the receptionist was just giving out the dog/cat info.
 

Guinea Pig Papa

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Actually turns out that this morning they left a voicemail reminder about the appointment, and said since she was exotic not to withhold food. I'm sure Luna will appreciate that! So yeah, it really does sound like the receptionist was just giving out the dog/cat info.


Very glad to hear they understood the mistake. Makes me breathe a little easier.

Please keep us updated on what they find with Luna.
 
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