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Tooth Problem? Unsure, Please Advise.

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piglet_and_rogers_mama

piglet_and_rogers_mama

Adult Guinea Pig
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To be perfectly honest, I have never really paid that much attention to my pigs' teeth, for a couple of reasons. One, I never had real reason to believe that any of them had problems; no excessive drooling, noticeable eating problems, etc. And two, I have to practically bargain with God to get them to sit still long enough to cut their nails, let alone routinely check their teeth. Anyway, yesterday I did look at Piglet's teeth, and it seems that one of his bottom teeth are "split" in two. Not in the sense that there is a break; it almost appears as though the bottom front tooth has a long "crack?" right down the center to the bottom. Like I said, no noticeable behavior changes. He also hasn't sustained any injuries to his mouth that I am aware of. Could this be genetic? Or does this sound like a medical problem? I could try to get a picture, but it will definitely be difficult. He has always eaten less than the other two, but not so much that he seemed ill. Could he have had problems for a while now and I not known? If that's the case I will feel terrible. Thoughts?
 
Guinea pig's front incisors do look like they are split down the middle, but the top and bottom teeth should look the same. Have a look at this link: http://www.guinealynx.info/teeth.html
It is not uncommon for guinea pigs to break their teeth, but unless they have suffered irreparable damage then they will grow back. Do the teeth look even? Are there any jagged edges which may indicate a break?
 
He may have cracked his tooth by biting down on something hard, like bars... I would keep an eye on the tooth and gums, in case it splinters, but hopefully, it will grow out again fairly quickly.
 
Thank you. I watched very closely as he ate green pepper (OH held him up so I could watch closely) and he didn't seem to have any issues. Would a tooth problem limit his pellet intake? He doesn't go through as much as the other two do. I'm going to try to get another look at his teeth, and possibly a picture later, just to double check. I'd just hate to put him through the stress and anxiety of a vet visit if it isn't necessary; but i obviously will take him if he needs it. Thanks for the info :)
 
You can switch the pellets to mushed up pellets for the time being if you are worried. Make up a new lot twice daily as they tend to go off rather quickly. Otherwise, he should not be impacted, but I would swtich to weighing daily at the same time in order to be safe. The daily variance can be up to 30g/1 oz.
 
Warm is always very luxurious my pigs love it as a treat !
 
Upon further inspection, in seems like he has a small chip in his bottom right incisor. I will keep an eye on him, but right now it doesn't seem to be affecting him. Thanks for the input!
 
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