Have you ever wondered whether you should brush your guinea pig’s teeth? The short answer is no. Guinea pigs do not need tooth brushing. Their teeth, unlike ours, grow continuously throughout their lives and are not prone to developing cavities as ours are. Their high fibre diet also helps to keep the teeth clean.
It is, however, extremely important for both the health of your pet’s teeth and his digestive tract that a high fibre diet is fed. This means that the majority of the diet should be grass hay with a measured amount of high-quality extruded pellets (not muesli) and some healthy greens.
Guinea pigs can also develop tooth problems if they do not get enough vitamin C in their diet, which is why we recommend that proper guinea pig pellets are fed. Rabbit pellets do not have enough vitamin C for guinea pigs to remain healthy.
Dr Dorianne Elliott, veterinarian
