What Should You Do if Your Guinea Pig Breaks a Tooth?

Your guinea pig's teeth grow all the time. Your pet controls this growth and keeps its teeth at the right length by chewing and gnawing. If your pet has the right diet to do this, then their teeth should stay in good condition and at the right length.

So, you shouldn't need to do anything with your pet's teeth apart from making sure they eat the right mix of foods. Sometimes, however, you may need to get involved, say if your guinea pig breaks a tooth. What should you do about it?

Don't Wait For the Tooth to Grow

You may think that it's OK to leave your guinea pig's tooth as it is. If your guinea pig doesn't seem bothered by the break, then you may think you can just wait until it grows back again.

However, any break in a guinea pig's tooth can turn into a problem later. Even if the tooth isn't painful now, it may get painful after a day or two. The tooth may become infected if it isn't treated.

Your guinea pig may also find it harder to eat with a broken tooth. If the tooth that is left over is itself wobbly, then this may make normal eating difficult for your pet. The same goes if the tooth starts to hurt later. Guinea pigs are small creatures; not eating can put them in a serious way quite quickly.

Also, the break may have left sharp edges on the rest of the tooth. Sharp areas may catch on your guinea pig's mouth. This will be painful. If the tooth cuts the mouth or internal soft tissues, then your pet may develop sore spots or even oral infections.

Ask Your Vet For Advice

If your guinea pig breaks a tooth, then call a veterinary dentist, such as those at Adelaide Animal Emergency & Referral Centre, for advice. They can tell you whether they need to see your pet.

If your vet does need to treat the tooth, then they may simply file the tooth down to get rid of sharp or uneven edges. If the tooth has become infected, it may need some kind of antibiotic treatment.

Your vet will also be interested in why the tooth broke. Sometimes, a guinea pig's teeth may weaken if they don't get enough vitamin C in their diet. If this is the case here, then your vet can recommend dietary changes that will protect your pet's teeth from similar problems in the future.