Dental problems are very common in pet guinea pigs if they do not get proper diets. A guinea pig should always have available a large amount of high quality timothy hay, such as the Oxbow Timothy Hay, which helps wear the teeth and provides enough fiber to promote their gastrointestinal health. If a guinea pig does not get enough timothy grass hay, the teeth may grow in unusual shapes due to a lack of tough material to physically grind the biting surface of the teeth. Pelleted food, alfalfa hay, and leafy greens and other produce are soft and do not cause the guinea pigs to chew vigorously side to side as timothy hay does.

Guinea pigs need 90 to 100 mg of vitamin C daily in order to maintain the health of their teeth. If a guinea pig does not get enough vitamin C, it develops scurvy and the teeth can become loose as the tissue holding the teeth in place become too flexible. Once the teeth are loose, they may not grind against each other normally and can develop sharp points that hurt the tongue and cheek.

This guinea pig's tongue is unable to move freely due to the spikes from the cheek teeth. (Picture taken with an endoscope.)

In some cases, the teeth grow in ways that trap the tongue and prevent the guinea pig from being able to drink!

Dental disease can develop for a variety of other reasons. For example, some guinea pigs may be born with abnormally shaped teeth that simply don't line up for proper grinding. Injuries to the mouth, skull, or jaw bone may cause the teeth to grow at odd angles. Tumors may also start to deform the shape of the teeth.  It is important to document the problems with the teeth using an endoscope so that a clear image is available to compare on subsequent visits.  This can help the doctor better understand what is going wrong.

Drooling is often a sign of teeth problems. This guinea pig has been anesthetized in order to have its teeth filed.

Some guinea pigs require such frequent teeth filing that extraction of the abnormal teeth is a better option. Occasionally a guinea pig may need all four front teeth (incisors) extracted because they grow in at such abnormal angles and require filing every few weeks. Extraction of an incisor is a delicate procedure and a guinea pig will require lots of special attention afterward until its mouth heals. Fortunately, most guinea pigs do quite well without any incisors. Some guinea pigs have had all their cheek teeth removed and do well.

The Importance of Oral Endoscopy

The pictures below were taken inside the mouth of different guinea pigs using an endoscope.  The endoscope helps magnify the teeth and reach deep inside the mouth to detect problems that would otherwise be overlooked.  A thorough endoscopic examination of the mouth is essential for any guinea pig that is showing trouble eating or drinking.

The upper cheek teeth of a guinea pig.

The lower cheek teeth of a guinea pig with malocclusion.  The tongue (red arrow) is unable to move freely because of the spikes (blue arrows) formed by the first cheek teeth.  The glottis (opening to the windpipe) is indicated by the green arrow.

Close-up of the right lower cheek tooth's lingual (tongue) spike. This sharp edge causes discomfort as well as prevents the tongue from moving normally to help chew food.

Close-up of the left lower cheek tooth's buccal (cheek) spike. This sharp edge causes discomfort.  A proper filing under anesthesia removes all the sharp edges.

 
Two views of a much larger lingual spike (green arrow) in a different guinea pig. The blue arrow points to the back of the tongue.

View inside the mouth after the lower teeth have been filed. There is a much larger gap for the tongue to move normally during chewing.

Managing and Preventing Dental Disease in Guinea Pigs

The single most important thing you can do is to restrict the amount of pellets your pet guinea pig eats to ensure that it chews enough timothy hay to wear down the teeth. Timothy hay should be available at all times. Pellets should be offered so that the whole bowl is eating within a few hours and the rest of the time your guinea pig has to eat the hay.

For adult guinea pigs, we recommend 1/8 cup of a vitamin C-enriched pellet daily (e.g., Oxbow Cavy Cuisine).  For pregnant guinea pigs, the pellets should be increased in amount so there is always some in the bowl.  (But three weeks after she has had her babies, cut back to 1/8 cup!)  For growing guinea pigs, we recommend that you always have the bowl full with a pellet designed for growing animals (e.g., Oxbow Cavy Performance).  It is very important to offer vitamin C as a supplement daily (e.g., Oxbow GTN-50C).  Vitamin C-rich fresh fruits and produce should be offered too such as parsely and oranges.

Provide at least 90 mg of vitamin C to your guinea pig every day as a special supplement. This can be a product such as Oxbow's Daily C or a liquid vitamin C for humans. Most human products have 250 mg per one teaspoon (5 ml) of liquid so 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of this is the right amount for most guinea pigs.  If you are using a human product, double-check the concentration with a veterinarian so you can be sure you are giving the right amount to Tinkerbell. Do not use the vitamin C supplements that are added to water as most guinea pigs will not drink enough water to get the right amount of vitamin C this way.

Make sure to bring your guinea pig in for regular physical exams performed by a veterinarian. We'll check the length and condition of your pet's teeth. If your guinea pig has ongoing problems, we'll recommend a check every 4 months so that we can tackle problems before they impact its health. If we find that the teeth are overgrown, we will set up an appointment to file her teeth under general anesthesia and administer other treatments that may be needed.

A guinea pig may show early signs of dental problems such as drooling, stained or matted fur on her chin and jaw, a loss of appetite, a shift in appetite to only her favorite foods, or a change in the quantity or consistency of her feces. If you are at all concerned that your pet may be developing dental disease please make an appointment for an exam!

Copyright 2010
Kevin Wright DVM
Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital
744 N Center Street
Mesa, AZ 85201
(480) 275 7017
info@azeah.com