In some rabbits the problem is much more serious than overgrown and unsightly incisors or points on the molar teeth. But yes, since their teeth are always growing, his tooth should grow back. Aug 29, 2017 handling them often during these times is when you could gently check for any physical abnormalities too, which we will be covering below. A guinea pigs teeth are open rooted and grow continuously. And rarely, a guinea pig grows an extra set of front teeth similar to the peg teeth found on a rabbit. Whats more, they contain beneficial vitamins and minerals. Fortunately, you dont need to worry about this with your guinea pig. It is good to know in advance about the health problems that are most common in guinea pigs so that if they become ill you will be in a better place to respond quickly. Guinea pigs are herbivores, so their diet should be one based on highquality guinea pig hay, pelleted guinea pig food and limited amounts of fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. General piggie had a fall,cut lip, only eating tiny bits of. Pintas guinea pig pictured below broke a tooth to the gum line may 5 or 6.
Guinea pig food list food they can eat and food they should. These include birth order, age, species, gender, diet, lifestyle, overall health, and genetics. This dynamic changing relationship between the upper and lower teeth can result in malocclusion development. Your guinea pig requires daily, diligent care to stay healthy. Hi i was just wondering how long piggys teeth should be. If during the checkup you found that the tooth is chipped, you need to go the vet to trim or file piggys teeth, so these are even again. Some malocclusion is believed to be genetic, especially in guinea pigs under two years of age. We do have a page on things that are toxic to pigs that you can find under the pig health header on the main website. Im not exactly sure how he did it, but im wondering if its from chewing on the grids of his cage. The mandibular cheek teeth are often the worst affected and they can get so bad that they can grow over and totally entrap the tongue. Anesthesia free pet dentistry care for broken teeth dental care dental radiology. The enamel is white in color and the front teeth can be sharp. Tooth and dental wellness are things that may be overlooked by new or inexperienced guinea pig parents, but they are vitally important to your guinea pigs wellbeing.
An all natural wooden house that will look great in any guinea pig s habitat. Some guinea pig owners buy special tools to open guinea pigs mouth and check teeth. An imbalance in nutrition can cause chronic diarrhea, obesity and diseases of the heart, liver or kidneys. Their gums should be pinkish, not red, inflamed, or bleeding. This is because guinea pigs have openrooted teeth that keep growing throughout their lifetimes. What should i answered by a verified pet specialist. Inside their tiny mouths, along with the incisors, are a pair of upper and lower premolars and three pairs of upper and lower molars.
We look for sores in the mouth and the general shape of the cheek teeth. We provide an detailed list of food your guinea pigs really like and also a blacklist which food should not be provided to build up a proper diet. Guinea pigs can be considered to enter their senior years at around 4 to 5 years of age, or when symptoms of age develop. They may decide to trim any remaining teeth to prevent overgrowth as the broken tooth grows back. While it may seem that guinea pigs have a total of 4 teeth, two at the bottom and. Templestowe vet clinic in australia also notes that garlic should never be fed to a. The sharp incisors at the front of the mouth are used for cutting food whilst the premolars and molars do all the grinding and chewing. It is important that your guinea pigs are well cared for to ensure they live a healthy life. Jun 25, 2007 broken teeth can be the result of a fall, injury or accident.
Dental disease in guinea pigs the unusual pet vets. Guinea pigs should normally never have their front teeth trimmed many vets who dont know better will do that, and then the pig is unable to pick up its food to eat. Guinea pigs have 20 teeth in their mouths which consist of. Your guinea pigs feet will look inflamed and may also have lumps and abrasions. Check that the fur on the base of their feet is free from matting, and that their heels arent red and swollen. Oct 05, 2017 older guinea pigs can require special care, so weve put together a guide on how to care for your older, senior guinea pig. Does she have satin type coat, which is connected to brittle bones. Your vet should be able to treat malocclusion, cuts and sores, abscesses and broken teeth and even engage in a little bit of teeth filing for your guinea pig. Husks is very tasty for a guinea pig and is very similar in texture and nutritional value to haygrass. However, certain skin conditions and parasite infestations can cause major discomfort and itching, and even lead to hair loss and lifethreatening illnesses. Guinea pigs teeth are continually being worn down as they gnaw and chew on their.
