Have a thorough examination done, including teeth - incisors and molars. Whenever these conditions occur think TEETH. Especially in older cavies it is sometimes easy to dismiss weight loss and finicky eating as just old age. An inevitable symptom of the end drawing near. Well, ain't necessarily so. These symptoms can indicate many different problems. Your veterinarian will determine whether it's teeth trouble or something else. Incisors and molars can break, misalign and overgrow - making it difficult or impossible for the cavy to eat. A cavy may hang out at the feed dish, may even get some into his mouth, but if the problem is severe enough he's probably not getting enough food to survive. He's hungry, but can't feed himself. If your cavy is losing weight or not eating, first make an appointment to see a veterinarian. Then melt down some food pellets with warm water, mix in enough baby food cereal (jarred or powder) and more warm water to make a thin gruel. Feed this to your cavy with an eyedropper or small syringe. If he's able to swallow it, give about 10 cc 3 or 4 times daily for an adult cavy. Molars are nearly impossible to see because they are far back on the jawbone, hidden behind fat bucal (cheek) pads. A veterinarian will use an otoscope and perhaps a bucal pad separator to get a good look at the molars. This can usually be done without anesthesia. Trimming or filing problem teeth may require anesthesia, but not always. It depends on the extent and complexity of the work needed and how cooperative the cavy is. Trimming or filing problem teeth can give a cavy a new lease on life. Syringe feeding may be recommended for a few days longer for added nutrition and because newly trimmed teeth may be a little painful. Teeth examination and corrective trimming really need to be done by a veterinarian experienced and knowledgeable in dealing with cavies. I may be able to refer you to such a gem if you don't already have one. Please note: cavies DO NOT normally need routine teeth trimming. Cavy teeth grow constantly and are normally worn down constantly by eating pellets and hay. Unless your cavy is having some abnormal problem his teeth do not need routine trimming. I am stressing this because I've been appalled to learn of 2 cases where a non-cavy veterinarian advised owners to bring their cavies in every few weeks for "maintenance" teeth trimming. Unless your cavy has misaligned teeth or some other problem - this is not needed. This article and the JPGPR.com logo are © 1993-2002 Vicki Palmer Nielsen - Jack Pine Guinea Pig Rescue. No copyright is asserted herein regarding the illustrations accompanying the article; copyrights, if any, of the illustrations are retained by the original holders. If you would like to reproduce anything from the website, please first e-mail Vicki at JPGPR@aol.com for permission.