Why does my guinea pig have broken teeth?
A Medical and Care Guide for Guinea Pigs. Broken teeth can be the result of a fall, injury or accident. 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.
When do you need to trim a guinea pig’s teeth?
“In the rare occasion of a pig suffering from malocclusion of the front teeth or if the tooth is deeply broken off – trimming of the opposing teeth may be necessary. In a healthy pig with a normal break – trimming is usually not necessary. Unless your guinea pig has misaligned teeth or some other problem – this is not needed.
What are the back teeth of a guinea pig called?
A guinea pig’s back teeth are called ‘cheek teeth’. They are a lot harder to examine as they sit quite far back in your pet’s mouth.
Can you file teeth on a guinea pig without anaesthetic?
If any of the teeth need to be filed, this can be done without the use of any general anaesthetic. Vets don’t like using anaesthetic on guinea pigs because it is risky and it does take the animal a lot longer to recover.
What happens if your guinea pig broke his teeth?
If your guinea pig breaks one of their teeth, the tooth will grow back within two to three weeks . This is because guinea pigs have open-rooted teeth that keep growing throughout their lifetimes. However, broken teeth aren’t completely harmless for guinea pigs. If the edge of the broken tooth is jagged and sharp, it may cut your pig’s delicate oral tissues, leading to sores or even infections.
Do guinea pig’s loose their teeth?
It is not normal for a guinea pig to lose teeth; you should have him checked by the vet if he has any missing or loose teeth. If your guinea pig is not getting the right nutrition it is possible for his teeth to become loose or fall out. A lack of vitamin C can cause scurvy.
Are guinea pigs teeth supposed to fall out?
Guinea pig don’t have baby teeth that fall out to give way for adult teeth. Instead, your guinea pig has a set of teeth in the front and a set along his cheeks that are always growing. While they’re not supposed to fall out, if they do, they’ll grow back. Your guinea pig is born with the teeth he will have for his entire life.
Why do guinea pigs grind teeth?
Pain Signals. One reason a guinea pig might grind his teeth is a reaction to pain. In the wild, ill or injured guinea pigs are easy prey, so they tend to try to hide obvious symptoms as much as possible. Oftentimes, the only signs a guinea pig is seriously ill are subtle cues like teeth grinding and weight loss.
