• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Piggy Check-over

Status
Not open for further replies.
squeeksmom

squeeksmom

Joined
Jan 13, 2011
Messages
491
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
South Africa
When I check my piggies over, I do the usual fur check for mites and other nasties, ears for soreness, feet, bum fur, eyes, and front teeth. Does anyone check the back teeth? How do you do it? I'm constantly worried that their back teeth might get overgrown without me noticing.
I will be taking them to the vet next week for a check-up, as they have never been before (Squeek is 11months, and Toffe almost 3 months)
I was just wondering if I could check the teeth myself.
 
I don't think you can unless you have the utensils to open the mouth and look as they're quite far back. Maybe just get the vet to have a peek n see if they're ok, and if they are they should be fine if you provide hay to wear them down. I think you'd know if something was wrong as guineas will stop eating/loose weight/ no be able to hold food /show interest but not eat if they had teeth issues.
 
usually if there is a problem with the molars, the incisors could be long to indicate this problem.

Its very hard to check the back teeth though without something like a Buccal Pad Separator.

Usually if the guinea pig starts to dribble / stops eating / struggles to eat - then problems with the teeth have already been going on and these signs start to show when its becoming quite bad.
 
Thank you all for the advice. I think I am too over-concerned about their welfare.
I'm a first-time piggy owner and do not want to miss anything because of inexperience.
My friend who owns rats have reccomended this vet we are going to, so she shoud also be cavvy savvy.
 
squeeksmom said:
Thank you all for the advice. I think I am too over-concerned about their welfare.
I'm a first-time piggy owner and do not want to miss anything because of inexperience.
My friend who owns rats have reccomended this vet we are going to, so she shoud also be cavvy savvy.
Click to expand...

I'm glad you have a good vet :) I'm glad you are constantly making sure your piggies are healthy! My first ever piggy, Fred, actually lived the longest out of all my piggies :))

If the back teeth are overgrown, the piggy will start drooling and trying to eat, but not succeeding. My piggy Smores had this :(
 
I worry about teeth all the time after losing a pig to maloccluded teeth and abscess in the tooth roots and jawbone. Unfortunately, much as I harass my two very tolerant girls, I can never get a clear look at the back teeth. I do check their front incisors weekly to make sure that they are level and not overgrown (with Frenzy, the pig we lost, by the time she had serious problems in her back teeth we could see that the front teeth were not meeting evenly... unfortunately, though, it was too late to help her.) I also make sure that I watch both of them eat to make sure they are chewing normally and not having visible difficulties with their food. And I weigh them weekly, so if someone goes noticeable off their food I'll catch it earlier rather than later.
 
Normally piggies mouths are full fo "green gunk" so vets can;t see anything LOL

If you are intending to have your piggies teeth checked (especially the molars) then 10 mins before you leave for the appointment you need to firstly feed cucumber to cleanse the mouth and then at the last minute carefully syringe wash (with a couple of mls of water with a 1ml syringe) to clear out the cucumber skin/anything else wihtin the oral cavity. Do NOT put any type of hay/veg etc in the pet carrier (but take something with you to feed afterwards)

That way it should be much easier for your vet to see what's going on and therefore less likely they will insist on piggie coming back in for a dental inspection under GA (and second consultancy fee)

HTH
x
 
Pebble said:
Normally piggies mouths are full fo "green gunk" so vets can;t see anything LOL

If you are intending to have your piggies teeth checked (especially the molars) then 10 mins before you leave for the appointment you need to firstly feed cucumber to cleanse the mouth and then at the last minute carefully syringe wash (with a couple of mls of water with a 1ml syringe) to clear out the cucumber skin/anything else wihtin the oral cavity. Do NOT put any type of hay/veg etc in the pet carrier (but take something with you to feed afterwards)

That way it should be much easier for your vet to see what's going on and therefore less likely they will insist on piggie coming back in for a dental inspection under GA (and second consultancy fee)

HTH
x
Click to expand...

Pebble's, just a quick question. I know all about the green gunk in there mouth. What my vet always does is rinse their mouths before looking, and they can drink or spit the water out but it seems to clean there mouth nicely so he can see whats going on. Do you know if alot of vets do this?
 
flintstones said:
Pebble's, just a quick question. I know all about the green gunk in there mouth. What my vet always does is rinse their mouths before looking, and they can drink or spit the water out but it seems to clean there mouth nicely so he can see whats going on. Do you know if alot of vets do this?
Click to expand...

Ahem......I shall try and control myself :{rolleyesdrool;)

Flintstones! :<>......Bloomin' 'eck......You lucky mare! (No offence intended)

I have NEVER met a vet who does this ...you lucky lucky lady...

..so I think your (obviously magnifico) vet needs ever-so- carefully looking after...(even "cherishing" ;))

....so what are you planning to give them for Xmas this coming year? :(|)

Does this answer your question? :(|)

Hugs Hun - hope you;re doing OK?
x
 
[/QUOTE]
Hugs Hun - hope you;re doing OK?
x[/QUOTE]

Pebbles I already knew I had a good one, Can't remember ever coming out the vets thinking they really know what they are talking about until I met him he is SO GOOD!

We all give him pressies and send new piggy customers his way! xx>>>

Me and my HEALTHY piggies are fabulous, in good health! xx>>>
 
Hugs Hun - hope you;re doing OK?
x[/QUOTE]

Pebbles I already knew I had a good one, Can't remember ever coming out the vets thinking they really know what they are talking about until I met him he is SO GOOD!

We all give him pressies and send new piggy customers his way! xx>>>

Me and my HEALTHY piggies are fabulous, in good health! xx>>>[/QUOTE]

Oh wow......I am so pleased to hear this :<>:<>

Congrats on achieving what most of us piggie slaves can only dream of....a proper cavy savvy vet....(I am about to "educate" my vet on the "dental inspection pre-preparation" regime we have just talked about:(|)

x
 
Congrats on achieving what most of us piggie slaves can only dream of....a proper cavy savvy vet....(I am about to "educate" my vet on the "dental inspection pre-preparation" regime we have just talked about:(|) x[/QUOTE said:
I will be sure to also mention this when the new vet checks the piggies :))
Click to expand...
 
flintstones said:
Pebbles I already knew I had a good one, Can't remember ever coming out the vets thinking they really know what they are talking about until I met him he is SO GOOD!

We all give him pressies and send new piggy customers his way! xx>>>
Click to expand...

Here here! I am one of the new customers sent that way and cannot agree more about how good he is x>>

xx
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top