With Special Thanks to Wolf
Guinea pigs’ teeth are impressive. Those tiny potatoes with feet actually have 20 teeth! Those of you who are cavy pawrents know their teeth have an important job. As unlimited hay is the diet mainstay, those teeth do a lot of chewing. So, what happens when there’s a problem with your pig’s teeth? The name for that is guinea pig malocclusions.
What Kind of Teeth do Guinea Pigs Have?
When you see your cavy's teeth, this is typically all you see.
These teeth are called upper and lower incisors. While they don’t have canine teeth (there’s a small gap where these would be), they also have upper and lower premolars and three pairs of upper and lower molars. Finally, piggie teeth never stop growing. These types of teeth are called “open rooted.”
Causes of Guinea Pig Malocclusions
"Malocclusion" just means the teeth don't line up right and interfere with the mouth working correctly. This issue can happen anywhere in their mouth. Dental problems can be genetic. Also, there may be some relation to weak muscles and ligaments in the jaw. Finally, not feeding the correct diet can contribute to dental issues.
Symptoms
Suppose your cavy isn't able to chew properly due to guinea pig malocclusions. In that case, second and third-order issues such as abscesses and elongated roosts can pop up. These problems can snowball and turn into a health emergency. While we’ve got a list of potential symptoms, all guinea pigs should have an annual wellness exam that includes checking their teeth. Your trusted exotic vet can show you what’s going on in your pig’s mouth and alleviate dental problems. As always, this article is not a substitute for taking your cavy to the vet. If you have any concerns regarding your wheeker, call your exotic vet right away.
- Trouble eating, picking at their food, or acting like something is stuck in his or her mouth.
- Weight loss. Rapid weight loss is dangerous for a few reasons, so keep an eye on that weight, and if it starts to fall, get to the vet.
- The mouth doesn't close properly or slightly hanging open.
- The Slobbers. The chin and lower jaw may be damp or even drippy.
- Exaggerated Ear Movement. This happens when the jaw muscles work extra hard to chew.
- Chewing only on one side.
- Eating slower than usual or slower than the rest of your herd.
- Inability to eat all parts of their food. For instance, does your piggie eat the apple peel as well as the softer inside part?
- Pieces of food fall out while eating.
- Act excited about eating, then not eating, picking up something in his mouth, and dropping it again without eating it?
- Nose or eye discharge.
We all do our very best to keep our cavies healthy. Even if we provide them with lots of hay and other fiber and tons of safe, natural wood toys to chew and tug, our little friends can still develop problems. That's why regular wellness and dental exams are so crucial to our furry potatoes.
The takeaway here is this: if your guinea pig isn’t eating, or isn’t eating fast enough, or isn’t eating everything on his plate, something is up, and it is time to get things checked out. You may have a guinea pig malocclusions situation on your hands. Cavies simply don’t decide to lose a few ounces for vanity’s sake…they eat! Here's to a healthy appetite and the healthy teeth to handle it! If you’ve had experience with guinea pig malocclusions, we’d love to hear about it. Please comment on our socials or email hoomans@smallpetselect.com.
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