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CavySanctuary
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antipodi
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Joined: 25 Jan 2006
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Thu Apr 13, 2006 10:30 am
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Cavy Teeth Care
Guinea pigs have 20 teeth:
A pair of upper and lower incisors
No canines (instead, a gap called the diastema)
A pair of upper and lower premolars
Three pairs of upper and lower molars
A guinea pig's teeth are "open rooted" and grow continuously.
The enamel is white in color and the front teeth can be sharp. Fat pads in the cheeks make examination of the molars difficult.
Good teeth are essential to your pet's health. A nutritious diet and adequate vitamin C will help them grow strong. In a healthy guinea pig, the biting, chewing and grinding of food (especially hays, grasses, and abrasive foods) will normally keep the teeth at the proper length -- a length which varies somewhat from one guinea pig to another. Routine tooth trimming is not necessary and may interfere with your guinea pig's ability to eat.
How do I know if my guinea pig's teeth are okay?
Observe any changes in how your guinea pig eats food.
Examine the incisors regularly for breaks and irregular wear (like slanted teeth) during your weekly health check.
Weigh your cavy weekly! Weight loss can be an early indicator of problems like malocclusion. Read MORE
What kind of dental problems can guinea pigs have?
Some of the problems that require treatment are:
Elongated Roots
Malocclusion
Who can fix my pet's teeth if there's a problem?
An experienced veterinarian or animal dentist can help deal with problems that arise. Check The Academy of Veterinary Dentistry to see if there is a veterinary dentist nearby. If your vet is unfamiliar with guinea pig teeth, he/she can also consult with a veterinary dentist.
What if a tooth breaks?
Usually the teeth will grow back fine on their own and do not require clipping.
Are there genetic tooth problems?
Yes.
Some guinea pigs are born without teeth.
Some malocclusion is believed to be genetic, especially in cavies under two years of age.
And rarely, a guinea pig grows an extra set of front teeth similar to the "peg teeth" found on a rabbit. Rabbits have four incisors, two on the top, and two on the bottom. Right behind the top incisor teeth are two small peg-like teeth called auxiliary incisors or "peg teeth". --"The second set may erupt later in life. (later article in Rodent section)
What devices or tools are used on guinea pigs?
The Chin Sling can provide support for a weak jaw, encourages normal wear of the teeth, and helps build muscle. Buccal pad separators are used to examine the back teeth.
Chin Sling
Buccal Pad Separators
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Antipodi
May one day man and Animals live together in harmony and peace
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curiousorange
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Joined: 13 Apr 2006
Posts: 40
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Fri Apr 14, 2006 7:40 am
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Hi Antipodi!
I totally agree with you that is important to check guinea pig's teeth reguarly. We recently had a really sad case at the rescue. A girl rescued a pair of boars from us last year. They were quite young and had been abandoned in a garden when someone has moved house, ( Why do people do this, it makes me so mad!). Any way, we went and rescued them and they found a nice new home. They'd been rehomed for almost 1 year and I thought they're being well looked aftered and it's nice they've got a new home. The girl knocked on my door one day and said one of them "was not them selves". When I saw the poor boy, he was so much thinner than his cage mate. I asked the girl when she'd noticed her guinea pig was unwell, she replied today. This had happened over a period of several months, but she had not noticed. The boy was very poorly and weak. I took him back to the rescue with his friend to keep him company. When we checked his teeth, the back teeth had grown slightly over his tongue. His mouth was swollen at the back and it had become very painful for him to eat, and so he had become thin and weak. We trimmed and filed his teeth with the separators, we gave him some fluids, and treated him the best we could under the circumstances. He was so ill. Sadly he did not make it through the night. It was a case of it being too late unfortunately. I had the sad duty of going round to the girl's house and telling her her guinea pig had not made it. We found a new little friend for the remaining boy so that he was not lonely. I advised her to weigh her guinea pigs weekly to spot any changes earlier.
So my advice would be to check teeth and weight on a weekly basis, and to act on any weight loss or teeth problems quickly before it's too late by seeking a guinea pig experienced vet.
Love Gem.xXx
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antipodi
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Joined: 25 Jan 2006
Posts: 1141
Karma: +6 (6)
Fri Apr 14, 2006 10:19 am
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It is sad many Piggies are "lost" because we did not check them or some detail was overlooked ...
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Antipodi
May one day man and Animals live together in harmony and peace
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cutiecavies
Joined: 26 Jul 2006
Posts: 27
Karma: +2 (2)
Location: Hyde Cheshire UK
Tue Aug 22, 2006 7:33 am
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Another great post very useful 
Dawn
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antipodi
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Joined: 25 Jan 2006
Posts: 1141
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Tue Aug 22, 2006 10:23 am
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Thanx dawn I try to respond to any request and do a full search and research on the web to come up with the best answers to an requests on animal care ...sometimes the information needs clarification or vetranary backup so we should never try to think the information is 100% when it comes to our little friends lives ..as js says ALWAYS GET A SECOND OPINION...
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Antipodi
May one day man and Animals live together in harmony and peace
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cutiecavies
Joined: 26 Jul 2006
Posts: 27
Karma: +2 (2)
Location: Hyde Cheshire UK
Wed Aug 23, 2006 12:13 am
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Yes hold my piggies everyday that way I can check them over and treat anything quickly if need be
Dawn
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