one tooth longer

[alvarezboy]

just found out my pig has one tooth little bit longer than the other one this morning. it doesn't seem too long on the one side. he usually love to eat some pea flakes. but today he only ate 3 flakes and refuse to eat more. but still eat oxbow pellets and hay. should i trim it?

 

[weepweeps]

Hello. No definitely don’t trim it yourself. If you are worried about their teeth I would get them checked over by the vet. Is their weight ok? Have they lost weight?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Please do not do anything to his teeth yourself. It will cause a huge amount of damage.

Uneven or slanted incisors can be due to a problem with the molars. Piggies need to eat hay to grind the molars down. Chewing correctly with the molars keeps the incisors in check (incisors are self sharpening). If they are not chewing evenly at the back then you can see a problem with the front.
It is essential you see a vet for this issue. There can be several reasons why a piggy is not chewing evenly - sometimes pain due to spurs or abscesses.
Incisors can also break.

A piggy with dental issues can reduce the amount of hay they are eating.
As hay is three quarters of their daily food intake and it cannot be gauged by eye, you must change from routine weekly weight checks and instead weigh daily so you can monitor hay intake.
If a piggy is losing weight it is due to a reduction in hay intake and you must step in and syringe feed to replace the hay intake. The daily weight checks also help ensure you are syringe feeding enough each day to keep weight stable.

Weight - Monitoring and Management
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Ensure pellets are kept to just one tablespoon per day. If a piggy is allowed to eat too many pellets then their hay intake can be affected because of it and consequently they can encounter dental issues.

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

Always see a vet for dental issues.

 

[alvarezboy]

i've planned to take him to the vet. and vet said it's because the teeth was broken. but should i take him to vet and trim the teeth while the teeth length is not really different?

 

[Piggies&buns]

i've planned to take him to the vet. and vet said it's because the teeth was broken. but should i take him to vet and trim the teeth while the teeth length is not really different?

If you only found it this morning has the vet already carried out a hands on examination of his teeth?
If your piggy has been thoroughly checked by the vet (which often involves sedation so the back teeth can be thoroughly checked for spurs or other issues), and it is therefore fully concluded that it is a break to one tooth rather than slanting due to molar issues, then you should not need to do anything.
If a hands on check has not been carried out, then please make sure you actually see the vet for a hands on check to rule out issues with the molars.

In the case of a break of the incisor, then it will grow back to the correct length in time without any further action needed. You should not have the other tooth trimmed as doing so would make both teeth too short and consequently make it hard for your piggy to pick up any food.
You should continue with daily weight checks so you can be certain the right amount of hay is still being consumed.
If it is slanting due to molar problems then the teeth will get worse unless and until the issues are properly dealt with. Trimming the incisors will do absolutely nothing to resolve molar issues.

Do you weigh your piggies regularly? That is a very useful tool to know whether there is an issue