Teeth

[Ritika]

Hello
I ll put some pics down here
I was just curious because I think my piggy lower teeth looks so big
Are they the right size for a 7 month old piggy?

 

[Claire W]

Looks normal to me. Piggies lower incisors are quite long bit if you’re concerned, I’d book a vet visit

 

[Ritika]

Looks normal to me. Piggies lower incisors are quite long bit if you’re concerned, I’d book a vet visit

Thank u

 

[Wiebke]

Hello
I ll put some pics down here
I was just curious because I think my piggy lower teeth looks so big
Are they the right size for a 7 month old piggy?
View attachment 128422View attachment 128423View attachment 128423

The lower incisors always look too long to the uninitiated! Beware of the vet who clips lower front teeth for overgrowth without looking at what is going on at the back - they have no clue what they are doing!

In a working dental system the 4 incisors at the front that are responsible for picking up and cutting any food are self-sharpening against each other and do not need any treatment whatsoever - it will only prevent the teeth from doing their job. The chewing is happening on the molars and premolars in the back. They grow continuously and at a very fast rate for any rodents because they have evolved against the highly abrasive silica in hay and grass (which are actually high in vitamin C!), which is what guinea pigs have developed on and which should still make the mainstay of their diet (over 80% of the daily food intake). You can cut out any other food group for a little while if necessary but not hay because both the back teeth and the digestive system are laid out to digest hay, hay and more hay. Too much fresh food and too many pellets or fat and sugary treats can easily derail the microbiome and cause diarrhea, bloat or GI stasis.

If the back teeth start growing spurs that trap the tongue or more rarely grow painfully into the cheek wall from too much soft food in their diet, misalignment or uneven chewing caused by toothache/pain in the jaw, then this will often show up in the incisors at the front.
They should be nice and even. If they are slanted or jagged, then there is a pain/uneven chewing issue either in one of the incisors or in one of the back teeth. If the incisors are starting to point inwards, then the back teeth have grown spurs and your piggy is no longer able to chew or close their mouth properly. Looking at the front teeth during the weekly health check is a good idea - it can give you a bit of a status update what happens at the back.

In your specific case, the upper incisors have a litte gap and are not quite neatly aligned, so the bite is looking a little uneven. This is however just the 'normal' for your piggy and nothing to worry about. You may want to check for food getting stuck between the upper incisors though as there is a greater risk.

I hope that that answers your question and helps you to learn what is normal and what not for your piggies?

 

[Ritika]

The lower incisors always look too long to the uninitiated! Beware of the vet who clips lower front teeth for overgrowth without looking at what is going on at the back - they have no clue what they are doing!

In a working dental system the 4 incisors at the front that are responsible for picking up and cutting any food are self-sharpening against each other and do not need any treatment whatsoever - it will only prevent the teeth from doing their job. The chewing is happening on the molars and premolars in the back. They grow continuously and at a very fast rate for any rodents because they have evolved against the highly abrasive silica in hay and grass (which are actually high in vitamin C!), which is what guinea pigs have developed on and which should still make the mainstay of their diet (over 80% of the daily food intake). You can cut out any other food group for a little while if necessary but not hay because both the back teeth and the digestive system are laid out to digest hay, hay and more hay. Too much fresh food and too many pellets or fat and sugary treats can easily derail the microbiome and cause diarrhea, bloat or GI stasis.

If the back teeth start growing spurs that trap the tongue or more rarely grow painfully into the cheek wall from too much soft food in their diet, misalignment or uneven chewing caused by toothache/pain in the jaw, then this will often show up in the incisors at the front.
They should be nice and even. If they are slanted or jagged, then there is a pain/uneven chewing issue either in one of the incisors or in one of the back teeth. If the incisors are starting to point inwards, then the back teeth have grown spurs and your piggy is no longer able to chew or close their mouth properly. Looking at the front teeth during the weekly health check is a good idea - it can give you a bit of a status update what happens at the back.

In your specific case, the upper incisors have a litte gap and are not quite neatly aligned, so the bite is looking a little uneven. This is however just the 'normal' for your piggy and nothing to worry about. You may want to check for food getting stuck between the upper incisors though as there is a greater risk.

I hope that that answers your question and helps you to learn what is normal and what not for your piggies?

Yes wiebke when I do their weekly check up I check their incisors too and pick out any food stuck between them to avoid fungal growth near mouth area. Your information was really helpful thank u ❤