teeth or not?

[disa]

Hi,
A month ago I have noticed that my guinea pig (she), while eating hay, dry nutrients, even when she drinks water she holds her had as if she cannot bait the hay completely. It looks like she is lifting invisible weight; because she elevates her head while struggling (in addition there is a video).

www.youtube.com/watch?v=twPQhP39AJ4
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz_hB76bbZM

During that period she was with GI stasis, refusing food, and I was giving her food on syringe. After 3 days she was over GI stasis, having normal stool and she regained the appetite. In last 15 days she eats normally, with occasional “head moving” as I described before. Veterinarian examined her acknowledging tooth to be fine, but the examination of posterior tooth was done only “by eye”, with letter spacing of chicks. Again, I am pointing out the fact of our vet service and lack of instruments. Nevertheless, she is normally active; the only problem is diagnosed ovarian cyst.
I was wondering if any of you had similar problem and could it be related with teeth?!
I woud like to know if that state can be something temporary, because with overgrown molars guinea pig is having more difficulties to eat as time passes by?

[Orlaith]

She's beautiful!

That's a funny motion alright. It could be that her teeth need to be filed. I would also gently feel around her neck as one of my pigs was doing something similar and it turned out she had a lump in her neck that was making it hard for her to swallow. Funny enough, it was after a period of GI stasis that this happened to my piggy as well.

[disa]

Thank you
I palpated her around and didn't feel anything, but I'm not sure I'm qualified enough for that, but I'll keep trying.
Was that lump present at the same guinea pig that had ovarian cist and was it somehow connected?
How did the situation enfold, did the lump create bigger problems when she swallowed and did you try to treat it somehow?
Considering that she received food and therapy with syringe in her GI stasis period , I don't know if it might led to an injury so she would have these difficulties now?

[Orlaith]

The pig that had GI stasis and the funny chewing motion didn't have ovarian cysts so I think they're probably separate issues.

Our vet did try to drain the lump in Hilda's throat but it was solid, not fluid-filled, and he didn't want to operate on her neck. So we treated her with baytril for a week and it shrank the lump right down and she was able to eat normally then.

A few months later the lump recurred and had also spread to other areas and Hilda went to sleep in the end.

If there's no lump that you can feel (Hilda's was very obvious) then it might be her teeth. Are there any vets in your area that specialise in guinea pigs? They might be able to have a proper look without anaesthetic.