TOOTH FAULTS
by Mette Lybeck Ruelokke (Mette the Vette)
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A tooth fault car develop in front teeth or molar teeth but in my experience most frequently in both at a time. The symptoms start insidiously. The cavy eats gradually less and less and will avoid harder food items as whole cereals and pellets. Later or it won't be able to chew carrot and beetroot, and finally it won't be able to chew anything at all. Of course the cavy will gradually get thinner and thinner and finally emaciated. If the cavy goes on its own it will soon be discovered, when it eats less. But wher more cavies kept together, no food will be left, and the weight loss may be severe before it is realised that something is wrong. Although the cavy starves, it never shows signs of feeling uncomfortable. It is very active and looks quite happy. It squeaks when food is brought, and it goes for the food, but if taken under closer observation, it can be seen that the cavy gives up after a few bites, which may fall out of the mouth. At the same time a funny sound of grinding teeth may be heard. Sometimes the cavy is able to eat and swallow a little of the food in slow motion. Inspection of the front teeth often reveals that they are overgrown. It's very important to observe these symptoms, because in most other diseases the cavy loses appetite and doesn't pay attention to the food.
There are many reasons for tooth faults to develop. Hereditary predisposition may be a problem in certain strains. Isabel Day once told me that the survival of the Satin strain was threatened shortly after importing them from the USA due to tooth faults. But thanks to thorough breeding, including outcrossing with Selfs and culling pigs with tooth faults, the problem was gradually eradi-cated. But this predisposition may show up again in certain strains when inbreeding is carried out. If the problem begins to show up in a strain, especialy in cavies younger than two years, there may be a hereditary predisposition. In this case it's important to have good records, so genetic carriers can be avoided in breeding, e.g. if a cavy gets a tooth fault, both parents are likely to carry genes for it. However, single cases in older animals will always crop up irregularly in stock, and should not be regarded as a hereditary problem. If many cases are seen amongst youngsters, vitamin C supply must be checked, as growth of the bones including the jaws are affected by Vitamin C deficiency, and this may cause tooth faults.
The treatment of tooth faults depends upon the general condition of the cavy. Many cavies are too emaciated to be saved, and they must be put down immediately to spare them from further suffer-ing. Pet owners in particular are often reluctant to let an otherwise healthy cavy be put down, but the alternative is often that the cavy starves to death, and nobody should ever allow itto do that. If the fault is confined to the front teeth, regular trimming of these can be carried out, but as mentioned earlier overgrown front teeth are as a rule a sign of something being wrong further inside, in the molar teeth. These should therefore always be checked in case of overgrown front teeth. Cases of overgrown front teeth due to over-bite, however, may be an isolated problem.
Over-grown molar teeth are a far more serious problem. The most common condition is when the teeth in the lower jaw grow inwards over the tongue like a bridge and the teeth in the upper jaw to grow outwards towards the cheek This will prevent the cavy from chewing and swallowing the food. Complications like infection in the jaw or gingiva or a gumboil are sometimes seen. Some vets will offer to cut and file the teeth back to normal length under anaesthesia, but it is easier said than done, so it's important to get the answer to the following questions first:
1. Has the vet ever done it with good results on a cavy before? The results in rabbits are much better, and it is impossible to compare.
2. Does the vet have the special instruments needed?
3. Is there a risk that the tooth fault will reappear after sometime?
These questions are very important, as my experience is that many cavies get their teeth trimmed with very bad results, as the cavy never starts eating again and dies or must be put down a few days later. It is a waste of money and causes unnecessary suffering for the cavy; and, even if it does work the first time, the tooth fault frequently returns after a few weeks. The cavy must then go under another anaesthetic and the teeth must be cut down again. The owner must be realistic and never try to keep a cavy alive because of selfish reasons, and it is cruel to goon if the teeth never get back to normal !
Only in a few cases, where a sort of spike has developed on a tooth is there a hope of a full recovery, if the spike is cut off; and even in this case the spike sometimes reappears.
Can anything be done to prevent tooth faults to developing ? Many people think that giving the cavy lots of hard food to chew can keep the teeth short and sound, but it is not my experience, as I think many cases are developed because of functional faults in the jaws and not as a fault in the growth of the teeth. When the jaws do not meet properly, the teeth cannot be worn down properly and the problems arise. So apart from being aware of the hereditary factor, tooth faults can't be prevented. There may be some readers who disagree, and I would be very happy to hear other opinions upon this matter.
Mette Lybek Ruelokke