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Annie's teeth
#1
Well here's my first post (apart from the welcome thread!!) on the new forum.

As many of you will know, my big red piggy, Annie, has been having some dental issues. They seem to have been going on for a few months now.
We first noticed back in June that Annie's teeth were not right. She had broken off her top incisors and the bottom ones had grown to a very long length.
A quick visit to the local rescue and then the vet got the situation under control but gave no indication why it had happened. After Xrays it became apparent that Annie had a quite severe bony infection in her jaw and skull. Whether this caused the teeth to break or the broken teeth caused the infection we will never know, but it left Annie with uneven dentition. The plan had been to remove all her incisors and see if they regrew but her jaws were just too fragile and would have collapsed under the manipulation required. So Annie has had a long course of antibiotics, frequent re xrays, plus weekly tooth trimming of the lower teeth. During this time her top teeth appeared to be regrowing but this was an illusion as her gum shrank etc. The top right tooth eventually fell right out and has never regrown. The top left tooth is still there but is not growing and is discoloured and protrudes only slightly from the gum, but is still useful.

So Annie went back for another set of xrays last week. She has been off her antibiotics for a month and we wanted to see how her bones were doing.
The vet is very pleased with her and says that her jaws are almost back to normal as far as mineralisation is concerned. Her upper right incisor has fallen right out and doesn't appear to be growing back, the top left one is there but is not growing at all but is still useful to her (she can still give you a nip if she wishes!!). The bottom two are strong and growing well so have to be trimmed regularly, but Suzy at Glynneath is still taking care of that for us.
Overall we seem to have succeeded in overcoming the bony infection that caused all this in the first place and Annie's teeth have settled down into a new "norm" which seems to be working Ok for her.
The vet thinks that the top teeth probably will not change, but then he said that he didn't expect the jaws to re mineralise in the way that they have so who knows!!

Annie herself is just fab. She is the first out for veggies in the morning and will tell me if I haven't cut them up finely enough for her to manage herself!! She runs zoomies round the pen popcorning like a pup, and if you don't see her teeth you would never know so much has been going on for her.
We'll be returning at the end of January for a follow up xray but it does look as though this is as good as it can get and whilst she is so well and fit and gorgeous , it's quite good enough!!
Greeting from Wales.
Hwyl Fawr o'r Cymru.
This is the web site of the rescue I volunteer at.
http://guinearescue.blogspot.co.uk/
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#2
I am glad to hear that Annie is doing okay. It is fabulous news that her jaw bone regained mineralization. That was a better than expected result. She is remarkable for learning to eat with her teeth in a mess. Annie is amazing. She has a strong will to live. Clearing up the infection must have made her feel so much better. I can't wait to hear the next Xray results. I hope her top teeth regenerate, but I don't know if that is even possible.

As usual, get well Annie.Smile
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

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#3
(12-06-2013, 04:03 PM)Catherine Wrote: I am glad to hear that Annie is doing okay. It is fabulous news that her jaw bone regained mineralization. That was a better than expected result. She is remarkable for learning to eat with her teeth in a mess. Annie is amazing. She has a strong will to live. Clearing up the infection must have made her feel so much better. I can't wait to hear the next Xray results. I hope her top teeth regenerate, but I don't know if that is even possible.

As usual, get well Annie.Smile

You're right. Annie is my Super Piggy, quite the inspiration. If we had been going to any other vet in the area I'm sure the immediate recommendation would have been to put her to sleep, but our vet is our hero and thought that we should at least try, especially as Annie was so well otherwise.
We are very lucky that he is familiar with the Rescue in Glynneath (his practise treats all the rescue pigs that need it) and is more than happy to let Suzy manage the teeth trims. If Annie was having these done at the vets it would need a GA ever time, but Suzy is quick and skilled and the teeth are snipped and filed in just a minute or so and Annie is looking for her veggie treat!!
She even has her own little "Pad" at the rescue where she waits while we do the cleaning out. It's next to a lovely boy named Bart. He and Annie have made friends through the cage, but I hope he will find a friend and a forever home soon.
Greeting from Wales.
Hwyl Fawr o'r Cymru.
This is the web site of the rescue I volunteer at.
http://guinearescue.blogspot.co.uk/
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#4
Interesting. Annie has made her trips to Glynneaths a part of her routine. Because she gets treats and you are there she is happy about it. Sweet that she has made a new friend. When you are practiced like Suzy you can do stuff with out GA or sedation. Vets just don't get the practice. I don't think it is good to do an anesthetic on a small animal unless you have to. It is risky, even for people there are risks. She is much safer if she just lets Suzy do it.

Annie really is special. She has a strong will to live. The teeth must have been uncomfortable at first and all the work must have been hard on her, but she hasn't let it get her down.
Three cheers for Annie.Smiley58Smiley58Smiley58
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

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#5
Well Annie had another set of xrays yesterday and the results couldn't have been better. So much so that the vet has said we only need to take her back if anything new occurs or we are worried about her.
Her jaw has re-mineralised even more and the little niggles like the dropping tooth root have not progressed at all and are now unlikely to at all.
So Annie's unusual dentition will serve her well enough and we will continue to manage her teeth for her. Her weight is very good and she is a real live wire. She does a nightly round of zoomies around the pen, with a slightly different route each night, taking in all the important features.
She is quite the super pig, long may it continue!!
Greeting from Wales.
Hwyl Fawr o'r Cymru.
This is the web site of the rescue I volunteer at.
http://guinearescue.blogspot.co.uk/
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#6
Three cheers for Annie the Super Pig! [Image: smiley-gen013.gif]
I am so glad that Annie is doing better. You have done wonders with her and she is a real hero for fighting so hard to get better.

She must know she is doing better. All the running around is her way of celebrating.
As long as she can eat it doesn't matter how odd her teeth are. I wish her many years of eating her weight in hay and veggies. Heart
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

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