Post by bouncy on Jan 3, 2018 21:11:31 GMT
Degus have two specific groups of teeth. The first are the pairs of incisors at the front of the mouth, which many of us have had through our skin at one time or another. They also have premolars and eight molars, just like humans, to perform their grinding work. Like other rodents, these teeth constantly grow, and need the constant chewing that sometimes frustrates us when we’re trying to watch the TV to keep them at a manageable length.
What do healthy degu teeth look like?
The easiest to see are the incisors. Each set should be together, straight, and yellow/orange. The top set should line up with the bottom set. The top set should not interfere with the bottom set, and vice versa.
Unless you have very cooperative degus and a scope, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to see their molars.
How do I know if my degus have dental problems?
Unfortunately, there are so many different issues that degus can have with their teeth.
First of all, have a look! Incisors are easily seen. You may see:
As the molars are difficult to see, you may notice signs such as:
Some of these symptoms may be due to other things, such as a chest infection, a broken water bottle, bullying, or being cold. Likewise, your degu may show other signs that aren’t on this list. It really is a question of getting to know your goos.
What can I do?
Your first stop must be the vet. You can’t really do anything for MOST of the problems, but there are a couple of exceptions where you may think it’s not necessary.
The exceptions are the teeth that are white, or have white patches. These generally have two causes. The first is nutritional. Missing the correct balance of vitamins and minerals can be reflected in the teeth. Have a look at what you’re feeding. Our commercial food chart shows foods and their suitability for a healthy goo. If this doesn’t clear up, go to your vet.
Damage from a fall, fight, or other angst, can damage the enamel of the teeth. These should heal up by themselves, but keep an eye on them. If a tooth has been damaged, it may break. The teeth may also end up becoming misaligned, which can cause longer term problems. You will want to consider the vet here too, if the tooth continues not to grow straight.
So, my degu teeth are fine at the front. What can go wrong with the back set?
Molars can become overgrown. General overgrowth is possible if a goo has been sick, and has been nursed on soft foods like critical care or baby food. Provided it’s not been too long, they should be able to grind these down again themselves, particularly when they move back onto their normal diet.
A growing (excuse the pun) problem with Degus is the growth of spurs from these molars. Spurs are random, smaller growths from the teeth, which may go in any direction. The goo may experience anything from uncomfortable eating, to an inability to bring its jaw together. The spurs may also grow outwards into the cheek, causing terrible pain. You will almost certainly notice blood from their mouth in later stages, or notice a cheek lump. Spurs can also damage the tongue. They can grow over or through the tongue, making it virtually impossible for them to drink, let alone eat.
Elodontoma was first found in a Degu in 2008, although there could well have been other cases before this. It is the growth of the tooth roots themselves (both molar and incisors) outwards from the mouth, either out through the bottom of the jaw, or up into the nasal cavities or brain. This is not a death sentence, unless severe. Many forum members have healthy, active degus with this condition. With careful management, a degu with elodontoma can live a good life.
Phew! Anything else that can go wrong??
Yes. Just like humans, goos can develop dental caries (tooth decay), gum disease, abscesses, and other infections.
How can I find out if my Degu has these other teeth issues?
The ONLY person who can diagnose and treat molar, root, caries or abscess issues is your vet.
Spurs can be burred away or cut and removed if the tongue is involved. Antibiotics can be given for possible infection. Abscesses can be drained and treated with antibiotics. Bad or broken teeth can be trimmed or removed.
ALL of these treatments need to be carried out under gas sedation or a general anaesthetic. If you have ANY concerns of root problems, ask your vet for an x-ray whilst they’re under sedation. This is the ONLY way a degu will stay still enough for an x-ray! The anaesthesia and gas are traumatic and risky, so getting both done at the same time will lessen the strain on your goo.
Some vets will see your degu, but won’t have specialist knowledge. They may discount root problems by feeling along the jaw, telling you this is sufficient. An x-ray is the only way to correctly diagnose root problems. Unfortunately, a vet can’t do much for root issues.
In all cases, your vet should send you home with some pain relief. Metacam is a favourite, as it’s honey-flavoured. If you’re offered anything else, ask if it’s flavoured, or that you’re happy dosing your goo. Don't be afraid to go back to your vet if you haave any issues with medication - goos can be very fussy at the best of times.
