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Grinding teeth when eating? Is this normal or not?

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Animallover2245

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hello

I’m a little concerned. My two pigs. Pete and Rusty are making like a weird teeth grinding sound when there eating. Rusty nods his head a lot when doing this and Pete still drops his veg a lot when eating. I never heard them do this before.

I know it’s normal for them to teeth chatter when there telling each other off. However this sounds like there grinding there teeth constantly when there eating. Also they seem less interested in the harder veg e.g celery.


(I don’t know if this is also important but they’ve also been biting there fur like three times within 30 mins) no signs of hair loss though apart from the normal shedding.


(I’m currently away with my mum, where the apartment kindly allowed the Guinea pigs. So there in a c&c cage currently. Have been since 27th November)

Are these signs that something is wrong?
 
Also want to add on to above. . I just tried to health check and suprisngly they let me check there teeth. I can’t remember how long is to long but with both of them there bottom teeth are touching the top teeth. Is this too long? Also with rusty when I felt near his teeth he let out a high squeal. I’ve never heard this from either of them.
 
I would suggest you book an appointment for a vet check - only a vet can check their teeth properly as the molars are impossible to see without specialist equipment.
Keep a close eye on their weights to ensure they are both eating enough hay.

Their teeth do need to be touching.
 
Animallover2245 said:
Also want to add on to above. . I just tried to health check and suprisngly they let me check there teeth. I can’t remember how long is to long but with both of them there bottom teeth are touching the top teeth. Is this too long? Also with rusty when I felt near his teeth he let out a high squeal. I’ve never heard this from either of them.
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Hi

I would still recommend a vet check if you have concerns. Grinding teeth can be a sign of pain or discomfort. The source of the pain may not be necessarily obviously if it is less from an overgrowth in the back teeth than from a developing root abscess for example that has not yet manifested but is starting to make itself felt.
Grinding teeth as a sign of displeasure is usually something you only see during handling, rarely in a face off with other piggies and it is not a very common behaviour in either context.

As long the edge of both pairs of incisors is even and the tips are not point inwards, they are abrading against each
other as they should and that there is likely only very mild overgrowth at the back or you would notice a developing slant from one-sided chewing (due to a one sided pain issue) or a jagged edge if the chewing motion is uneven or restricted. Incisors that do no longer meet and start pointing inwards mean that there is considerable overgrowth at the back. Incisors always look too long when you see them, especially the lower pair.
 
I second all of the above and if they seem to be scratching a lot I would also ask the vet to do a skin check.
Sometimes in new or stressful situations guinea pigs can get mite outbreaks which cause them to itch more. They aren't visible to the naked eye so really do require a proper check with a qualified vet.
 
Thanks @Piggies&buns @Wiebke and @Swissgreys

The next closest appointment is 7th December with my vets. I just hope the owner of where I volunteer on Wednesdays is ok with me not being their that day otherwise the next appointment isn’t till the 14th December. Otherwise I’ll have to find a different vet for the pigs.
 
Swissgreys said:
I second all of the above and if they seem to be scratching a lot I would also ask the vet to do a skin check.
Sometimes in new or stressful situations guinea pigs can get mite outbreaks which cause them to itch more. They aren't visible to the naked eye so really do require a proper check with a qualified vet.
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Could that also be why one of them is biting his own fur? To the point he’s got a bite mark on his. His biting his own fur has got a lot more frequent too.
 
Animallover2245 said:
Could that also be why one of them is biting his own fur? To the point he’s got a bite mark on his. His biting his own fur has got a lot more frequent too.
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Yes could be. Any skin irritation or bodily discomfort can cause barbering
 
If you are anywhere near The Henley Vets (Reading Rd, Henley-on-Thames) some of their vets have a lot of guinea pig experience. You could ask specifically for vets Anneli or Helen, but there are also others (usually ladies!) who are very good with piggies.
 
