Odd drinking behavior

Question
Our Guinea Pig (Stimpy, 2yrs, no cagemates) is having a difficult time drinking water. He seems to attempt to approach the bottle spout from odd angles, is this possibly a problem withhis teeth?I switched water bottles and the same thing is happening. Are there any fool-proof tooth filing items I could get,as he rarely chews the common items, stones, wood etc?

Answer
Hello James,

It could be a tooth issue, especially if this isn't a normal thing for him. I recommend a vet visit to check. There really aren't any tooth filing items other than those a piggy vet should have. The problem with piggies is, while you can get to the front teeth easily enough, you can't get to the molars and they are typically where the problem really lies. The vet has a strange little piece of headgear that holds their cheeks back and mouths open and allows him to reach the molars. Usually they are under anesthesia for this. As for things used to wear his teeth down naturally forget those silly chews they sell for it. As youu've noticed most piggies won't chew them. The best thing to help wear down their teeth is an unlimited supply of hay. Their pellets and solid veggies (such as carrots) also aid in this proccess. I would also recommend you check his front teeth right now if you haven't already. If they aren't wearing down evenly this indicates a possible problem with his molars. It's also possible he's broken one of his front teeth off. Even if they look ok, there could still be a problem so a vet visit really is the best idea.

-kkat
www.geocities.com/abyssinianguineapigs