Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Are guinea pigs supposed to lose their teeth?

Oh my gosh, my guinea pig's teeth had gotten too long, and today i looked at them to discover- her bottom teeth are completely missing! Her top teeth are still there, but this is my first guinea pig and I am afraid this is not normal! Will they grow back? Are they gone for good?


Please help!

Are guinea pigs supposed to lose their teeth?
*Make sure he has plenty of things to chew on*


Broken teeth can be the result of a fall, injury or accident. A cavy living on a poor diet can be vulnerable to broken teeth, especially if the diet is deficient in vitamin C, which is essential for bone and tooth growth.


The teeth of a normal healthy guinea pig should grow back just fine. Watch to make sure the remaining teeth do not get so long that they touch the gums or skin of the mouth. If the tooth has broken far down, leaving a hole, and the gum is bloody, periodically flush any food out of the hole and keep it clean with a luke-warm mild saline solution (a teaspoon of common salt dissolved in a pint of warm water will work fine).





WHAT YOU CAN DO


Food: Make absolutely sure your cavy is still able to eat. Cutting food into smaller pieces or feeding by hand may be necessary. If your cavy is unable to use a water bottle, offer liquids by syringe and adequate vegetables and fruits to insure he gets enough water.


Do not arbitrarily clip a cavy's remaining teeth too early or too severely as it can make eating on his own very difficult. Clipping teeth will interfere with his ability to "rip, tear and grasp" food.





Vitamin C: Tooth loss can be aggravated by vitamin C deficiency (scurvy). Ensure that your cavy is getting enough vitamin C by providing a quarter of a 100mg chewable tablet or 25 to 30 mg liquid vitamin C. Vitamin C promotes good bone growth, strong teeth, and healing.





WHEN TO SEE A VET


You may wish to contact a veterinarian if:





The break is ragged.


The opposing teeth begin to curve inward and contact the mouth (possible if most of the tooth and root was lost)





An experienced exotics veterinarian can trim a ragged tooth if needed or slightly clip the remaining teeth if they begin to grow inward. If you suspect any other problem (infection, apparent pain when eating) be sure to see your vet right away.
Reply:the teeth of a guinea pig grow permanent. so you need to bring it to the vet and let the teeth cut in a regular basis.you can help from growing to fast with hard food .hay and stuff like that





Conditions Requiring Veterinary Attention


Malocclusion of Premolar Teeth (Slobbers)


A common problem of guinea pigs (especially those over 3 years old) results when the upper and lower premolar teeth (the most forward cheek teeth) meet improperly while chewing. In time, this problem results in abnormal wear of these teeth. This in turn causes entrapment of and continual injury to the tongue. Affected animals try to eat but cannot chew and swallow food. Drooling results in a continually moist mouth and chin. Weight loss is often dramatic.


A veterinarian must be consulted as soon as possible if this condition is suspected. The diagnosis is confirmed upon direct visual examination of the mouth. Correction of the problem involves general anesthesia and aggressive trimming or filing of the overgrown teeth. This is a difficult procedure because of the guinea pig's extremely small mouth opening. Forced feedings and antibiotics are usually necessary for a number of days before and after this procedure has been performed.





There is no permanent solution or correction for this problem. Periodic trimming or filing is almost always necessary. Guinea pigs with this problem should never be bred so as to prevent passing this most undesirable trait to their offspring.








here is the complete link


http://www.ahc.umn.edu/rar/MNAALAS/GPig....
Reply:Guinea pigs teeth are continually growing. the idea is that the top teeth get worn down on the bottom teeth (or whatever is in between) they will chew on things to wear their teeth from instinct so they need to be provided some thing ( a chew stick or mineral block from a pet shop) they can chew on ,if it is not there they will pick something to chew on usually the cage bars. this is dangerous as they may break a tooth off (this may be your case) and the other teeth then grow to long. don't worry the lower teeth will (should) grow back out but you may have to have a vet trim the upper teeth to even them out
Reply:This is normal when guinea pigs dont have anything to chew on and keep thier teeth down; Yes they will grow back, their teeth will grow constantly for the rest of their lives just like their nails. For future reference you should deffinatly get him some little wood chips or a toilet paper roll; (anything cardboard "shoeboxes") This will help keep his teeth down and prevent them from breaking off again.


Hope i could help :}



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