1GuineaPig1
Teenage Guinea Pig
I was just wondering, I heard that you need to check your guinea pig's teeth regularly, but I was wondering... How do you get them to open their mouths?
Dental?
- Thread starter 1GuineaPig1
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No need to look in your piggies mouths, You tend to know if their are issues as piggies stop eating and masticate with their mouths if the have dental issues. This always needs checking by a vet if that happens. We have had 2 dental piggies out of 8 and first sign was not eating and making over exaggerated motions with mouth when eating
Looking into the mouth is a very unpleasant experience, and most piggies don't like. Especially as you have to clean out the mouth from the gunk with a cotton bud to get a look at the back teeth!
What you can look out for during your weekly heath check and weigh-in:
Are the self-sharpening front teeth even? if there is a sudden slant or or notches from uneven chewing, it is usually down to the pre-molars adn uneven chewing. Slow weight loss, slower eating/chewing, no longer eating hay, picking up veg but letting it fall and dribbling are signs of dental problems.
What you can look out for during your weekly heath check and weigh-in:
Are the self-sharpening front teeth even? if there is a sudden slant or or notches from uneven chewing, it is usually down to the pre-molars adn uneven chewing. Slow weight loss, slower eating/chewing, no longer eating hay, picking up veg but letting it fall and dribbling are signs of dental problems.
It's pretty much impossible to see those back molars without special equipment (and pigs don't enjoy it that much either!) You would do better to check for other signs of overgrown teeth, like drooling, not eating, or making faces when they chew (they will pull their lips back in an exaggerated way when chewing- not just occasionally if something gets stuck, but regularly.) Really, the best thing you can do in terms of checking their teeth is to monitor their weight, as pigs with dental issues will lose weight.
What I do with my pigs (one of whom has had dental issues and one of whom hasn't) is to peek at the front teeth once a week or so (this is pretty easy to do, as you can see the front teeth if you look at your pig's mouth at eye level or slightly below.) I also run my hangs gently along the ridge of their lower jawbones to feel for any lumps, bumps, or tenderness (as abscesses often present as a swelling along the jawline.) Hope this helps!
What I do with my pigs (one of whom has had dental issues and one of whom hasn't) is to peek at the front teeth once a week or so (this is pretty easy to do, as you can see the front teeth if you look at your pig's mouth at eye level or slightly below.) I also run my hangs gently along the ridge of their lower jawbones to feel for any lumps, bumps, or tenderness (as abscesses often present as a swelling along the jawline.) Hope this helps!
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