For veterinary professionals
October 2026
Most of these patients are not presented for bad teeth. They arrive for a smaller appetite, selective eating, drooling, a wet chin, weight loss, or a gut that has slowed. Incisor overgrowth that is obvious on a conscious exam is often the least important finding. Cheek teeth and tooth roots are where the disease usually lives, and an awake look in a rabbit or guinea pig does not assess them well.
These teeth grow continuously, and wear depends on chewing. When wear fails, because of diet, conformation, or injury, spurs and root disease follow. Pain then drops hay intake. Less fiber slows the gut. By the time the family calls, the complaint is often "not eating" rather than "the teeth look long."
A conscious exam still has a job. It tells you whether the incisors are overgrown, whether the chin is wet, and whether the patient is too painful for a routine slot. It does not clear the cheek teeth or the roots. If you already have skull radiographs or a CT, send them. They save a step. If you do not, do not hold an urgent transfer in order to obtain them.
In my experience, families cope better when they hear, before the procedure, that dental disease in these species is often managed, not cured, and that rechecks are part of the plan. Say that when you call them. I will say it again when I see the patient. The rechecks belong to both of us.
Please send:
If the animal has not eaten for a day, treat it as an urgent transfer rather than a routine dental appointment. Do not hold the patient to finish a workup when they are painful, bloated, or shocky. Call first.
Planning usually requires sedation or anesthesia, an oral exam, and dental imaging. Treatment may be coronal reduction, extraction of teeth that cannot be salvaged, and analgesia. This is management, not a cure, in most of these species. Rechecks are part of the plan.
Tell the family that ahead of time. It is a kinder conversation before the procedure than after, and it sets up the rechecks you and I will both need.
If you want another set of eyes on a dental case, reach out to Nashville's exotic companion mammal specialist. I see referrals at Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital, (615) 361-4646. You can also use the referral form. Details are on the referring veterinarians page.
This content is for educational purposes for veterinary professionals. It doesn't establish a VCPR or replace clinical judgment for an individual patient. Drug use and doses should be checked against current references and adjusted for each case.