Each tooth should be between a third of an inch and just over half an inch long, and they should meet evenly. A guinea pig living on a poor diet can be vulnerable to broken teeth, especially if the diet is deficient in vitamin c, which is essential for bone and tooth growth. Trimming this tooth to the same length as the tooth beside it will only delay the teeth meeting. However, i also read a while ago that the oils on the outside of the whole corn are actually better for them so ive switched to whole corn ever since. Some of these can be very serious and will require veterinary advice and. My two males are seperated by a divider because of constant fighting, and they like to chew on the bars between their cages sometimes. Looking after your guinea pigs teeth guinea pig care. That is fine for only a standard screening at a yearly wellbeing test, yet in the event that there is a sign of worry, at that point a superior assessment is required for your guinea pig teeth. The pet will not be still so to make it easier on you, put a cloth around him so he cant move his little legs too much. What should i do if my guinea pigs teeth are chattering.
During your daily care routine, you must observe both your pets behavior and physical condition. This prevents the tongue from moving normally which means the guinea pig cannot eat properly. Guinea pig feeding the humane society of the united states. If you look at your guinea pigs front teeth two at the top and two at the bottom, you may be surprised by how long they are. If the edge of the broken tooth is jagged and sharp, it may cut your pigs delicate oral tissues, leading to sores or even infections. As you can imagine, looking at the teeth inside such a small mouth with an. Guinea pigs teeth dont stop growing, so ignoring their dental needs can cause. Guinea pig dental care guniea pig teeth veterinary. If your guinea pig has a broken tooth and you dont know what. If youre a guinea pig lover, you can also join or establish a guinea pig volunteer group, which are intended to help look after those guinea. The canine fang and incisor teeth are frequently fractured from trauma. Sometimes guinea pigs can break their front teeth incisors either chewing.
If during the checkup you found that the tooth is chipped, you need to go the vet to. Despite your best efforts, your guinea pig may still end up suffering from malocclusion it can be a genetically inherited trait. Guinea pigs are intelligent, charismatic and most importantly adorable little friends to introduce into your family. People get together to discuss guinea pig care tips, guinea pig stories, and even to arrange guinea pig playdates. This is an aggressive vocalization that is a sign of an agitated or angry guinea pig. How to decipher guinea pig sounds and body language. You must take care of dental issues immediately because improper tooth care can lead to death. Senior guinea pig care guinea pigs can suffer from conditions such as arthritis, eye sight issues and can lose muscle and body mass as they progress in age. Nov, 2006 i had a guinea pig who broke his teeth trying to bully his brothers seeing as how rabbits and guinea pigas are similar, i thought i could help. Taking care of a pet guinea pig involves a good bit of work, but comes with many rewards in return. Rabbits do not have canine teeth as in cats, dogs, ferrets and hedgehogs. The teeth of the rabbit are heterodont and diphydont. Although it may only look like your guinea pig has two upper and two lower.
The teeth of a normal healthy guinea pig should grow back just fine. At that time, the top incisors were even in length. A lot of guinea pig savvy vets state that garlic should be avoided completely and considered as a toxic food. You should take your guinea pig in every 4 to 8 weeks to have their teeth filed by a vet.
Guinea pig dental care guniea pig teeth veterinary dentist. Your guinea pigs teeth are open rooted and grow continuously. Guinea pigs need continuous access to hay to aid their digestion and limit the growth of their teeth. Watch to make sure the remaining teeth do not get so long that they touch the gums or skin. Each guinea pig should have a minimum of two square feet in its cage. They have an elodont dentition which consists of aradicular hypsodont incisors and cheek teeth.
