Teeth Importance of chewing

[bugfybaby]

Hey all! My family and i recently got our first pig and i had a question that was not answered by reading the other teeth posts.

when we bought her ( Bugfy, named cleverly by my six year old sister.) the lady at the store said that we have to buy these sticks for her to chew on to keep her teeth from growing out of control. The issue is that she shows no interest at all in said sticks..

so here is what iam wondering, are timothy hay and vegetables enough to keep her teeth to size or do i need to find something else for her to chew on? and if i do does anybody know what may work?

thanks! ( :

 

[SnowFlower]

You are going to get a lecture about buying - so please be prepared.

In answer to your question, the lady at the store was just trying to sell more merchandise that is either dangerous or not needed (example - exercise balls are a BIG no-no; store bought treats are very unhealthy; mineral wheels are unneeded).

The chew sticks are also not necessary as the unlimited Timothy Hay will provide enough chewing to wear down the molars and should keep your piggie's dental health in check.

 

[Allyson]

Hi Welcome to the forum!

Grass hay and harder vegetables (such as carrots - but carrots should only be "snack food") should be enough to keep her teeth down. I also have a large sized fiddlesticks hidey in my girls cage for them to chew on (which they do not do much of on the hidey) as a little something to help. The only problem I have with this hidey is that they poop on it and it's gets dirty pretty quick!

 

[NicholsS10]

Just to let you know, the majority of pet store employees know diddly squat about the proper care of guinea pigs. Almost no pigs will show interest in those sticks. All you need to keep her teeth worn down is UNLIMITED high quality grass hay. I recommend Oxbow or KM Hayloft (which you have to order on-line). However, KM is currently out of hay until mid-August, so your best bet is Oxbow.

 

[gooberific]

Grass hay, some more grass hay, and a little more... hay! That long with their diet of fresh greens, veggies, little bit of fruit and pellets is all they require for their teeth. You'll find they end up chomping on other things anyway to figure out what it is, or out of a bit of boredom.

If they still seem to want to chew, eventually, you can look here for advice:
Guinea Pig Toys and Play

"Fruit Tree Branch Good chew treat, free if they come from your UNSPRAYED backyard. Untreated wood, twigs and logs that have been aged for at least 3 months. Apple tree branches can be eaten fresh off the tree. Stay away from: cherry, peach, apricot, plum (fruit trees with pits) and redwood branches, which are all poisonous.

Children's Wooden Blocks For chewing and pushing around. Please make sure any children's blocks are not coated with any sealants (shiny or smooth looking) and are basically just plain wood."

 

[bugfybaby]

Nice! Okay! Well thanks all that helps a ton! I was pretty sure she didnt need them but wanted to be certain!

 

[Poelitstudent]

Hi I had a question related to this one I have a game it is like the generic version of jenga therefore it has wood sticks. Since it is incomplete and I dont play it anymore can I give the small wooden blocks to the piggies or not

 

[juliaaa]

There might be some kind of chemical they put on those game sticks to keep them from splintering and basically just to preserve them. I wouldn't take the chance, and I doubt your pigs would even care about them.

 

[Ly&Pigs]

You are going to get a lecture about buying - so please be prepared.

We mods are getting pretty tired of people making comments like these and making assumptions.

Guinea pigs need unlimited grass hay to keep their molars worn down, not chew blocks. Most pigs won't even touch chew blocks so pretty much they are a big waste of money.