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Teeth Grinding down teeth - hay vs. grass - chewable toys

janinehunt

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Hello

Both my pigs had a vet checkup yesterday, and they have very long front teeth that the vet said we'll need to keep an eye on. They are only a year old, and are not litter mates.

I read on this site that grass is as effective as hay for grinding down teeth, and my pigs eat more fresh grass than hay. It's their favourite food, and they get a pile of it 3 times a day. They also have Oxbow pellets, unlimited hay, lots of foraged plants, and a good variety of fresh veggies, as per Ly and Pigs diet chart.

Do you think I should cut down their grass so they will eat more hay, which perhaps would have a stronger grinding action on the teeth, being dried and harder?

Do you know of any chewable goodies/toys I can give them to further grind down their teeth, to avoid future dental troubles? They have a little log arch and apple twigs that they occasionally nibble, but not enough to do much good. Would edible cardboard do the trick? Can't seem to find it here in France though...

Is wicker OK for them to ingest?

Any ideas would be much appreciated!
 

bpatters

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Watch that vet and your pigs' front teeth. Vets that have little experience with exotics often want to trim the front teeth, and it's almost never necessary unless there's something wrong with the molars or the pig has some other problem, such as elongated roots or just plain bad genetics.

If the pigs are getting enough grass and hay to keep their molars ground down, then their front teeth should take care of themselves. If their front teeth are truly too long, then you need dental xrays to see what the back teeth are doing. A visual check isn't enough -- elongated roots can't be diagnosed except by x-ray.

However, pigs with elongated roots or other molar problems usually have trouble chewing and swallowing their food. So if you pigs aren't showing any signs of that, their molars may be ok.

While it is true that grass may be as effective as hay in keeping the molars ground down, it takes a LOT of either one to do the job. They need a long strand grass, fresh or dried, 24 hours a day, not a pile three times a day. And not all grasses and hays are created equal -- some do better at grinding than others.

You can put wood hideys in their cage, or twig balls, or chew sticks. But they won't really keep the front teeth ground down -- that comes from the action of the teeth hitting when the guinea pig is chewing with the back teeth.
 

janinehunt

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Thank you [MENTION=13820]bpatters[/MENTION]. The fresh grass they are getting is just from our lawn, and around the property. Sometimes it is short and succulent, and others longer and older, so it is not specifically long strand grass. What is that?

They get their grass with their veggies, plus at lunch time, and always have hay too. Considering this, do you think I should cut down their (not specifically long strand) grass so they eat more hay? They do not have any trouble eating, and I really want to avoid dental issues.
 

bpatters

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Long strand grasses, which eventually turn into hay, are timothy, blue, orchard, meadow, and brome. There may be one or two others, but they're not as common.

I don't think plain old yard grass will do the trick. I think I'd just cut them one batch per day as a treat, and let the hay do for the rest of it. But that's just my opinion.
 

foggycreekcavy

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I respectfully disagree about the grass--even yard grass is fine, especially if they are getting a variety. Most lawn grasses are a mix of different types here in the US, not sure about France. Your weather is most likely mild enough to get good grass year round. Grass is actually better for grinding down teeth than hay--it's the silica in both that cause the grinding, and I believe that there is more in fresh grass (although I will have to research that).

Since you have hay available at all times as well as giving the grass, I think you will be fine. No need for any toys or wood or cardboard to chew on.
 

madelineelaine

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I give my pigs a mix as well. They get yard grass and wheat grass, as well as hay.

And the OP did say that they offer both.

I'd be careful about cardboard, I swear I read on here that it's not good for the pigs to ingest.
 
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