When choosing a guinea pig to adopt, there are a few things youll want to look for to help you determine if the animal is healthy. Provide your small furry with a great, cosy refuge area to investigate and snooze in. Broken teeth, or the loss of teeth entirely, can also be due to injuries or accidents. If your guinea pig is having trouble eating due to over grown teeth, than yes you probably do want to take it to the vet, to have them filed down. Leafy greens like romaine lettuce, kale, cilantro or parsley should comprise. Regular clipping of the teeth is not recommended, as it can interfere with the guinea pigs eating habits. The first picture shows how the unopposed upper tooth grows down to meet the broken tooth. If your guinea pig breaks one of their teeth, the tooth will grow back within two to three weeks. Wooden house for guinea pigs is made from high quality pine wood material.
In the guinea pig, the growth rate of these aradicular hypsodont teeth may not. Apr 20, 2015 guinea pig food list food they can eat and food they should not. The most common form of dental disease in guinea pigs involves the elongation of their cheek teeth. Broken dog tooth treatment veterinary dentist wisconsin. You should also provide a diet high in vitamin c to keep the teeth healthy. Dec 24, 2019 guinea pig teeth continue to grow and if not filed down regularly with hay and other fibrous foods can become painful. As a responsible owner, its up to you to know what to look for and how to care for your guinea pigs teeth.
Is your guinea pig is sick behavioural and physical signs. Guinea pig teeth complete guide problems malocclusion care. Guinea pigs chew in a lateral side to side motion which causes tooth on tooth grinding and helps to wear down. The circular health check for goats hc summers feed. Looking after your guinea pigs teeth like rabbits, guinea pigs have teeth that grow all the time, but thankfully they are usually worn down by all the gnawing and chewing they do. Ears be on the lookout for mites, excessive buildup of dust or dirt or other mangy looking things. If this is your first time around guinea pigs, you may be forgiven for being surprised at the length of your pets front teeth. Foods we know are considered toxic to your pigs mini. Mouth a goats mouth can have problems similar to a humans mouth. Hes having a bath tomorrow and a full top and tail so will have a good proper look at his teeth, hubby will have to hang onto him hes a right squirmer. It is not a good idea to feed your guinea pig cracked corn.
A guinea pig has two teeth at the top and two at the bottom of their mouths, called incisors. Without more information than that, i cant for sure tell you how. Thats a pretty big if, because guinea pigs simply dont have the ability humans have to manipulate food with their lips and tongues. How to diagnose respiratory problems in guinea pigs. Theyre cute balls of fluffy fur that are amusing to watch and fun to play with and care for. Like teeth chattering, this is a sign of a guinea pig whos upset. As well as these indicators of good health, it is imperative that owners know their animals individual vital signs. Broken teeth can be the result of a fall, injury or accident. They list garlic as one of the foods to avoid, along with the other usual culprits. A lot of what is toxic to other animals is not toxic to pigs. Getting to know your guinea pig when you adopt or buy one, means finding out everything there is know about them, and this includes how their teeth should look.
A guinea pig should always have available a large amount of highquality timothy hay, which forces the guinea pig to chew and physically grind down the biting surface of the cheek teeth. Giving mineral blocks or salt licks is another effective way to keep your guinea pigs teeth short and neat. Heterodont teeth are simply teeth of different types, as opposed to teeth of the same type, called homodont. Have a good look in between your rabbits toes and check that they have no lumps there, and that dirt isnt building up. Guinea pigs can be vulnerable to broken teeth, particularly if their diet is inadequate and lacking vitamin c. Formulated guinea pig pellets are necessary to supply essential vitamin c, along with abundant grassy hay for proper wear of the teeth, she said. Pets with broken or fractured teeth are an extremely common presentation for veterinarians. They simply dont decide to lose a few ounces for vanitys sakethey eat. Guinea pigs teeth dont stop growing, so ignoring their dental needs can cause them a great deal of suffering.
However, snacks high in protein are a great option as. Guinea pig fact file life span 59 years size up to 25cm diet hay, veggies and guinea pig. That is why it is important to check guinea pigs teeth every day. Im using burgess excell pellets and i dont believe these soften too quickly. Guinea pigs, like all other animals, occasionally have bouts of discomfort that only a good, vigorous scratching can solve. I already mentioned that bugs could and should be a part of their regular diet. Feeding ducks what do ducks eat and what not to feed.
