Why did my guinea pig's top teeth fall out? Is it old age or injury?

Thanks for reaching out about Snowy. Indeed, rodent incisors continue to grow throughout life. Most likely, Snowy was cribbing, and fractured the incisors. You should see some re-growth within the next 2-3 weeks. Keep an eye on the lower teeth as they will grow also and are not being worn off by the upper incisors. They might need to be trimmed by a veterinarian prior to upper incisors becoming the normal length. You need to dissuade Snowy from continued cribbing. You can cut vegetables thin and long, like a piece of hay. They have back teeth (cheek teeth: premolars and molars) that they use to grind and chew food. Good luck.

Ideally, he should be physically examined by your veterinarian. The tooth should grow back unless the root was damaged. Your vet may trim the other tooth to keep it from becoming overgrown. He or she may also recommend a soft diet such as Oxbow Critical Care for Herbivores and/or pain medication.

Ideally, he should be physically examined by your veterinarian. As long as there is no permanent damage to the tooth roots, the teeth will grow back. You can soak his pellets in some water to soften them enough to be eaten. You can also pick up some Oxbow Critical Car for Herbivores ( https://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/our-products/professional-line/critical-care/ ) to supplement his diet until the teeth grow back. The amount to feed can be found on the package. Cilantro is high in calcium, thus it should be fed only occasionally and in small amounts to prevent bladder or kidney stones. Iceberg lettuce has little nutritional value and should be avoided. Instead, choose dark, leafy greens (kale, chard, arugula, collard greens, etc.). Continue to offer hay in unlimited amounts. He may be eating it at night or when you are out.

I would definitely have a vet take a look to figure out why this is happening, and if they believe the tooth is just going to come out on its own. If he is in enough pain in and around the mouth / teeth, he may eventually stop eating and drinking. Unlike dogs and cats who can do this for a couple days, anorexia in rodents for even a period of 12-24 hours is very, very bad. The cost of the visit will largely depend on what the vet finds, diagnostics that may be required, treatments, and if needed, medications to go home. Geographic region will also play a major role in price of veterinary care. Can't say I know much about cost in Hawaii, but since everything else is always more expensive there, vet care may follow that pattern. Hope this makes sense.

Thanks for reaching out about your guinea pig. A veterinary visit is recommended, tonight if still bleeding, tomorrow is no additional new blood. Fractured incisors are common, as is nose trauma. Teeth can be difficult to determine if fractured as can be below the gum line. Monitor for appetite. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Lucy. Dental disease (cheek teeth) are fairly common in guinea pigs, as their teeth grow throughout life. Infections, inflammation, scurvy, can all be causes. Dental disease can be infections or inflammation, and therefore painful. If it hurt to chew, and hay requires more chewing, then she might be shying away from hay. A veterinary visit is recommended to check, more important if you think she is loosing weight. Good luck.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Issues with teeth are very common in guinea pigs, and do frequently result in issues eating. Dyba may have an issue with his facial nerves or muscles, making it difficult to bite/chew food. Loss of appetite can be caused by many intestinal conditions, but less specific conditions as well, such as cancer or infections. I recommend having Dyba seen by another vet, you may want to look into having him seen by someone who specializes in small mammals or pocket pets. In the meantime, you can try moistening his pellets to make them easier to eat. I hope this helps and that all is well!