Free Ranger said:
If you are anywhere near The Henley Vets (Reading Rd, Henley-on-Thames) some of their vets have a lot of guinea pig experience. You could ask specifically for vets Anneli or Helen, but there are also others (usually ladies!) who are very good with piggies.
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Thanks but as I don’t drive, it’s kind of a awkward public transport route. Unless things get worse hopefully they’ll be ok till the 7th December. (Which is next Wednesday)
 
Animallover2245 said:
Thanks but as I don’t drive, it’s kind of a awkward public transport route. Unless things get worse hopefully they’ll be ok till the 7th December. (Which is next Wednesday)
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You are doing a good job.
It's frustrating when you can't be seen sooner, but hopefully everyone will be fine until next Wednesday.
At least you are getting them the care that they need.
 
Swissgreys said:
You are doing a good job.
It's frustrating when you can't be seen sooner, but hopefully everyone will be fine until next Wednesday.
At least you are getting them the care that they need.
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Just a quick question. I’ve got a feeling there biting there own fur is down to parasites as they’ve also been stratching themselves like. 5 times in 1 minute it’s becoming more frequent. I won’t know exactly till I go to the vet. But apart from the ringworm (which they don’t have as there’s no bald spots yet, are there any other parasites than can pass to humans and/or other animals.
 
Animallover2245 said:
Just a quick question. I’ve got a feeling there biting there own fur is down to parasites as they’ve also been stratching themselves like. 5 times in 1 minute it’s becoming more frequent. I won’t know exactly till I go to the vet. But apart from the ringworm (which they don’t have as there’s no bald spots yet, are there any other parasites than can pass to humans and/or other animals.
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No - guinea pig parasites can't pass to humans or other animals, so apart from being very uncomfortable for your poor guinea pigs they won't affect you.
 
Just adding this on here. I know it’s normal to see a couple white stains from urine. However is this too much for one pig and something worth mentioning at the appointment or Is this a normal amount?
 

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Animallover2245 said:
Just adding this on here. I know it’s normal to see a couple white stains from urine. However is this too much for one pig and something worth mentioning at the appointment or Is this a normal amount?
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It is normal but If it is happening a lot, then you ought to check their diet.
ensure you are feeding good quality pellets and that they aren’t too high in calcium and ensure they are only getting one tablespoon each. Ensure drinking water is filtered and that high calcium veg is now limited
 
Piggies&buns said:
It is normal but If it is happening a lot, then you ought to check their diet.
ensure you are feeding good quality pellets and that they aren’t too high in calcium and ensure they are only getting one tablespoon each. Ensure drinking water is filtered and that high calcium veg is now limited
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It is happening a lot, The pellets I use are science selective. Do they not need more than 1 tablespoon? As the guidelines say 40-50g per adult pig. We’re currently in an apartment so have no way to filter water and I don’t know what veg is high in calcium
 
Animallover2245 said:
It is happening a lot, The pellets I use are science selective. Do they not need more than 1 tablespoon? As the guidelines say 40-50g per adult pig. We’re currently in an apartment so have no way to filter water and I don’t know what veg is high in calcium
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You don’t feed by the packaging - they usually say far too much.
One tablespoon of pellets only, no matter what brand you feed. Pellets and drinking water are main contributors of calcium into the diet.
For example - the pellets I used to feed say 40 grams but one tablespoon of pellets actually only weighs 6 grams so you can see how far in excess you feed if you go by the packaging.

You can filter water by using a Brita jug (or similar) if you can get one

High calcium veg are things like brassicas, kale, parsley, spinach
 
There stratching is becoming a lot more frequent every time now there stratching like 10 times every minute and always biting their fur afterwards. Is there anything I can do till Wednesday that might help?
 
Animallover2245 said:
There stratching is becoming a lot more frequent every time now there stratching like 10 times every minute and always biting their fur afterwards. Is there anything I can do till Wednesday that might help?
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Afraid not - they need to see the vet for diagnosis and correct treatment.
 
