Gus Gus’ Medical Thread

JJGiebz
Make Good Choices

Post   » Mon Jun 13, 2022 7:57 pm


Thanks, Lynx. Sometimes I think the only break he's ever caught was coming home with me! The radiologist consult came back and confirmed he has pneumonia. On top of it all. I suppose it is almost a good thing that he stopped eating so quickly, because he is not exhibiting any outward signs of pneumonia or URI, so I suppose we may not have known until it was too late.

The radiologist also diagnosed malocclusion on the xray, which my vet did not see. She was mostly looking at length, though, and mentioned this evening that it could be that the angle of his molars is off. He has been chewing on his sticks less, and I think his sticks were keeping his molars in check (he likes to get them in his mouth lengthwise like a cigar and go to town) so that could be. I now wonder if he's gone off the 'cigars' because he was having trouble breathing. So many unknowns with these guys.

The vet is going to re-examine him tomorrow but isn't sure she will have time to put him under and do a re-file. I'm just hoping the Baytril at least kicks in and something turns around for him. [many fingers crossed emojis]

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Jun 14, 2022 1:59 pm


It is so discouraging that teeth issues are related to not eating enough! So many things are intertwined. It's as though you've got to be healthy to stay healthy.

I imagine he is getting an antibiotic for the pneumonia?

JJGiebz
Make Good Choices

Post   » Sat Jun 18, 2022 8:16 pm


He is on an antibiotic - Baytril. He's handling it well and it seems to be helping based on his renewed shrieking at the fridge.

He was really struggling to chew, so he went back in on Tuesday for another pass at his molars. As of yesterday, he's mostly eating on his own again, finally. Such a relief!!

That said, he still seems unable to slice through things - he picks up the hay seed heads and gets them in his mouth, appears to be chewing, and eventually they fall out undamaged. If I break them into little pieces, he is able to eat them.

He has one cracked and discolored lower incisor, and the corresponding upper is starting to over grow. I'm hoping as he continues to eat on his own they will come right, but I'm worried they may have become misaligned. He keeps trying to eat the seed heads, and he slowly tore his way through a slice of bell pepper, so I will let him keep working the issue on his own, at least for the weekend.

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sun Jun 19, 2022 6:54 am


Goodness, he has had more than his fair share of challenges! Keeping fingers crossed that Baytril knocks out the pneumonia, and that the dental work will enable to get him back on track with eating. So worrying, but it's good that you caught the infection early.

JJGiebz
Make Good Choices

Post   » Thu Jul 07, 2022 8:40 pm


Thanks, Sef. He has been on a real rollercoaster. The ABs seemed to help (his wheeking became louder and stronger) and he was eating better for a week or so (though he still cannot/could not eat the Timothy seed heads) but - once again - he stopped eating his pellets yesterday. Suddenly and completely.

He is still eating veggies and I broke out his blender. He has an existing vet appointment on Tuesday, but I just can't imagine what we're missing.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Jul 07, 2022 8:49 pm


Sorry he quit eating. Is he showing any signs of pain? The negative effects of antibiotics (inappetence, for example) can start later, too.

JJGiebz
Make Good Choices

Post   » Thu Jul 07, 2022 9:39 pm


His pain symptoms don't seem any worse than usual, with his bladder issues. He has been off the ABs for two weeks now. I'm considering calling his vet tomorrow to see if I can get those refilled actually - in case whatever was improving wasn't fully knocked out in the 14 days he was on them.

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Fri Jul 08, 2022 5:12 am


How is that broken incisor looking? Can you see any redness or inflammation anywhere around the gums, or any sharp edges on that tooth that could be causing pain when he eats? How does his incisor alignment look, now? I wonder if he is having trouble picking up the pellets with those front teeth.

