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Post by sonataarctica89 on Jul 15, 2017 20:15:46 GMT
Hmm random question how do you tell if you're degu has dental problems before a vet sees them? Because gizmo is making weird faces like he has eaten something really sour. Hopefully that's just cause he hates the taste of his medicine I know I hate the smell of it. Also how often should a degu have his teeth checked up? Some sites say every 6months others say only if it's needed
Gonna add this here as well, is it also safe for degus to chew the fur and knowing my luck end up eating it as well. It's a toy made for a dog, he hasn't bitten a hole just chewing and pulling the fur. Seeing it's for a dog we believe it isn't toxic plus stripe had no issues either with it.
(Sorry for all the questions, we did do research on them but it's also a very mixed amount of info, so other owners are the best bet for info)
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Post by deguconvert on Jul 15, 2017 23:29:23 GMT
Not to just hand this over to another mod, but . . . Yasmin . . . you are the guru of picking up on dental problems before they explode into dire conditions.
Yasmin absolutely rocks in this area, all learned under the loving paws of her own degu groups. Learning to spot when there are difficulties arising is not an immediately obtained skill however, but this is a good question to ask and really good thing to learn how to watch for!
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Post by moletteuk on Jul 16, 2017 17:15:34 GMT
We don't tend to recommend routine dental checks unless you have reason to think there is a problem. Things to look out for are changes in appetite, changes in prefered foods, pawing at the mouth, drooling, dropping food and crumbs, gunky eyes. One thing you can do is to regularly weigh your degus and keep a note so you can easily spot if there is any weight loss. I've also seen my vet press down on the nose and feel along the bottom jaw to check for root overgrowth, but that is just an indication.
Vets can usually get a look at at least some of the mouth with a scope without sedation, but to be 100% certain you need sedation and sometimes xrays to get the full picture which involves some expense and slight risk with the anaesthetic.
I wouldn't necessarily trust a toy manufacturer not to manufacture something risky. If they are chewing and swallowing a man made fibre I would remove it as the fibres won't be broken down in the gut and can cause a blockage, it's not that likely if it is small amounts, but there's not much point risking it. Natural fibres tend to be safer if there is a liklihood of ingestion, but they can also carry a risk of the degu getting caught up in any stringy bits.
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Post by yasmin on Jul 17, 2017 1:17:41 GMT
What are the weird faces like? Does it look like he is yawning? Or is he grinding his teeth?
Is he eating normally? Or is he being selective?
From my experience, when a degu is making weird movements with his mouth, it is because there is a problem. The tongue may be being trapped by a spur growing over it. Or a spur may be digging into the side of his mouth. Or there's a temporal mandibular jaw issue.
As moletteuk says, if there is weight loss accompanying this, then there is almost certainly an issue and he should be taken to the vet to have his mouth checked as soon as possible.
Generally I don't take a degu in to have his mouth checked unless I notice an issue such as drooling, not eating treats, watery eyes, pawing at mouth, bleeding from mouth, jaw adjusting, etc. Some degus are uncooperative with the vet and need to be sedated to have their teeth checked; sedation has its risks so I try to minimize their exposure to sedation. That said, I have two degus who have had spurs removed five times each – I make sure to take these two every six weeks or so before I see a problem because it is best to catch them as early as possible.
How old is Gizmo? Has he had any dental issues before? When you took him to the vet, did they check his mouth?
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Post by sonataarctica89 on Jul 17, 2017 4:50:12 GMT
About 5 months old and nope the vet didn't check his teeth, and his face he is making is literally how I described as if a human has eaten something really sour or something horrible. He is eating and drinking fine
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Post by bouncy on Jul 17, 2017 9:22:57 GMT
The thing to remember with teeth issues is that it's not all about the mouth. They can also have issues with the roots.
Is a paw also going up to the mouth?
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Post by sonataarctica89 on Jul 17, 2017 9:45:43 GMT
Not what I've seen well nothing more then normal grooming his face, he tends to put his face downwards though when he makes the faces
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2017 9:50:06 GMT
There may be something lodged in his mouth. My vets have experienced this quite often.
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Post by sonataarctica89 on Jul 17, 2017 10:10:19 GMT
That was my initial thought, but it seemed to happen only after his first lot of anti biotics
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Post by bouncy on Jul 21, 2017 13:51:45 GMT
Do you still have concerns? I notice that Scaredygoo is due dental treatment based on how he eats a dandelion root. He works on it for ages, but gives up leaving breaks in the outside bark, but no more.
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Post by sonataarctica89 on Jul 21, 2017 16:44:19 GMT
Nah he has seemed to stop that now, may have been the medicine, as for his biting well that's never been as good as it is now XD give him a stick of willow and it's de barked and mass bits missing within 10mins haha
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