annemarie
Junior Guinea Pig
How do you know if your piggies teeth are too long?
Teeth question
- Thread starter annemarie
- Start date
- Status
Chief Guinea Pig
Senior Guinea Pig
Usually I check if they're white, if they're too long- then the piggie should be 
/ can't eat food. If there's things/wooden chews etc for them to chew on; they should be fine anyway.
/ can't eat food. If there's things/wooden chews etc for them to chew on; they should be fine anyway.
flintstones
Senior Guinea Pig
I weigh my piggies weekly, if a pig looks healthy and is losing weight (50 grams in a week) I would have them see a Cavy Savy vet to check there teeth etc. They can also struggle with eating as guinea pig chief already mentioned.
With teeth, it is usually the pre-molars that go wrong. Weight loss without any obvious symptoms of illness, slow chewing, picking up food but not eating it, salivating are signs that there is tooth trouble underway. if the pre-molars are very overgrown and trapping the tongue, the self-sharpening front teeth will also grow longer.
Many general vets sadly haven't got the first idea about tooth problems in guinea pigs; it is often vital to see a specialist over a problem that could involve teeth, even if it is quite a trip.
Read up on TEAS dental piggies sanctuary to see what a difference it can make! http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/forums/the-excellent-adventure-dental-sanctuary.50/
Many general vets sadly haven't got the first idea about tooth problems in guinea pigs; it is often vital to see a specialist over a problem that could involve teeth, even if it is quite a trip.
Read up on TEAS dental piggies sanctuary to see what a difference it can make! http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/forums/the-excellent-adventure-dental-sanctuary.50/
MerryPip
Adult Guinea Pig
You can only see the front few of a piggies teeth and usually if problems occur it is further back in the pre-molars as Wiebke said. Mostly these are not easy to see without special equipment and some vets can find it difficult to see them even with the correct equipment as piggies are good at keeping food in their mouths.
Weight loss, dribbling and dropping food are good indicators that there is a dental problem. The incisors (front teeth) that you can see should be a good healthy colour with no cracks, not loose, the lower and upper sets should meet... Dental problems of the back teeth can be hereditary, diet related or without known cause. Incisor problems often occur if a piggy has a fall, is dropped or otherwise manages to bash their face/teeth (I have had piggies with both!)
If a good specialist vet is doing a dental assessment they may also suggest an x-ray to check the roots for overgrowth, abcesses etc. Often the visible problems are the symptom of a problem further down in the tooth or jaw.
The TEAS dental sanctuary does an amazing job and the experience of Furryfriends who runs it is phenomenal. Have a read of some of the cases they have dealt with to see how much good dental care can contribute to a piggies health and survival.
At home the best thing you can do to promote goo dental health is feed a balanced diet with unlimited hay to allow the back tteth to wear naturally as the piggy eats and if they have a wooden toy/house or something they can keep their incisors in trim too.
Weight loss, dribbling and dropping food are good indicators that there is a dental problem. The incisors (front teeth) that you can see should be a good healthy colour with no cracks, not loose, the lower and upper sets should meet... Dental problems of the back teeth can be hereditary, diet related or without known cause. Incisor problems often occur if a piggy has a fall, is dropped or otherwise manages to bash their face/teeth (I have had piggies with both!)
If a good specialist vet is doing a dental assessment they may also suggest an x-ray to check the roots for overgrowth, abcesses etc. Often the visible problems are the symptom of a problem further down in the tooth or jaw.
The TEAS dental sanctuary does an amazing job and the experience of Furryfriends who runs it is phenomenal. Have a read of some of the cases they have dealt with to see how much good dental care can contribute to a piggies health and survival.
At home the best thing you can do to promote goo dental health is feed a balanced diet with unlimited hay to allow the back tteth to wear naturally as the piggy eats and if they have a wooden toy/house or something they can keep their incisors in trim too.
- Status