• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Broken 1 Upper Incisor

Status
Not open for further replies.
H

HonkeysMummy

Joined
Sep 16, 2007
Messages
1,842
Reaction score
0
Points
0
I wondered why Honkey had lost 20 grm in weight this week, I just got him out to check him all over and I noticed 1 Upper Incisor broken, a clean brake about 3mm shorter than the other one.
In the Peter Gurney Book The Proper Care of Guinea pigs it states that these teeth can be trimed with large nail clippers, has anybody done this or is it best to take them to a vets?
 
Yes they do need to be cut to an even length,otherwise the piggy will have difficulty picking food up.Unless you have done this before I recommend that you go to a vet to show you how to do this,.if you are unsure of what you are doing you could easily cut the lip or fracture the tooth.
 
Mine have had broken teeth before and i didnt see any difference in their weight or anything but i would never trim my piggies teeth myself i just wouldnt as i havent had the proper training of how to do it and wouldnt trust myself to do it ;D But I'm sure like maryh said they do need to be trimmed to an even length and i would go to the vets unless you knowhow to do it properly O0
 
I have been shown how to do it and did do it but it was years ago but thing change over the years. My OH has done all sorts of animal husbandry in his years but I just hate the thought of hurting Honkey, think I will take him to the vets. (Before Kyle was a mechanic he owned a livery yard and kept more than just horses).
 
Oh right :) I'm sure both of you together could do it then ? But i guess if you want to take him to the vets to do it then its better to be safe than sorry :smitten:
 
We could do it, I guess but I would cry if we hurt our Honkey Wonkey Donkey :'( :'( :'(
 
Elmo broke one of his incisors and I watched him carefully and he was fine picking his food up, it grew back evenly, but if Honkey is having trouble, best pop along to the vet.
 
He may of lost 20grms this week but he is eating fine including his wagg optium but we are still going to take him, I will not be able to get an appointment until Monday now :'( .
I could always chew his food up for him until then (only joking)
 
If you think it is difficult for him to pick it up, cut his veg up smaller and maybe hand feed him it? Chances are he is fine ;)
 
I think broken teeth are due to calcium deficiency but i dunno what they need to improve their teeth or whatever as you cant give piggies milk ::)
 
iloveanimals said:
I think broken teeth are due to calcium deficiency but i dunno what they need to improve their teeth or whatever as you cant give piggies milk ::)
Click to expand...

He popcorns loads and I have seen him hit is face on the side of the cage, I think this must be how he did it.
 
Oh right so it was just a little accident - poor honkey 0:)
 
Sorry but I think you need Rongeurs to do this and sharp ones or the tooth could fracture. NEVER use nail clippers, this is dangerous, I have seen a pig die because someone did this, infection set in and the pig died from Septicaemia. A pair of Buccal Seperators too to hold the mouth open and tongue down.

I don't mean to be harsh, but I would go to a vet and then do the one to one course offered by CCT. Teeth also need filing after clipping (to a certain angle) and oral painkiller given in case you've left any sharp edges. It can be done but use the proper equipment and get the CCT notes- they are very good and you can share them with your vet.
 
I have printed of the CCT and BAR notes, we are taking him to the vets, it looks like I will have to cold call a woman who runs the local piggie club to see if she can recommend a vet, I feel really cheeky to ring her but I know it is best for Honkey, the worst thing she can do is put the phone down on me.
It seems living here it is easy to get a vet for cattle than it is for a Honkey.
 
My best wishes to Honkey and I hope you find a good vet to sort out his poorly teeth.
 
Are these the dental lecture notes? I didn';t know they were available for printing off, can you give me a link if they're online please :)

Where are you? Might be a good idea to have a good vet for future reference :)
Good luck today :) Sometimes they can wear down the other tooth till its level with the broken one (and the broken one grows up), mine have always been ok about picking up food, just make sure he can. I cut my food into strips which seems to be the easiest for them to manage- just a case of what suits your guinea ::)
 
Found a lovely vet, Honkey had his tooth done and it is like he never had a problem, he is eating away very happily. I am so happy now.
 
karenrgpr said:
Are these the dental lecture notes? I didn';t know they were available for printing off, can you give me a link if they're online please :)

Where are you? Might be a good idea to have a good vet for future reference :)
Good luck today :) Sometimes they can wear down the other tooth till its level with the broken one (and the broken one grows up), mine have always been ok about picking up food, just make sure he can. I cut my food into strips which seems to be the easiest for them to manage- just a case of what suits your guinea ::)
Click to expand...

I printed out the paper whch says you can check and cut even a guinea pigs back teeth without anaesthetic and hows picutes of a Buccal Pad Separators etc.... it also states safe anaesthetic etc....
If you still want the link let me know.
The vet I used was Neil Rudman 17 Canon Street, Taunton, vet.rudram.org they have drop in (no appointments needed) on Saturdays between 9 am to 9.30 am and then again from 12 midday until 1 pm, they do not turn people away.
It sounded like she used a dremel to cut Honkeys tooth with, she has do a nice job, a full health check for £9.91p
 
I take it you mean dental burr? :)
Can you post the link please? I don't think thats the dental notes from the lecture ?
 
Thanks, I haveseen that. Thats the old address for CCT and BAR. Good pigtures :) but I don't use towel wrapping for syringe feeding or giving meds my self, but whatever the guineas best with :) Gina is no longer doing BAR :)

The lecture notes are more detailed on teeth and are designed to compliment the lecture. Then there is one to one training indentistry. I have to say that not everyone's suited to it though :)
 
Haven't read that one. I thought it was too expensive and would rather phone her than read her book :)

Rodent Rooms is a good site :)
 
If a pig broke one incisor I wouldn't dream of cutting the other level with it or getting a vet to do it. I've seen vets do this to pigs and then owners hysterical because their pig couldn't pick up food properly. A tooth COMPLETELY broken normally takes 7-10 days to grow back so for 3mm it should take 3 or 4 days. If the teeth are cut so the incisors don't meet then the pigs can have trouble chopping and feeding back food to the molars which can in turn make the molars overgrow. My vet will only ever intervene if there is a sharp edge or if there's another medical reason. In 15 years of keeping piggies and having seen lots of broken teeth, I've never needed to have the other teeth trimmed.

Teeth break for a lot of reasons but sometimes it just happens. Best to get it checked out.
 
I agree, I have a sow with 3 Incisors and she manages to pick up food perfectly and will have to do so for the rest of her life. The tooth left should wear on the opposing teeth. The only thing with it being really short is the tooth already there can sometimes start to grow over into the middle (like the pigs with 3 Incisors) because it has nothing to grow against and it could end up 'crooked'. It just need to be watched and make sure that both teeth are growing back straight and any sharp edges are filed down.
 
Honkey has gained back the weight he lost and more, his teeth seem only a tiny bit short but he is back to himself even though he has been pulling silly faces ever since.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top