JJGiebz
Make Good Choices

Post   » Fri Jul 08, 2022 10:52 pm


His broken incisor looks largely the same - cracked and almost like the left/outside half of it is missing. But they have evened out, so it appears to be growing and lined up correctly, I did wonder though if the irregular edge of it is rubbing on his cheek. It is also still discolored.

He is able to pick things up - big things at least - but he is certainly struggling to tear things. He is not interested in taking pellets from my hand, either. He wont even try.

He is working his way through enough veggies, though and willingly taking his smoothie, so I think he will at least be fine until his incisor check on Tuesday, but I did call and get him back on the Baytril today. I of course have to go out of town for two weeks at the end of the month and I wanted to get a least a week into it before I have to leave him. He handled it well before but still.

I'm hoping that the discolored/cracked incisor is infected and the root (ha!) of all of this. He was on Baytril for 14 days for the pneumonia - he improved and was eating on his own fine for about 2.5 weeks (including 10 days after stopping the ABs) so we're trying him on another round for 21 days. Fingers crossed this does the trick. Or that some other answer will be found on Tuesday.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Jul 09, 2022 9:21 am


If it is infected, I sure hope the antibiotics are adequate to treat it.

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sat Jul 09, 2022 1:39 pm


Ditto. I hope that it helps. Always so concerning when they are not able to eat well in their own.

JJGiebz
Make Good Choices

Post   » Sat Nov 11, 2023 11:31 pm


Hello all!

Over a year later and Gus is dealing with the same tooth issues. He recovered well from his pneumonia and we moved to Switzerland without any major incident. His broken and discolored lower incisor fell out at least 9 months ago, maybe more, and the corresponding upper frequently breaks off.

He had no issues after losing the tooth, and quite frankly I was glad it was gone. He was eating just fine. In late August, he developed a fast growing abscess on his chin that became very large and opened within 72 hours of my noticing it. I took him straight to a specialist who put him on Eradia (Flagyl) and corylap (TMS) for two weeks. That didn't clear anything up and a subsequent ct scan indicated the abscess was related to the missing lower incisor.

The vet switched to azithromycin and Flagyl for 6-8 weeks, but a follow up ct scan at 6 weeks showed the abscess had grown. My pigs have been boarded at the vet for the past ten days, so she took advantage of having him there to stop the antibiotics completely and do "a small surgery to open the site of the missing incisor in order to collect pus and be able to carry out a bacteriological sample for analysis." This occurred 3 days ago. Gus recovered slowly but well and the vet provided this overview of what she did:

"GusGus' surgery went well: I managed to pass through the small fistula in his chin and continued up to the abscess.
I didn't succeed in removing a lot of material but I opened the area well to allow the pus to continue to drain if necessary."


I received this update this morning:

" The only thing that bothers me a little is that there are really no purulent secretions coming out of his wound. I wonder if I haven't gone far enough.

If you agree, we pan to intervene again on Monday, going directly through the insertion of the incisor this time in order to reach the inside of the canal and succeed in emptying the pus.There would obviously be no additional costs."

I'm wondering if anyone has had any experience with this type of abscess before (i.e. related to an infected tooth that has long since fallen out). I'm not sure why she is not suggesting surgery - Gus' cagemate Peppa Pig developed an infected tooth root and related abscess in February 2023. It was much smaller than Gus' and the same vet removed the abscess surgically. It returned in June, but prior to a second surgery, the tooth fell out and the abscess opened and drained itself and (knock wood) has not returned. She still had the tooth, though, when the abscess developed.

Our vet, who I really like, speaks better English than I speak French, but we have a bit of a language barrier and at the moment are communicating via email across an 8 hour time difference. Mostly I'm just anxious to get back to my poor potato to make sure he is getting all of the treats and snuggles, but I am worried that "going directly through the insertion of the incisor" means going through his jaw. I'm afraid of any additional damage that could cause to his already wonky teeth. I've asked about that, but by the time I was able to respond to her email, it was already close of business in Europe. I do trust her. I'm just sitting here, worrying :)

Post Reply