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Teeth
Jan 26, 2023 10:24:50 GMT
Post by spottydegu on Jan 26, 2023 10:24:50 GMT
Hi! I've not been on here for a very long time! My degus are getting old now, and have slowed down over the last year or so but are still very mentally active. I noticed yesterday that Chip's upper 2 teeth seem far more pale yellow than normal, apart from some spots of orange towards the bottom. Her bottom teeth are still very orange. She has very much taken to chewing a big, very solid chew toy over the last couple of weeks and I wonder if that is what has caused it? I saw on here that it is possible to scrape the colour off. She very much goes through phases of what toys/cage features she'd like to rip to shreds but I've removed it from the cage for now in case it is causing issues. Their diet hasn't changed at all & she has no symptoms of anything. If not, what would you recommend I add to their diet? Thanks
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Teeth
Jan 26, 2023 23:20:14 GMT
Post by teemu on Jan 26, 2023 23:20:14 GMT
Rodent teeth are white on the inside, yes. The enamel on the surface is what makes them have that yellow color. However, it's more likely that there is some other issue that is causing the discoloration. It could be that something is preventing enamel from forming quickly enough, and the vigorous gnawing is just causing it to become obvious faster. The usual reason for teeth being discolored like this is, from my understanding, that there is some sort of a nutrition deficiency. It's possible that them getting older is affecting this. That's at least a good place to start.
What is their diet like normally? What do they eat, and what kind of forage, seeds etc do they tend to get? Have you been able to check Drum to see if she is having any similar issues?
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Post by deguconvert on Jan 27, 2023 7:16:36 GMT
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Teeth
Jan 27, 2023 9:58:38 GMT
via mobile
Post by spottydegu on Jan 27, 2023 9:58:38 GMT
Drum is fine, and she hasn’t being chewing the toy which is why I suspected that is the issue.
They’re on P@H nuggets, hay, some dried forage (I use a variety of kinds) and they sometimes have a sunflower seed as a treat.
Any suggestions would be great, especially with what kinds of forage are best. Preferably things I could buy on amazon. They don’t like fresh fruit/veg and show no interest in eating it.
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Post by teemu on Jan 27, 2023 18:03:20 GMT
It looks like there have been similar cases before, from the link Deguconvert posted. Some people there seem to think it might have to do with iron, but also that it might not be serious. So you could also stand by for a bit and see if her teeth go back to normal after a while. The feeding sounds pretty normal and fine from what you describe. On a sidenote, have you tested if they are intrested in any other kinds of seed, especially the kinds that have more calcium than phosphorus? Sunflower seeds are quite rich in phosphorus but don't have a lot of calcium, and calcium is an important nutrient for degus, so it could be good for them to have some variety. Of course, both their pellets and forage already have some of the nutrients in them, so it might not be that crucial, but variety can't hurt. Here's the seed charts in case you want to take a look. Look for the ones with more calcium in them, preferrably ones that have more calcium than phosphorus. deguworld.proboards.com/thread/15602/vegetable-seed-nut-nutrition-charts
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Post by moletteuk on Jan 28, 2023 10:56:28 GMT
If the orange has been scraped off, it should resolve quickly as the incisors grow very fast. Any forage that includes a variety of species is good, look for ones that aren't padded out with grains, veg or seeds. See this thread for more info deguworld.proboards.com/thread/15657/bought-herb-leaf-flower-mixes European shops aren't cost effective since Brexit, I think Bunnybistro.co.uk are currently recommended. High calcium seed mixes are good for nutrition, you can make your own as Teemu mentions, or buy from Ratrations.co.uk who I think are in your part of the country.
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