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Post by lilladylu86 on Feb 8, 2015 13:40:54 GMT
Hi everyone, I was wondering whether I could get some advice. I have a degu who has had splayed teeth at the bottom. ( I think due to breeding) As a result, his top teeth were pointed and his bottom one coming apart. I have taken the step to take him to the vets to have his teeth trimmed to help him with eating and things, however, I am not sure that the vets did a very good job? His bottom tooth appears to have a piece broken off. They said that they did not use gas to sedate him, which I had specifically requested. This leads me to believe he struggled, as he doesn't like being held at the best of times! They gave me no pain killers for him, and he is eating only a little at a time. I don't know what to do for him? I know they used burring rather than clipping. Will I need to take him back again due to the break in his tooth? Any comments welcome, A very concerned owner, Lucy.
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Post by moletteuk on Feb 8, 2015 16:35:33 GMT
Try and get him to eat as best you can, if he continues to struggle, then you could get some Critical Care from the vet to keep his guts working. It is quite common for them to not be keen on eating for a couple of days after a dental procedure. This 'V' shape issue is a recognised issue in Germany, although we haven't seen much of it on this forum. Burring is the correct method as clipping can damage the tooth further up towards the root. Unfortunately with a long incisor tooth that is not in the best condition, then I suppose breakage is a risk. I don't think the vet has necessarily done a bad job. If it needs doing regularly, it is potentially a good thing if they can do it without sedation...but maybe not if they can't do it carefully enough. It's difficult to know what causes these teeth issues, but all we can do is address the diet side of things to make sure that it isn't exacerbating any genetic predisposition. There is some discussion in this thread deguworld.proboards.com/thread/17403/degus-danger-developing-dental-issues?page=1 The main points are that you need to check the diet over for adequate calcium content and adequate calcium to phosphorus ratio, and you need to feed as much natural plant matter as you can. We have members who have been reporting longer gaps between trimming for their degus with dental issues. It depends on the break and the degu as to how well it will grow back in, keep an eye on it and offer a wide range of types of sticks to encourage chewing.
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Post by jennierh on Feb 9, 2015 22:51:02 GMT
Hi Lucy,
I really feel for you, my elderly gentleman degu has had a few dental treatments (roots are too long, spurs, teeth moving as you described). The first treatment was the worst, presumably because the vet had to do a lot more work, where as now it's just a case of keeping on top of it all. I was REALLY worried afterwards because my degu refused to eat for a good 14 or so hours afterwards and it was impossible to get his meds in him (pain killers and antibiotics).
My vet gave me what I now consider a magic tip! He told me that if all else fails give a recovering degu mealworms and a shreddy (the breakfast cereal) its not something I would ever have considered, but it got my little chap eating! Now it's his standard post-dental meal (I hasten to add I would never normally give my degus any type of breakfast cereal, but the vet was the one who suggested it). Might not work but maybe worth a try.
Everyone told me that my degu would want to eat after his dental but I still totally panicked. Now his dentals don't bother him in the slightest.
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Post by lilladylu86 on Feb 11, 2015 21:15:14 GMT
Hi guys,
Thank you for your replies. Oni is eating now, although not as much as I would like. I will be keeping a close eye on him and weighing him to see if he is gaining weight again.
I think the stress of the proceedure has triggered his R.I to come back a bit. He had had a snuffy nose and looking grumpy. I have booked another appointment with the vets in case he needs baytril for that.
Never ending hey! Wouldn't change him for the world though! He is such a wonderful guy!
Thanks again and keep you posted on progress.
Luce.
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Post by moletteuk on Feb 13, 2015 11:31:35 GMT
Glad he is doing a bit better Snuffly nose type sypmtoms can sometimes be due to upper teeth issues. It might be worth getting an xray done to check the teeth roots for overgrowth. It's also another reason to look at diet.
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