Life Span and teeth grinding?

Question
How long do Gunea Pigs live for generally?
Also, my piggy grinds his teeth a lot.  When I'm holding him and he gets comfy in a snug spot on me, he starts to make crunchy grinding noises and sometimes chatters his teeth.  He doesn't seem scared or angry when he does it.  He looks very calm and comfortable as he does.  Almost like he doesn't know I'm there.  Is it he okay to be grinding and chattering so much?

Answer
Hello Diane and thanks for the question,

GPs generally live for 5 or 6 years with good care.

"Grinding" his teeth is a normal GP thing. Their teeth are always growing and without chewing on hard stuff and grinding their teeth they develop a dental condition called malocclusion which causes them pain in eating and requires a vet visit to "trim" the teeth back.

"Chittering" is a sign of aggression. It means "I am going to mess you up if you come closer to me". If he is doing it and NOT biting, nipping or shaking like he is nervous, I would not worry about it. Sometimes GPs make noises that we "think" are one thing and they wind up in the strangest context.

A good, well adjusted, GP WILL sit in your lap and watch tv with you and such. They like being pet WITH the grain of their fur and some like it under the chin.

Have fun and thanks,
Ryan
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