[Gpdd] HEALTH Teeth fixed and now he won't eat.

[Penny Charlesworth]

Kelly,

So sorry to read about Pancake's troubles. I am assuming that he was anaesthetised for the work.

Before I was able to take my Piggyfriends to the Rodentologists for dental work, I had to rely on vets who could only do this treatment using an anaesthetic. Without the anaesthetic a piggy will, most likely, be up and eating within moments of having the dental work done but in the bad old days I can remember spending many days, sometimes weeks getting piggies eating for themselves again.

Pancake's mouth is likely to be sore, which may be hampering his desire to eat. Has the vet given you painkillers for him? If it is available where you are, Daktarin Oral Gel is very good. You just squeeze some of the gel onto a cotton bud and wipe it around the inside of the mouth. If you have no painkillers can you get Childrens' Liquid Nurofen? 0.4ml twice a day is very safe for piggies.

I used all kinds of syringe feeds to encourage their appetite and to keep them going until they had recovered. Fruit and veggie baby foods, Readybrek instant cereal, a slurry made of chinchilla grass pellets and mashed potato and also finely grated carrot mixed with cucumber and apple to a consistency that would go up a 1ml. syringe. We did not have Critical Care then. Then I would try tiny scraps of rolled up green veg. I remember Oreo only eating watermelon and rolled up cabbage for three weeks until he decided to eat by himself. Ginger was the same. There is also Science Recovery, which you mix with water and syringe.

Sometimes they would be able to eat fresh grass or maybe strips of veg cut like matchsticks, which I would put into their little mouths until they engaged with the back teeth.

It could be a very labour intensive time. You need to give as much syringe feed as you can to keep everything moving and avoid gut stasis.

It is good that Pancake is trying a little food for himself and hopefully, he will improve over the next few days.

We wish him all the very best. I hope that this is of some help. Just keep going with that syringe.

Penny and the Piggyfriends.