Guinea Pig dental disease

Re: Guinea Pig dental disease

Thomas Johnson — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 17:02:42 GMT

[quote user="emma_j"]

Or alternatively I just pull the nozzle off the bottle, take the dispensing syringe out of the box (and keep them as spares) and dispense the bottle without the nozzle, and a normal syringe

[/quote]

Or use the dosing syringe and give them a dose for five times their weight.

Re: Guinea Pig dental disease

emma_j — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 09:43:38 GMT

Or alternatively I just pull the nozzle off the bottle, take the dispensing syringe out of the box (and keep them as spares) and dispense the bottle without the nozzle, and a normal syringe

Re: Guinea Pig dental disease

John Flynn — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 10:59:47 GMT

[quote user="Helen Redfern"]

Hi there

Probably a silly question but is it the oral dog metacam and how do you measure 0.4ml?

Many thanks

Helen

[/quote]

A standard 1ml or 2ml syringe will fit in the nozzle of the dispensing syringe that comes with the metacam; so suck up some metacam in the dispensing syringe that comes with the pack and then attach "normal" syringe to this and suck up however much you want.

Re: Guinea Pig dental disease

Helen Redfern — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 10:38:29 GMT

Hi there

Probably a silly question but is it the oral dog metacam and how do you measure 0.4ml?

Many thanks

Helen

Re: Guinea Pig dental disease

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 17:41:27 GMT

[quote user="Thomas Johnson"]Don't forget the i/v solution is UV sensitive, so it needs to be light protected if you're dispensing it.[/quote]I didn't know that but it has fortunately been kept in a drawer and dispensed in an amber bottle!

Re: Guinea Pig dental disease

Thomas Johnson — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 17:19:19 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]

[quote user="Marie Kubiak"]I opt for a combination of enrofloxacin (10mg/kg sid) and metronidazole (20mg/kg bid),[/quote] Maybe a daft question but as we don't have any Metronidazole oral solution in stock but do have a part opened bag of the I'V fluid (500mg/100ml) which would mean approx 3 ml bid for this pig is there any reason why we can't use that? - already tested to see if it will take the volume and it will.

[/quote]

Don't forget the i/v solution is UV sensitive, so it needs to be light protected if you're dispensing it.

Re: Guinea Pig dental disease

Marie Kubiak — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 16:41:58 GMT

I don't know any reason why not but maybe just run it past the manufacturer first in case they put some weird additives in, or once open it could degrade before the treatment is complete.

If it is being syringe fed you can add quite high fluid volumes to powdered food so watery meds can be 'pre-mixed' in without having to give extra volume orally.

The metronidazole syrup can be ordered cheaply and would reduce volume if owners are medicating at home (never assume an owner can do what your nurses can...)

Marie

Re: Guinea Pig dental disease

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 16:12:36 GMT

Re: Guinea Pig dental disease

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 15:26:30 GMT

Many thanks all (especially Marie). I've already discussed the likely necessity of further investigation/treatment, the potential costs and prognosis, It is unlikely that the owner will want to proceed much further so we're going to see if antibiotics and analgesia will help in the short term, along with the dentistry I've already performed and then make a decision.

Re: Guinea Pig dental disease

Marie Kubiak — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 15:12:37 GMT

Hi,

as you've found incisor malocclusion is generally secondary to cheek tooth problems in GPs. I agree with James that radiographs are essential to assess it fully- alongside dental changes, osteomyelitis and bulla sclerosis are often present and help with judging prognosis as well as planning further moves. If bone is lytic then extraoral debridement and extraction of affected teeth is indicated as the changes are often associated with chronic infection (as supported by lymph node enlargement). I generally do a laterolateral and two 40 degree obliques to get a good overall picture. It can be amazing how many pathologies show up...

Again as above, clindamycin isn't ideal due to the high risk of dysbiosis. I opt for a combination of enrofloxacin (10mg/kg sid) and metronidazole (20mg/kg bid), or azithromycin alone (10mg/kg bid) where C&S is not available. All are available as liquid preparations.

Marie

Re: Guinea Pig dental disease

James Laidlaw — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 14:44:12 GMT

Will finances extend to radiographs? May show a better picture of what's happening below the surface. I wouldn't think medical treatment would cure these and likely will need surgical extractions, but that's often in the "cost-prohibitive" aspect of practice... Good luck!

Re: Guinea Pig dental disease

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 13:49:48 GMT

[quote user="claireb"]Hi, I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along soon but in this situation I would tend to use metronidazole suspension (0.5ml per Kg BID) in addition to dog metacam (0.4ml per Kg SID). Clindamycin can cause fatal enterotoxaemia so should be avoided. Hope that helps![/quote] This is what I was thinking. Thanks.

Re: Guinea Pig dental disease

claireb — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 13:29:21 GMT

Hi, I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along soon but in this situation I would tend to use metronidazole suspension (0.5ml per Kg BID) in addition to dog metacam (0.4ml per Kg SID). Clindamycin can cause fatal enterotoxaemia so should be avoided. Hope that helps!