quinea pig teeth

Question
Hi Jenny,

I took my daughters piggy (Rio) to the vet yesterday to have her teeth trimmed.  Her teeth top and bottom were at odd angles and seemed too long for her to eat properly.  I asked my daughter if it would be ok.  My daughter is 18 and in college, Rio is her baby. When I checked her teeth today the vet seemed to cut the bottom really short and it seems to hit her tounge and she is really having trouble eating her carrots.  I cut one up into really small pieces and gave her timothy hay as well.  I saw her trying to eat her pellets.  I am really afraid that the vet cut them too short and she will starve.  She is the sweetest little pig.  We think she is 3 or 4.   Now I am afraid I shouldn't have done that.  Can you offer any ideas.  Thanks

Answer
Hi Mary Jo,

Try not to worry too much. Guinea pigs' teeth grow very quickly; one of my boys lost a whole tooth once and it grew back to full-length within 4 days! So your little one should be back to normal soon, but she will have trouble eating whilst her teeth are short.

In the mean-time, give Rio some softer vegetables like cucumber and dark cabbage, and make sure you cut everything up small, as you are already doing. Give her some fresh parsely too (cut off the long part of the stalks); this will be easy for her to eat and is very good for guinea pigs!

It is quite unusual for a guinea pigs' teeth to grow so long that they need to be trimmed, so I'm going to give you some tips to avoid this being necessary in the future. That way, you won't need to pay to take Rio to the vet, and she won't have trouble eating if they're cut too short again. Make sure that you give her plenty of hay; an amount the same size as her everyday. Hay is essential for guinea pigs to digest their food properly, and also helps to wear down their teeth. Once she's eating properly again, make sure you don't cut up her food too much; chewing it will help her teeth. Try getting a gnawing block to go in her cage; made from natural wood that is treated to be safe for guinea pigs. Or try getting her a play-tube made from vegetable parchment (in the UK they are called chubes by one popular brand) as she can chew this too keep her teeth short, and play in it too!

If you have any other questions ... just ask!

Best wishes,
Jenny.