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How do guinea pigs get dental disease?

How do guinea pigs get dental disease?

Guinea pigs with poor access to sunlight, or on diets with low calcium and vitamin D, will develop softening of the bones. Normal chewing pressure can then cause the tooth alignment to alter, leading to dental disease. 3. Vitamin C deficiency.

What causes cheilitis in guinea pigs?

Coarse, fibrous hay or sharp pieces of pelleted feed may cause trauma to the corners of the mouth, allowing bacteria and fungi to gain entry opportunistically via abrasions. Common opportunistic organisms isolated from cheilitis lesions include Staphylococcus spp. and Candida albicans, among others.

What happens if a guinea pig has bad teeth?

The mandibular (bottom jaw) cheek teeth are often the worst affected, and they can get so bad that they can grow over and totally ‘entrap’ the tongue. This prevents the tongue from moving normally, which means the guinea pig cannot eat properly.

Where are the molars on a guinea pig?

As guinea pigs don’t have canine, the space of those is empty, followed by the premolars. However, if they are visible, then it means there is a problem. The molars are located at the far end of the mouth, and they are not visible to us. However, they are usually smaller and allows guinea pigs to close their mouth comfortably.

How long does it take for guinea pig’s tooth to grow back?

Fortunately, you don’t need to worry about this with your guinea pig. If your guinea pig breaks one of their teeth, the tooth will grow back within two to three weeks.

How can I keep my guinea pig’s teeth in shape?

Thus, even in captivity, we must provide lots of hay, chew toys, and safe/solid wood blocks or tree branches to keep our guinea pigs teeth in shape. Some guinea pigs might have longer teeth even after foraging lots of hay and chewing those chew toys.

Why do guinea pigs have so many teeth?

Why do guinea pigs have long teeth? Guinea pig’s teeth continue to grow due to the diet and living conditions of the guinea pigs. Wild guinea pigs used to get a lot of hay, some flowers, hardwood chips, and twigs as food.

What can I do about my guinea pig’s overgrown teeth?

Preventing Overgrown Teeth Include enough rough food in your guinea pig’s diet. Guinea pigs spend a lot of time eating, and they chew quite a bit. Give your guinea pig chew toys. There are special types of chew toys that help your guinea pig keep their teeth filed down. Let your guinea pig chew on wood.

Can a guinea pig have a molar malocclusion?

By: dakiny Malocclusion, or misalignment of the teeth, can happen in guinea pigs. In Diseases of Domestic Guinea Pigs, Virginia C. G. Richardson writes, “Molar malocclusion can be an inherited condition, or it can develop in any guinea pig over 1 year of age.

How can I tell if my guinea pig’s teeth are broken?

If you see blood, take a closer look at your pet’s mouth. If your pig tends to squirm, get a second person to hold your pig while you inspect their teeth. Broken teeth are easy to identify; you will see that one or more teeth are shorter than the others and have jagged edges. You may also see blood on the affected teeth.