Guinea Pig Teeth Grinding When Eating
A guinea pig 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.
Guinea pig teeth grinding when eating. The teeth being ground are the cheek teeth and they may become worn. If these become overgrown the guinea pig will have trouble eating will lose weight and may slobber. They have incisors in the front which are the sharp teeth you can see. My guinea pig isn t eating.
It may occur in animals with gastric ulceration torsions heart disease pleuropneumonia or broken limbs. In some circumstances it may be a feature of boredom in stalled animals. A guinea pig s teeth grow throughout its life. A guinea pig s teeth will grow their whole lives which means you can end up with a piggy with pretty long teeth.
Unlike humans this refers to a loss of appetite. Teeth clipping grinding should not be the first line of defence against these problems but where other management options have proven to be ineffective your veterinary surgeon may recommend blunting the tips of these teeth either by clipping or grinding. In a healthy guinea pig the biting chewing and grinding of food especially hays grasses and abrasive foods will normally keep the teeth at the proper length a length which varies somewhat from one guinea pig to another guinea lynx adds. If your guinea pig s appetite changes it is most likely due to dental problems.
Guinea pig teeth have to line up with one another so your pet can eat properly. Tooth grinding is usually an indicator of pain in the pig and occurs in animals with serious internal injuries or disease. They also have molars in the back of their mouths that you cannot see. Malocclusion also known as poor bite is caused by misaligned teeth.
Where clipping or grinding is recommended a unit specific policy must be developed which identifies which individuals litters or batches. Watch to make sure the remaining teeth do not get so long that they touch the gums or skin of the mouth. If your pet has lost appetite has troubles eating or is slobbering these are all early signs of the malocclusion. This can often spiral into other health problems and your guinea pig can get very ill.
In guinea pigs this is a common occurrence as their teeth grow continuously. Dental problems especially overgrown incisors or molars are a frequent cause of gi problems in guinea pigs. If the incisors grow past their lips they re too long. Making sure you recognize the symptoms of overgrown teeth will help you get.
Without being able to eat a guinea pig can develop gi stasis. Sometimes guinea pigs can stop eating altogether due to dental issues. This poor guinea pig was hit with a double whammy extra front teeth that are also overgrown. Once you noticed any of these symptoms you need to contact your vet.
The teeth of a normal healthy guinea pig should grow back just fine. Malocclusion is the technical term given when teeth are incorrectly aligned and cause bite problems.