Tips For Feeding A Piggy With Two Broken Teeth!

[CocoaandMalibu]

Hi everyone,

I haven't posted on her before so bear with me! I have a little piggy who has one bottom and one top tooth - they have chipped at the base, rather than completely lost, so I'm expecting them to grow back. I know with piggies that chipping a tooth is not too serious as they grow back, and I sought advice from a vet this morning who said I only really need to bring him in if I'm concerned about his eating or if I notice 'uneven wear'. She said it wasn't really a situation where she would suggest critical care as he's not poorly.

Piggy is eating his veg and hay, and weeing and poo-ing. He seems to have a little more trouble with his pellets, but we have been helping him and measuring how much he has so we know he gets enough! I have cut the veg into tiny pieces so he finds them easier to pick up - My question is does anybody have any tips with this type of situation?

Thanks!

 

[Jerrybelly]

You're doing absolutely right by cutting the veg into small strips - you may even want to try this with the hay, if there's any sign that he's struggling. If there is difficulty with the pellets, you could try soaking them in some hot water to soften them. You could then see how he gets on with this on his own, or try offering him the soaked pellets off the back of a spoon.

Hopefully they won't take too long to grow back. In the meantime, it would be a good idea to weigh him daily, just to make sure that he is eating enough to maintain his weight.

PS) Hello and welcome to the Forum! Please add your general location to your profile, as it will help us to offer more tailored advice. Also, feel free to share some pictures of your boy. We'd love to see them!

 

[CocoaandMalibu]

Hi, thankyou for your kind reply! He started eating pellets yesterday by himself, and he gobbled up the whole plate of veg we gave him too! I'm so happy he is eating by himself, as we tried the mashed pellets and he wasn't a fan of that so I was beginning to panic a bit! Thankyou for the advice, I'll keep an eye on his weight! I will also see If I can find a photo of my boys to post - I have four little piggies and a bunny and they are all very cute!

Thanks!

 

[7squeakers.]

Hello, CocoaandMalibu! Welcome to the Forum! Sounds like you are doing a good job.
My little girl, Beano, lost both of her bottom incisors when she was very young; the result of an accident (my fault!) My Vet suggested soaking her pellets in warm water to make them easier for her to eat. This I did, but she never touched them! She just continued to eat perfectly normally and never had a problem. The incisors started to grow back within three days.

 

[MintyAndGarry (TEAS)]

I'm not sure which nuggets you are using at the moment, but the Harringtons, Excel Blackcurrant and Oregano and also the P@H ones are much smaller than the standard nugget size, so may be easier for your boy to manage, should he struggle at any point. Seems he's doing OK for himself though - it does sometimes take a couple of days for them to get used to the new 'feel' of their mouths.