Chipped teeth

[WombleandBear]

My boar Bear has been chewing bars relentlessly as Womble (sow who lives next-door) is in heat. I tried to block off the pen bars with a blanket and bulldog clips but he would just bite the clips and burrow under the blanket. Today he was bar biting again but there was a sudden noise of something ricocheting off the metal which had me concerned, but he didn't seem bothered. This evening he was enjoying some chin scratches and I realised that both his upper and lower left incisors are chipped. I'm really not sure what to do. I don't know if theres a way they can naturally be worn down to normal or if I need to take him to the vet to get them checked out and trimmed.

I think for the long term I'm going to have to move him out of my room and away from Womble. I didn't want it to get to this stage because I didn't want her to be completely alone but I feel like he's just going to get himself hurt bar chewing and trying to get to her.

 

[Piggylove82]

I'm sorry to hear about Bear. I have no experience of chipped teeth.

Even if you move him out of your room, your pigs will still need companionship of their own kind.

 

[Chaz]

My first piggie had something like that, and I had to go to the vets.

 

[WombleandBear]

I'm sorry to hear about Bear. I have no experience of chipped teeth.

Even if you move him out of your room, your pigs will still need companionship of their own kind.

I know they do, When i first got Womble and Bear I thought that they were both boys, so when i realised Womble was pregnant I was shocked. She had two baby boys and they now live with Bear. I hate keeping her by herself but due to lockdown I can't get Bear neutered as its not seen as essential. As soon as lockdown ends i'm getting him to the vet. However when the babies come of age I'm concerned they'll start to do it too.

 

[WombleandBear]

My first piggie had something like that, and I had to go to the vets.

I'll get him to the vets

 

[Piggies&buns]

I know they do, When i first got Womble and Bear I thought that they were both boys, so when i realised Womble was pregnant I was shocked. She had two baby boys and they now live with Bear. I hate keeping her by herself but due to lockdown I can't get Bear neutered as its not seen as essential. As soon as lockdown ends i'm getting him to the vet. However when the babies come of age I'm concerned they'll start to do it too.

Yes, do take him to the vet. Can he still pick up food? That is what they use the incisors for, so do ensure he is still able to pick up hay properly?

What do you mean by when they come of age you’re concerned they will do it too? Do you mean bar biting? As I know you know, the two babies will not be able to live with bear indefinitely hence why you are getting him neutered and bonding him back with Womble. Baby boys who grow up around females are sometimes less affected by female hormones, but there is a chance that if the two boys can smell her that they may have problems. If you could stack their cages so that bear and Womble can be at the bottom and the young boar pair be at the top, then that can help as womble’s smell will not be able to fall downwards onto the boar pair.

 

[WombleandBear]

Yes, do take him to the vet. Can he still pick up food? That is what they use the incisors for, so do ensure he is still able to pick up hay properly?

What do you mean by when they come of age you’re concerned they will do it too? Do you mean bar biting? As I know you know, the two babies will not be able to live with bear indefinitely hence why you are getting him neutered and bonding him back with Womble. Baby boys who grow up around females are sometimes less affected by female hormones, but there is a chance that if the two boys can smell her that they may have problems. If you could stack their cages so that bear and Womble can be at the bottom and the young boar pair be at the top, then that can help as womble’s smell will not be able to fall downwards onto the boar pair.

I hand fed him some finely sliced veg this morning and he seems able to eat it fine. His teeth aren't wobbly and the gums look fine.

I'm concerned about the babies getting to their teenage months and they begin to bar bite and be distressed by Womble when she's on heat. My mum suggested neutering them as well.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I hand fed him some finely sliced veg this morning and he seems able to eat it fine. His teeth aren't wobbly and the gums look fine.

I'm concerned about the babies getting to their teenage months and they begin to bar bite and be distressed by Womble when she's on heat. My mum suggested neutering them as well.

Neutering the babies won’t do anything to change their behaviour. It’ll only prevent pregnancies so if the aren’t going to live with a female each, then there is no need to neuter the babies - it simply won’t stop them from being affected by a female smell.

The other option is keeping the boar babies in a totally separate room to Womble and bear.
It’s not just when she is in heat though, for a bonded pair of boys, being able to smell a sow at all can cause their relationship to fail as they fight over the smell of the female. It doesn’t always happen but it is always something to bear in mind

 

[Siikibam]

I would actually wait until they're in their teenage months and see which two get on best then neuter the third one.

 

[Piggies&buns]

^ Yes! There is no guarantee that the two siblings will get on long term. It may be that one of the babies and bear get on better and then the other baby is neutered and bonded back with Womble

 

[LMPigs]

Our Toasty actually broke his bottom incisors, we think by bar biting (he was in the care of a friend while we were away and we came back to a partially toothless piggy. She is no longer invited to guinea sit!). He had some trouble picking up veg but seemed still able to manage hay and pellets. As we didn't notice any weight loss at all, we left it alone, cut his veggies into smaller pieces for a while, and waited for them to grow back.

If he is clearly unable to get food into his mouth that's an emergency and you should take him to the vet. If it seems like he is still eating normally I would switch to daily weigh ins (at the same time each day) as that is the only way to be sure how much they are eating. If his weight remains stable, you could take a watch and wait approach. You will need to keep an eye on his incisors to be sure they are getting back into shape, and have a cavy savvy vet have a look if you are unsure, but this could probably wait until vets are open for regular appointments if everything else is going well.