[Gpdd] Gpdd (Health) (Care: Guinea Pig Dental Tools)

[Ellen Garrison]

 Hi Everybody,

I just saw your post Joanie, about assisting piggies with dental issues.  I am not a vet but rodentology interests me, although I am not a rodentologist, I DO have rodent dental tools, (and NOT the high powered kind that can damage piggie mouths with abrasions). With 10 piggies, I need all the training and help I can get...just have to get the tools back from the vet's.

My tools have been at Dr. Dressler's office for about 8 months. I had offered to let one of the vets there use the tools for Angel (Li'l Red's dad), who had some malocclusions, and this vet did, although she was only there 2 days a week, and had used the buccal pad separators to do the teeth trimming for Angel--last year-- without even putting him under isoflurane, she was really gentle and good. And, when I got the bill, it was less than half of what I paid to have Li'l Red's teeth trimmed (by an exotics vet which we always used to go to, but don't anymore.) Unfortunately, the really good vet who is very conscientious had quit, her parents being elderly and needing her to help them.  My tools have been over there at Dresslers' in Kihei, and I just haven't gotten over there yet to get them (it's about a 3 hour round trip!) but I will.  They aren't going to use them and besides, lol, they are mine. (They are still there, I always call and
 check from time to time). The other vets there do not do piggie dental work.  At one point, Dr. Dressler was going to, but then changed his mind last minute, claiming he didn't want to damage the piggies' mouth. Since around that time, I have started to take my pigs and chinchilla to other vets who have more experience with piggie and chinchilla teeth, and small animals in general.  It's too easy to fall into fear of doing it. Of course you want to do it without hurting the pig's jaw, etc. so the jaw needs to be supported.

I have been using just regular small animal nail trimmers (shaped like scissors) to trim the top incisors of Angel's mouth. (His lower ones I do this about once every 2 months and then give him daktarin oral gel.  He has not been back to vet for teeth trimming or anything, and can eat fairly well on his own plus his tongue is not trapped.
Ann Evans talked to me on the phone, for about 1 and a half hours one time, about teeth trimming, but only for incisors. You would need at least two people to do the whole mouth procedure. By yourself, though, you can just sort of sit the piggie up in your lap to trim the top incisors after securing him or her in a swaddling type blanket.
 Among my tools are some long clippers which Ann suggests, but I have never used them, as they are big, I am afraid I would accidentally clip piggies' lip.  When you trim only the incisors, you do not need to use buccal pad separators, and if the front 4 incisors are in good shape, then that's usually an indication that the other 16 teeth are good too. It amazes me how some vets are afraid to work on piggie teeth and some are great with it. 
I want to thank Ann for emphasizing protection of the piggies jaw.  I cringe, when I think of what I went through with poor Li'l Red Saphire, who actually had a "reverse" incisor with top incisors going under the lower ones. She had systemic mycosis, nothing seemed to help, she lost so much weight and I syringe fed her for 6 months, with her eating on her own only a little bit. God knows that was an extreme case.
Good luck with all your piggies, everybody!

Aloha,
Ellen