Dental problems in guinea pigs

• Milk teeth in guinea pigs are still changing … in the womb! Where do milk teeth go? Embryos swallow them. And by the time of birth, the embryos form a complete set of teeth.

• Guinea pigs are born with 2 incisors, 6 molars and 2 false molars in each jaw. These animals do not have fangs.

• If the molars remain the same length throughout life, then the incisors grow without stopping, by about 1,5 mm per week! And here the problems begin. In order for the incisors to grind down in time in a natural way, the guinea pig needs the right balanced diet. What happens without timely grinding? The incisors continue to grow and grow far beyond their normal length. In this case, injury to the oral cavity is the least of the troubles.

Misalignment of the teeth, caused by the impossibility of grinding, is called malocclusion. This is a serious disease. Without timely intervention, the mumps will not even be able to eat and will die.

Malocclusion provokes:

• damage to the oral mucosa,

• malocclusion,

• abscesses in the gums

• increased salivation,

• edema,

• purulent discharge from the nose and eyes,

• loss of hair on the muzzle and neck.

A guinea pig whose teeth have grown too much is physically unable to eat. She becomes weak and lethargic and begins to lose weight. If no action is taken, the pig will die.

With a timely appeal to a veterinarian, almost all dental problems are solved quite simply. Overgrown teeth are shortened to the optimal length in just a few minutes. But any veterinary procedure is a strong stress for a sensitive rodent. Therefore, it is better not to introduce them into regular practice, but to prevent the regrowth of teeth from the very beginning.

In nature, guinea pig teeth wear down naturally. Why doesn’t this happen when living in an apartment? The problem may be in an unbalanced diet.

The basis of the guinea pig’s diet should be high-quality hay. In addition to hay, the pig needs to be given tree branches and ready-made feed in granules specially for pigs. For example, Micropills Guinea Pigs contains quartz to help grind teeth.

A balanced diet helps the incisors wear down in a timely manner.

Another measure for the prevention of tooth regrowth in rodents is a mineral stone. It must be placed in a cage. It will not only help the teeth grind down, but also become a source of useful substances for the body.

With the right approach, maintaining the health of pets is quite simple. Create the correct conditions of detention and keep the contacts of a veterinary specialist at hand just in case. We hope your guinea pig will delight you with its gigantic health and well-being for many years to come!