Bald pinkish chin

[sarahraisin]

I have a white Degu which I recently got from a rescue centre, she has a bald chin which is a little bit pink, I have checked her teeth (front) her teeth are more white then anything the top two are short but slightly trianglular at the bottom and the bottom two have a gap in between, also very short, I cannot see her back teeth. Wanted some advice really , she has a bald patch on her back so am hoping it's from over grooming, she doesn't seem to itch her face that I have seen and is acting normal eating and drinking. Maybe because she is white the fur under her chin is finer hence I can see the skin?

[deguconvert]

Can you post some pictures of her?

[goolover]

Hi sarah, teeth should be yellow, maybe her diet has been very poor and the enamel hasn't formed properly, without the enamel on her teeth they will break from chewing and maybe force her teeth out of place i.e the gap that she now has. Broken teeth will grow back easily enough. Could be that she is very young but even at 3 month the teeth should have developed their enamel by now. Degu's can get skin complaints through stress too, which will grow back in time and once she is settled with you.

[sarahraisin]

Hi, she is 3 years old according the the Degu rescue people. I read that it's caused by diet and have been putting the probiotic vitamin stuff in their water and I put some veg in there cage yesterday and of course always have access to hay , she has been eating but I didn't know what to do , to leave it and see what happens as this is only her fifth day with me or to take her to the vets but if it is her back teeth they will surely have to put her under and I don't know if I want that for her xx

[sarahraisin]

[sarahraisin]

it doesn't look like a scab on her chin up close it looks more like a birth mark sort of thing, I know in the photo it looks like a cut

[moletteuk]

One of mine doesn't have much fur on her chin, it doesn't seem to mean anything in her case. I'm more concerned about the teeth. The V shape where they meet could turn into a problem as you are already noticing the point on the top set can start to force the bottom teeth apart. It is possible to have the teeth filed straight again, but usually this needs doing regularly. A good vet will be able to get some sort of a look at the back teeth without anaesthetic if it is possible to hold the degu reasonably well.

Diet changes are worth doing and may help, but probiotics and veg don't really cover this. You need to be feeding fresh and dried forage which is naturally high in calcium, the wider the variety the better but culinary herbs and ribowort plantain and dandelions are good (both those two available from zooplus), grasses are also good for abrasion. Also high calcium oil seeds like nigella, dill, fennel, coriander, sesame. See diet area for tons of advice on this or just ask.

[goolover]

Her chin looks normal to me, she has beautiful colouring doesn't she and her nose is so pink 

[Deleted]

She's soooo pretty! I love her! 😍 my Degu broke off one of her teeth, no clue how.. I suddenly saw she was missing her top right one and I was like ?! All panicked haha, I even found the tooth in amongst all the bedding. It was back within two weeks at full length and it luckily grew back perfectly. It's probably best to get your goo's teeth filed, maybe once her diet is sorted out they might not grow in such a way where it could cause her problems. If she's friendly you could possibly file them yourself? I know I could file Poppy's if it became a problem. Maybe ask the vet what they use and see if you could get one if you feel confident enough.

[sarahraisin]

Hi Mollettecuk, I have dandelion and green oat forage that she has been eating, seeds she has - fennel, barley, pumpkin, sunflower and millet available every day. I have also given her a couple of the crock treats that are filled with herbs. I have some plantain at home, will put that in the cage aswell, I have been looking at her again this morning and have taken some more photos, her chin looks a bit swollen, see if you guys agree as I'm not sure if its because there is no fur there. Also I noticed when stroking her she has a bald patch on her back

[sarahraisin]

[Deleted]

Poor baby, I can't decide if the chin is a little puffy or if it just looks odd because of the lack of hair.. I think it does look a little swollen, but not much.

[winic1]

does the bald patch on her back look like the hair was chewed off, or pulled out, or is the skin scratched or rubbed looking? Do you see her grooming that area frequently, or fussing at it?

I'm wondering if there is a problem that needs to be treated--for example, I had a cat who would get bald patches at the far end of her back whenever she got fleas, she was allergic to them, and the bald patches would show up right away, before the fleas got so bad we could see them. There are all kinds of little bugs, fleas, mites, etc., that she could have.

Or, both bald patches could come from her having rubbed against something in her former cage--if she continually chewed on a certain spot on the bars, for example, it might have rubbed her chin fur off. Maybe there was something in there that she rubbed her back against, like if the wheel was too small and had that center post, in order to use the wheel the middle of her back rubbed the post?

Was she in with other degus, or was she alone? Maybe someone else pulled the fur from her back.

Perhaps it is worth a trip to the vet to have her looked over and make sure that there is nothing that needs treating. It looks like she is easily handled? Maybe the vet could file her teeth a bit to help them straighten out while you are there. The color and health should return with a good diet and good care. Rescues mean well, but usually they are caring for so many creatures that they can only give the basics, not the best.

[moletteuk]

The dandelion and green oat forage is good and the fennel seed. All the other seeds you mention are high in phosphorus and low in calcium so are bad for dental health. I recommend you stop those for at least a while and get a high calcium seed mix like the Ratrations one. See nutrition charts for further info on seed choices deguworld.proboards.com/thread/15602/vegetable-seed-nut-nutrition-charts

The chin looks like it could be a bit puffy. Could the speckles on the back be pigmentation or are they something else like tiny scabs? Is there a layer of very fine fur on the back? If mine get a little overgroomed they always keep a fine layer of fuzz, only the main hairs get removed.

I think it's probably worth having her looked over by a vet.


What's happening with this new girl, Sarah? Did Little Bites help you with an introduction?

[sarahraisin]

Yes Peggy from little bites was very helpful and they literally bonded straight away, she told me to keep them in the same cage straight away as it could reset the dominance balance if not and it's a week in and no fighting have obviously had to watch them carefully but it's been brilliant , they cuddle up all the time and groom each other, I rang Peggy earlier and she contacted the lady who previously had her and found out the patch on her back is from an abscess being removed a couple years ago so that's good, it's just scar tissue hence why the hair hasn't grown back. I took her to the vet and they couldn't see anything wrong with her back teeth but agreed her chin was swollen and a bit pink so have given her antibiotics so I think you could be right about her scraping up against something. Finally her front four teeth.. unfortunately due to bad diet they said they have broken like many said hence the funny shape but nothing to worry about she was adamant they will grow back properly so just keeping a watchful eye now and she'll have a good diet with me so should be on the mend! ,.

[deguconvert]

Who is she bonded with? Rose, or Raisin?

[sarahraisin]

Rose xx

[bouncy]

Squidge has a lot of light fur underneath, and a bald lip, so I wouldn't worry too much. He also has a scar on his back from when Spidey first savaged him. Could be twins! Just relax, sort her diet so her teeth turn yellow, and enjoy the fluffy cuteness