Your exotics vet should be your first call when something like. A guinea pig cage should never have a wired base as this or a cage that is not cleaned regularly can cause bumblefoot or make it worse. The teeth of the guinea pig grow constantly throughout their lives, and being fed the right diet and given plenty of things to chew on is important to ensure that the length of their teeth is kept in check. Your guinea pig should also be offered supplemental fresh vegetables every day, with an emphasis on leafy greens like romaine, green leaf and red leaf lettuces. The large premolar and molar teeth are typically injured from chewing hard objects. Watch out for any discharge or a dry or cracked nose. Taking a look at the teeth inside such a little mouth of the guinea pig that bites and holds continuously is tough. Feb 06, 2020 how to look after your sick guinea pig. There are a few complaints which guinea pigs are prone to. Buccal pad separators are designed to hold the cheeks back, aiding examination. Teeth advice for a loose tooth please guinea pig cages. Hi guys, my 3 yr old gussy decided to jump from my mums arms face first into his cage c and c he cut his top lip, and had some swelling, which has gone down from when he did it last night today he has been eating his pellets and hay fine, but wont bite into any veggies, only if they are cut up very small, what damage could he have done, just bruisingsoreness due to cut or could he have. Guinea pigs tend to chew on the cage bars which can damage their teeth. In case it has a broken tooth, youll need to take it to the vet.
The new guide to guinea pig dental care 2019 aboutguineapig. Discover the average guinea pig weight and how much a fullsize guinea pig should weigh in this guide to guinea pig size. If your pig has enough toys to play with and a proper diet, you might be able to extend the time between visits, but always ask your vet how often they want to see your pig. How do you know if your guinea pig has developed cataracts. Look for eyes that appear cloudy, white, or opaque. Teeth can also become abscessed, broken, or even develop masses. Jul 10, 2012 this evening i was inspecting the guinea pigs when i discovered that salvatore has a broken tooth, upper right. Guinea pigs are amongst the most common pets found in american households as they are easy to tame and look after. Feb 28, 2011 my dog broke 2 of his front small teeth, what do i do.
Make sure that the guinea pig is eating after the teeth are trimmed. Feb 02, 2017 despite your best efforts, your guinea pig may still end up suffering from malocclusion it can be a genetically inherited trait. Guinea pigs have continually growing and erupting teeth. The importance of dental care for small herbivores focus on. Everything you need to know about guinea pig teeth. Carrots, apples and cabbage are nutritious additions to your guineas pigs diet that also help the teeth, but introduce them slowly to avoid diarrhea.
They can also check it out and make sure that it doesnt look like its getting infected. Without further ado, lets look at the 9 signs that tell if your guinea pig is ill. Sep 06, 2019 how to know if a pet guinea pig is ill. They have no problems with eating etc and have hay everyday and i have wood blocks etc for them to gnaw on.
Learn everything you need to look after your new pets with our comprehensive guide to guinea pig care. The wrong diet is the most common cause of dental problems in pet guinea pigs. As with any animal, adult guinea pig size can vary based on a number of factors. Fat pads in the cheeks make examination of the molars difficult. The average life span of a guinea pig is 5 to 7 years. The camden vet hospital in san jose for example, is one of those. If your guinea pig has a broken tooth and you dont know what caused it, please see a.
But people say it is easier for them to digest if it is cracked. Guinea pig health problems illnesses symptoms treatment. Even if a problem with the incisors is caused by the molars, fixing the molar problem will likely resolve the problems with the front teeth. Guinea pigs have large, evergrowing teeth that require attention and care to keep them healthy. Usually guinea pigs chatter as a sign of discomfort, whether it be that theyre in physical pain or in a situation they dont enjoy. This evening i was inspecting the guinea pigs when i discovered that salvatore has a broken tooth, upper right.
