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Weight Loss Anorexic guinea pig! [Rather urgent.]

SkywardPhie

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Okay, One of my guinea pig's pearl is anorexic, I thought because Pippa was getting fatter, and Pearl smaller it was dominance, But it wasn't. But we took pearl to the vet she has a problem with her teeth. So the vet sorted that all out. But she put on weight. And then lost it. again? I'm taking her to the vet next week just to see if there is anything specific like meds or something. But does anyone know of some good dry food plus veggie mixes or something just to try and get her weight up in the mean time!?

I've had guinea pig's for 10 years. And I've never had an anorexic pig, So I'm quite concerned.

It would be highly appreciated! Thanks!
 

pinky

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It's not that she's anorexic. She's probably in pain from the problem with her teeth and needs to be rechecked and possibly put on pain meds. I'd get her in the the vet asap so you can determine exactly what the problem is so you don't lose her if she's not eating. I wouldn't wait until next week.
 

SkywardPhie

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She went for a check-up two day's ago, and she's run her course of pain med's. We managed to get a vet appointment for 5.40 today, But I fear we are going to lose her. This would be the second pig I have lost to tooth issues. But thank you for you help!
 

pinky

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Crush some pellets to powder form and mix with water and syringe feed her. You need to get some food in her. There's a lot of info on syringe feeding on guinealynx.
 

bpatters

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Guinea pigs are never anorexic. They're either sick or in pain.

What do you mean by "the vet sorted it all out?" How much weight did she gain after the procedure, and how long was it before she lost it again?

Her teeth may have been planed incorrectly, or she may have a malocclusion problem that makes regular planing necessary.

Also, how much hay does she get and what kind? Guinea pigs need unlimited amounts of long strand grass hay to keep their molars ground down.
 

SkywardPhie

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The vet had to file down her teeth a two weeks ago, And they've grown back sort of wonky, I know guinea pig's can't be anorexic, I was in such a rush looking for thing's to boost up her weight I phrased it all wrong. She get's meadow hay our vet recommended it, There is a nurse at out vet's who has lot's of piggie's and she stocks up this hay and she gave us the details on where to get it, And I fill up there bin & rack 2-3 time's a day. She started of rather skinny and then she put on a lot of weight and this week she just lost it all I can't be exact because my mum's got the book with all there weight's in her car. But we took her to the vet's yesterday. She has tooth disease. She's in no general pain, It just hurt's her to eat. So she's on pain medicine and baby food, and if in a week's time there been no improvement then we will have to put her down. But if there is improvement then she will be on pain med's and have to have her teeth clipped once a month or so :)
 

piggi_zone

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aww poor thing that sounds bad
 

lissie

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Have the vet checked for other issues? If the pig is in pain from non-teeth related issue, it can cause them to stop eating too and then the teeth will get longer because they stop eating hay. It might be worth a try to do a blood test and full body check to see if something else is wrong.

When you said the vet filed down her teeth, you mean the molars or the front teeth?
 

bpatters

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Guinea pigs' front teeth generally do not need anything done to them unless there's something also wrong with the back teeth. You need a good exotic vet who knows something about rodent dentistry -- not all of them do.

Your pig needs an x-ray and needs to be lightly anesthetized so the vet can carefully look at her back teeth, although vets in the UK seem to be able to look without the anesthesia. (I can't figure out why vets in the U.S. can't do that, but that's another topic.) A vet cannot just pull the guinea pigs' lips back and see the molars well enough to know whether anything is wrong with them or not.
 

SkywardPhie

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The two teeth on the bottom of her mouth, I'm not sure if they are molar's, He did a full blood test nothing else was wrong,And extra tooth has grown on the side of her teeth, So it has to be clipped of. She's all ok now, She eating normally and the difference in her in just one night is amazing, But I'm keeping a close eye on her! :)
 

foggycreekcavy

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Guinea pigs can be anorexic--it's usually a result of not eating because of some other issue, in this case a dental one. So yes, Skyward's pig was most likely anorexic. Anorexia--loss of appetite or inability to eat.

Sometimes even though the teeth are filed down, the pig still has difficult eating. It could be because the jaw muscles have atrophied (in which case a chin sling may help) or it could be that the underlying problem with caused the pig not to eat (which caused the teeth to overgrow) hasn't been taken care of.

Dental problems are tricky, because you need to find out if the dental problems caused the other problem, or did another problem cause the dental problems?

It seems like I'm talking in circles!
 

bpatters

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You're right, foggycreekcavy. I was thinking of it more in the psychological/emotional sense of refusing to eat because it causes weight gain.
 
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