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Post by blossombrooks on Dec 30, 2010 18:47:52 GMT
I'm sure there's a thread on here somewhere but I can't find it. Pepper seems to be developing uneven incisors. They seem worn in the middle and pointy at the outer edges. It seems to have happened really fast, they looked ok last week. Her bottom teeth do seem a fraction long as well.
Pep eats a decent amount of good quality hay, nuggets and they have their pick of wooden things to chew. I don't want it to get out of hand, does anyone know of a surefire thing I can give her to chew to help correct this? Daisy has everything the same as pepper and she seems fine. Pepper does chew the cage a lot so I wasn't sure if this contributes to uneven wear?
They get loads of time out and now have a huge cage, she just loves to chew the bars!
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Post by smux on Dec 30, 2010 18:57:16 GMT
I've read about giving them a pumice stone in their cage to gnaw on, it would do a better job than wood at wearing down their teeth just as long as they actually use it for what it's there for. You can get "proper" dental chews in P@H or other pet shops (it's round and it's on something you can attach it to the cage side with) but my guys rarely actually used it as it was supposed to be used for...instead, they nibbled through the plastic holder ;-)
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Post by blossombrooks on Dec 30, 2010 19:03:43 GMT
They have a mineral stone in the cage which they quite like but it seems bit too crumbly to be much use. I'll have to go look for a pumice. I did do some googling on it and read that a nut in a shell could help? I've never given them whole nuts before and I don't want pepper to loose her girlish figure, lol. :-)
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Post by degus123 on Dec 30, 2010 19:19:14 GMT
Nuts are good for teeth and boredorm. But you have to be careful of how often you give them due to the oil and fat content. As an estimate go for once a month.
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Post by smux on Dec 30, 2010 19:30:10 GMT
The other problem with nuts of that sort is that your two girls will turn into little whiners whenever the other comes near because she thinks her sister is after the nut...doesn't matter that they have one each :-)
But nuts are a good way to get them gnawing something hard, walnuts are always a good one...even having an empty walnut shell in the cage will give them something to gnaw on (so you don't even need the actual nut inside it :-))
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boots
Newborn Degu
Posts: 19
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Post by boots on Dec 31, 2010 17:31:38 GMT
I've heard if you rub a nut on a pumice stone and put it in their cage they will go crazy for it. Good way to get them gnawing on pumice  |
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mgina
Foraging Degu
Posts: 99
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Post by mgina on Jan 3, 2011 21:37:47 GMT
One of our degu, Garak, has about the same problem, only it's gotten to the point that his lower teeth has grown a bit apart, and they are a bit too long. He has no interest in biting, and he's never been interested in biting. His brother, who bites a whole lot on wood, has exellent teeth.
Garak seems to be a bit moody as of late, not as quick and happy today. I'll of course be paying attention, but as I said- he has NO interest in biting anything!
What to do?
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Post by smux on Jan 4, 2011 0:10:26 GMT
Just to be sure, check under his chin for a lump. Spaces between teeth or uneven teeth can be a precursor to problems with the jaw and specifically abcesses (of which Elsevier, my one loss, died from). One of the signs of a problem like this is not eating any food, I would assume because it hurts to eat, and once they reach that stage they go downhill quickly. Another sign (related to the not eating, I would guess) is lethargy, and moodiness could be misdiagnosed lethargy. It is just a possibility, not something to be too worried about, and any lump you find would clearly be "different" to how degu chins feel like underneath.
It does sound weird that he has no interest in gnawing wood, has he always been like that and has that been for a while? I would have thought all degus were interested in it as it keeps their teeth healthy and the wood itself aids digestion as well, I believe.
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Post by nickymills30 on Jan 4, 2011 6:57:19 GMT
i'd ring the vet and ask them how much it would be to have his teeth cut, my vet charged me 11.75 and because i told him what i wanted him to do, he didn't charge me a consultation fee, (i;d just check with your vet first) but at least if you take him the vets, he will have a look at his chin, its piece of mind for you, at a small cost xx
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mgina
Foraging Degu
Posts: 99
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Post by mgina on Jan 4, 2011 17:41:14 GMT
He has never been interested in chewing and biting, I know it's weird! We're considering calling the vets around and asking if anyone can do it. The vets here are not as good on small rodents, so this could be very expensive (as they charge around 100 £ for just a look), and he's not so tame that we can hold him still. I'll try finding a lump under his chin, but as said, he's not very cooperative  He seems better today, running the wheel, eating, having fun. And he does eat, he just use very much time on it since his teeth aren't the best... |
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Post by blossombrooks on Jan 4, 2011 21:59:50 GMT
Well I've invested in a lava ledge and some empty walnut shells. Pepper is chewing both and her teeth have improved a bit. Maybe you could try giving garak some oats or a treat you can keep hold of while you feel under the chin? Mine aren't great at the co-operation either but that worked while I checked them. :-)
thanks everyone for the ideas. X
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