Incisor removal

[Karenza]

Hi,

Has anyone had or got a guinea pig who has had to have both upper and lower incisors (front teeth) removed? I am potentially facing this situation and wonder whether:
Piggies can thrive without these teeth?
It is a very distressing op for them?
What and how can they eat afterwards?
Any experiences/advice eagerly sought.

Thanks.

 

[daftscotslass]

Can I ask what the reasons would be? Would it be a removal from the roots, i.e. they wouldn't regrow?

A guinea pig with no front incisors would potentially have to be handfed for the rest of its life. They would lose the ability to chop food, grasp and feed it back to the molars which mean that the molars would have to be attended to regularly.

 

[sgprescue]

Can I ask what the reasons would be? Would it be a removal from the roots, i.e. they wouldn't regrow?

A guinea pig with no front incisors would potentially have to be handfed for the rest of its life. They would lose the ability to chop food, grasp and feed it back to the molars which mean that the molars would have to be attended to regularly.

They can manage very well without the incisors I had a pig that had to have his incisors removed because they were deformed and he kept getting infected at the roots. He did really well without them. The only thing you need to do differently is to chop up the veg into small cubes or strips, other than that they can still manage dry food and hay without a problem O0 I have had other pigs brought into the rescue where their teeth have been broken off almost at gum level and they have managed just aswell. Its no different to a bunny having their incisors removed and i have had to have several of them done

 

[Karenza]

Hi,

Thank you both SO much.

The reason is that he fell backwards off his wooden home (for a dreadful time at first I thought he had broken is back) and he broke a lower incisor. It took ages to grow back and it grew back very thickened and odd (it kept snapping off), then the other lower incisor started to disintegrate. By this time he has quite bad gum disease around them, and the vet has been monitoring them. The vet now wants to remove the diseased lower ones (and the upper ones so that he doesn't keep having to have them trimmed). I just want to do the best thing for him (I realise that gum disease isn't good either).

Thanks so very much again - it is a worrying time.

 

[Karenza]

Hi again,

Forgot to say, the whole root would be removed (if this is possible, again, because they are so badly disintigrated it may be difficult. His diet is good - lots of fresh fruit and veg and he has always been on Science Selective). He has a wonderfully impressive appetite.

I am currently having to chop his fruit and veg because I noticed that he mouthed it but didn't seem to be biting off chunks. His 'wife' is also very appreciative of this. I have noticed.

Thanks for the warning about the molars (when they were checked under aneasthetic last week they are fine).

Thanks again - hugely appreciated.

 

[maryh]

Gps teeth do not have roots as they regrow when broken.

I know of a piggy that was born without inscissors,and he lived to 6 year

I have had pigs who have broken,or had to have inscissors cut back to gum level,they manage to eat fine,if the food is cut up small..The inscissors grow back very quickly anyway.

My vet is against taking out inscissors,and I agree with her.There is no point,as they will grow back again anyway.Best to cut right back instead.The only exception to this was a boar I once had that kept breaking his lower inscissor.It was discoved by x ray that he had a pocket of pus in the jaw.The tooth was removed and the socket cleaned out.The tooth regrew and was fine.

 

[Karenza]

Thank you so, so much - it really is a worry. The only silver lining is that when the vet picked him up he said "Hey, he's a chunky fella!" That's my Weekes!!

 

[karenrgpr]

I would get some Neem toothpaste in from Gorgeous Guineas too

Perhaps try taking the tooth to gum level again and see how it grows back. I do have one pig with only 3 Incisors, her tooth snapped and the gum became became infected and the vet just pulled it out, it didn't grow back.

A friend of mine has 2 pigs with only 3 Incisors (All the best pigs do LOL) and they manage fine- not the same as having none though Lots of rabbits manage, I guess they have to adapt. Not something to undertake lightly, they may grow back healthy anyway.

 

[sgprescue]

In my pigs case there was no other choice as the reoccuring infections were eating away into the jaw bone and the only way we could stop it was to have the teeth removed.
Karenza - when you say he has gum disease, what and where exactly is the problem?

 

[karenrgpr]

That was Ursula's problem, we didn't know whether or not it would grow back though.

 

[sgprescue]

Buzz had to be aneasthetised a total of 5 times in 2 weeks for x-rays and teeth removal etc. Its not something I would like to repeat very often. X-rays showed Buzz's infection had gone through into the nazal cavity. His teeth were really wiggly which must have been painful for him. Having that op saved his life I have had loads of pigs in with problems with their incisors but Buzz was the only one I ever needed to have them removed completly. In most situations a change in diet and regular dental work will sort the problem out.

 

[karenrgpr]

Buzz's was more traumatic than Ursula's then!

 

[Karenza]

Hi Cherly,

The problem is with the bottom incisors - there is a sort of bony mass between them both starting at gum level, which is almost like a plate between them. I used to think it was food debris, but it is very hard (plaque?) I'll try to get a photo, but he is VERY unhapppy about anyone around his mouth (and he now has awful halitosis). He was absolutely fine until he broke the bottom one. His then wife broke one of hers and it grew back perfectly. Both of his lower incisors are now thickened and unhealthy in appeance.

 

[karenrgpr]

He has an infection in there for sure. Have you ordered the Neem toothpaste? I would want him on a course of Baytril at 0.4ml x2 daily if he were mine too Where are you?

 

[maryh]

I have used the Neem toothpaste(available from gg).It cleared a stubborn mouth ulcer very quickly. I applied it to Poppys mouth with a cotton bud,twice daily.