Piggies&buns said:
Afraid not - they need to see the vet for diagnosis and correct treatment.
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Ok thanks. I’m guessing parasites can come back as well as around July. Rusty had a bald spot and was also stratching a lot. The vet thought it might if been mites and with the treatment it went away within a couple weeks it healed and they weren’t stratching a lot. But now the stratching a lot and biting fur a lot has returned for a week and it’s also weird how is brother Pete is also doing the same. But yet this time they have no bald areas.
 
Animallover2245 said:
Ok thanks. I’m guessing parasites can come back as well as around July. Rusty had a bald spot and was also stratching a lot. The vet thought it might if been mites and with the treatment it went away within a couple weeks it healed and they weren’t stratching a lot. But now the stratching a lot and biting fur a lot has returned for a week and it’s also weird how is brother Pete is also doing the same. But yet this time they have no bald areas.
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Yes parasites can come back.

All you need is a batch of hay which isn’t so good and then they can be back - hay mites.

Most piggies have mites living on them at all times but a working immune system keeps them in check. Any stresses etc can compromise the immune system and gives the mites an opportunity to take over.
 
The other thing to add is that the usual treatments when pigs get parasites (like mites or lice) is a spot-on treatment called Xeno (ivermectin). Xeno-450 is used for pigs over 1.2 kilo... or even close to 1.2 kilo. There are other things too but Xeno is very common and usually effective if dosed correctly - it depends on bodyweight so it is important the vet prescribes it and gets the dose right. Xeno is usually prescribed for all pigs at the same time even if only one is showing symptoms because otherwise the untreated piggy can harbour the mites/lice. There should have been 3 treatments each two weeks apart: so treatment 1 (both pigs), then 2 weeks later treatment 2 (both pigs), then 2 weeks later again treatment 3 (both pigs). This is because the active ingredient kills the live mites or lice but doesn't kill the eggs so the repeat treatments are to kill off new hatchlings before they can mature and start breeding again. Fewer treatments or different spacings (at least with this product) risks not quite clearing all the mites/lice so they can come back. And yes, we had that when one vet accidentally prescribed 2 treatments 3 weeks apart instead of 3 treatments 2 weeks apart!

There are off-the-shelf products containing ingredients like ivermectin but the concentration is much lower - only a prescription can give you the high dose. The issue with trying to use the weaker shampoos etc is that not all parasites will be killed and the survivors will end up more resistant to the stuff.

A bad dose of mites could explain the grinding teeth... I'll be thinking of you until Wednesday.
 
Hi, I’m glad the vet appointment for my pigs is tommorow.

However today since the last hour Rusty made a high pitched Squeal and Pete has been making clicking noise a couple times. I’ve never heard those noise before and I wasn’t doing anything at the time. Does anyone know what it means and if it’s related to parasites or means another thing is wrong or ?
 
Animallover2245 said:
Hi, I’m glad the vet appointment for my pigs is tommorow.

However today since the last hour Rusty made a high pitched Squeal and Pete has been making clicking noise a couple times. I’ve never heard those noise before and I wasn’t doing anything at the time. Does anyone know what it means and if it’s related to parasites or means another thing is wrong or ?
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High pitched squealing is generally submission so if it was that then it would not have anything to do with parasites. Submission is a normal behaviour.
However, it’s very difficult for to be able to know what it was based on a written description.
 
If they're not very well they are probably also a little bit on edge.
Sometimes with boars if the top boy gets poorly but the other one is fine there can be a challenge for dominance but I don't think that's your situation. It's more likely that they're just both feeling irritable. Good luck tomorrow.
 
Animallover2245 said:
Thanks.

They think it’s a parasites again. They prescribed the same as last time. Xeno One pipette per each Guinea pig.
Click to expand...

and is that as part of a three treatment course? (Ie three separate treatments per piggy, with two weeks between each treatment)
 
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