Although it may only look like your guinea pig has two upper and two lower incisors, they actually have twenty teeth. How to treat a broken tooth on my guinea pig quora. Any guinea pig off his food is a guinea pig who has some issue. My dog broke 2 of his front small teeth, what do i do. Having experienced the hard end of the topic, i have learnt a few ways to deal with guinea pigs and their health problems, but more central to this article their teeth and eating patterns it is sometimes hard to notice at first when your guinea pig is losing weight due to malocclusion or teeth problems. We see at least one case daily, and several weekly. Provide chew toys, chew sticks and even dog biscuits to help keep your guinea pigs teeth at the proper length. He should gnaw on these kinds of blocks, which will help grind his teeth down. Theyre also durable and shouldnt need to be replaced unless they become cracked or chipped. Ive felt that the tooth is loose because it will wiggle a bit. Two nights ago i noticed that one of my pigs has a loose upper incisor. Fresh vegetables can be offered once a day and should be equivalent to about one cup total per guinea pig per day.
Incisor teeth can grow at around 3mm per week and the cheek teeth about 3mm a month. Check your guinea pigs teeth at least once a week to ensure they arent overgrown or cracked. Teeth chattering is often accompanied by the guinea pig showing its teeth, which looks like a yawn, and it means back off or stay away. A cavy living on a poor diet can be vulnerable to broken teeth, especially if the diet is deficient in vitamin c, which is essential for bone and tooth growth. The lower teeth of this guinea pig are angled inwards which can cause. Temperature the normal body temperature is 38c to 40c and should be measured rectally.
Rabbit health check rabbit health rabbits guide omlet uk. How to care for the unique needs of your old guinea pig. What are the most common teeth problems in guinea pigs. Also, they may want to file his other tooth down so that the new one doesnt make them drastically different lengths when they grow in. If you look at your guinea pigs front teeth there are 2 at the top and 2. Its important to mention that guinea pigs teeth should be white, which represents a healthy color. Pigs can pretty much eat anything that humans can eat since our digestive systems are very similar. Pebbles has a broken tooth so i tell you how i take care of her and how i feed her her veggies. Sometimes, disorders of these muscles are so severe that the guinea pig cannot eat solid food after molar trimming, and may require assisted feeding of gruel for days to weeks.
In this article, we will look at some of the most common guinea pig health problems in more detail. He will be getting a check up soon, i just wanted him home, and fully sure he hadnt got any illness which he hasnt. Guinea pig s teeth are continually being worn down as they gnaw and chew on their food so they get the best out the food they eat. I have two boys who are approx 2 years in december and wanted to know how to tell if there teeth are too long.
Guinea pigs teeth are continually being worn down as they gnaw and chew on their food so they get the best out the food they eat. The official record for the oldest guinea pig is 14 years and 10 and a half months. How to care for a guinea pig with a broken tooth youtube. Since guinea pigs do not vomit, feed witholding can be minimized or avoided. Take the guinea pig in your hands and look at his teeth. They make great companions for children too but you can find more info here about their diets, habits, and personality. Many guinea pigs with dental disease have stretching and inflammation of the muscles in the jaw. After trimming and filing the rabbit can eat again. However, broken teeth arent completely harmless for guinea pigs. The other teeth look fine, and had i not been looking in his mouth, i would not have known there was anything wrong. Apr 30, 2020 feces look like pellets and do not show any signs of blood, mucus or have a bad odour. Tooth conditions in rabbits long beach animal hospital. If they start to exhibit any symptoms of illness, such as a lack of appetite, wheezing, sneezing, crusty eyes, a hunched posture, hair.
What do ducks eat, what not to feed, and everything else you need to know. For example, if your guinea pig has dental disease, your vet will want to take skull xrays to get a better look at the teeth and jawbones. Like most other rodents, guinea pigs are prone to dental problems, including malocclusion and gingivitis. Guinea pigs can get respiratory problems like allergies and respiratory infections. Until today he has been eating a very rich diet, which included guinea pig food, hay, oranges, parsley, green peppers, and kiwis.
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