How do you tell if your guinea pig has teeth problems?
Signs that your guinea pig is having tooth problems include lowered appetite and hence stools, mouth sensitivity, redness of the gums, and long teeth. Almost always the cheek teeth are also affected.
Are guinea pigs teeth constantly growing?
Ever Growing Teeth Guinea pigs’ teeth are unique in that they don’t stop growing. Their teeth, particularly their front teeth, will continue to elongate if left unchecked.
How fast do guinea pig teeth grow?
All of these animals have open-rooted teeth, meaning that their teeth will grow continuously throughout life. A normal rabbit’s incisors will grow 10-12 cm a year, while guinea pig and chinchilla incisors can grow 5-7.5 cm a year.
What does a healthy guinea pig look like?
Look at the guinea pig’s overall body condition. A guinea pig should be neither fat nor skinny, with no swelling, lumps, or bumps. The guinea pig’s coat should be well-groomed (full, fluffy, and smooth looking), with no bare patches. Avoid guinea pigs with bald patches or red patches of skin.
Do guinea pig bites hurt?
Guinea pigs are docile animals, and rarely bite without cause. These are not hard bites, though, and don’t hurt. It’s not aggression, just curiosity. Guinea pigs only use their teeth aggressively if they feel under threat – they are their only means of defence.
Can you brush a guinea pig’s teeth?
Guinea pigs’ teeth don’t need to be brushed at home or cleaned by a veterinarian regularly; however, guinea pigs that do not eat hay and simply eat crumbly, dry pellets do not wear down their teeth properly and frequently develop tooth root impaction (like wisdom tooth impaction in people) which leads to pain on …
Can guinea pigs live 10 years?
The average guinea pig lifespan is between five to eight years, though particularly pampered and healthy animals can reach ten years or more. This is much longer than other small mammal pets like hamsters, mice, and rats, but shorter than animals like dogs or cats.
What makes a guinea pig have good teeth?
“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.
What is the dental formula for a guinea pig?
Dental formula for guinea pigs and chinchillas; 2(I1/1 C0/0 PM1/1 M3/3) = 20. I stands for incisor teeth. C stands for canine teeth. PM stands for premolar cheek teeth. M stands for molar cheek teeth. The formula is designated as fractions to indicate the upper and lower dental arcades.
What causes malocclusion in a guinea pig teeth?
This dynamic (changing) relationship between the upper and lower teeth can result in malocclusion development. In the guinea pig, the growth rate of these aradicular hypsodont teeth may not be equal with the eruption rate. This results in greater curvature of the cheek teeth.
What happens if you don’t care for your guinea pig?
Without proper tooth care, guinea pigs can develop cuts, sores, abscesses or overlong teeth that interfere with eating. When handling your guinea pig, check on his teeth and see how things are looking.