So, once my Degu has been treated, is that it?
It depends.
First of all, your goo will be dealing with the after-effects of the anaesthetic. Their mouth will also be sore and, if there’s infection, you may find they’re run down.
Immediate aftercare will involve giving them medication. Some will readily take it, others will insist on taking it with a treat, others will need to be turned into a burrito.
Feeding can also be problematic. If their mouths are sore, or their teeth have been restricting their eating for quite a while, it may take them time to start eating again. This is individual to each goo. Some will spontaneously start eating again within a few hours, others may need softer feed, such as ground or wet food, and some may need both food and water fed to them by a syringe. If your goo has not been eating for a while, you’ll need to get their weight up. Normal rules can be relaxed. Go for high-calorie foods, like ground nuts (even peanuts), vegetable baby food (carrots and peas are normally high in sugar, but if it gets them eating…….) and treats to entice them.
Infection may develop, so keep an eye on their recovery. This is particularly important if your vet hasn’t requested a follow-up appointment. If you don’t notice any improvement within 24-36 hours, give your vet a call again.
If your goo has been treated for spurs, overgrown, or misaligned teeth, there‘s every chance they’ll need further treatment. Your vet should discuss this with you.
I feel like such a bad Degu slave. Is there anything I could have done to prevent this?
Again, it depends.
If the teeth become damaged as a result of a fall, look at your set-up. It might have been a freak incident, or there’s every chance of it happening again. Make changes if you need to.
Overgrown teeth can often be controlled by their feed and environment. Make sure there are plenty of things in their homes to chew on, and try not to get too frustrated with the racket they make. It’s necessary, after all! Give them a good quality hay. The grinding action when eating hay helps to keep their teeth in check. Degus can be very fussy when it comes to hay, so it’s really worth persevering with finding something they’ll eat.
Is there anything else that could have caused this?
Yes, maybe.
There has been very little research undertaken on degus, although this is starting to increase because degu brains have been found ideal for examining the causes and development of Alzheimer’s.
What we do know is that there has been quite a bit of inbreeding within the pet trade. In any species, inbreeding has been known to cause bodily defects, which could be a contributing factor to an increase in things like dental spurs and root issues.
However, we also know that degus in the wild have also been found to have these problems. Whether they are as prevalent is unknown.
We also now know that degu diet should have a calcium (Ca) to Phosphorus (P) ratio of 2:1, with the total calcium in the diet being 1-1.2%. An incorrect balance has been shown to contribute to dental spur and root problems, as well as kidney calcification (kidney stones).
I’ve heard that vitamin D is important. Why?
Degus are like humans. They sleep through the night, and are active and awake during the day (although our own may not appear to believe this). Their bodies, therefore, receive the natural sunlight, which helps their bodies produce vitamin D from the plant matter that they eat in the wild. Without the sunlight, they cannot produce vitamin D, as dietary sources alone are not sufficient.
Vitamin D is essential in most mammals to help the body metabolise the calcium from the diet. There are studies in humans and other species showing that good calcium absorption leads to good mineralisation, essential for healthy teeth and bones. Humans have been shown to develop serious health issues without vitamin D, including rickets.
Why do pet degus have problems?
We can't be certain that it is just pet degus, because the research just isn't available.
One possible cause is diet. Many degu feeds tend to be plant-based, with or without grains. Some of these feeds are fortified with vitamins, including Vitamin D, but not all. Feed can be anything from specialist degu pellets to the SAB (species appropriate and balanced) mix from Hansemman.
A fundamental difference between wild and pet degus is that pets are almost always kept inside. Even if your degu home is in front of a south-facing window, your degus are, ironically, NOT getting benefits of the sunlight. The important bit of the sunlight that degus need is UVB rays. Domestic glass is designed to block anything up to 95% of both UVA and UVB rays, so the sunlight that comes through your windows does nothing apart from warm and light their cage.
So, should I be giving my Degus vitamin D?
This is an area where there has been little to no research. Too much of any supplemented vitamin can be toxic, and create health problems in itself. The toxic level of vitamin D in degus is not known, although the human levels have been found to be significant compared to the average levels.
Many commercial degu foods include a vitamin D substitute, which compensates for their being kept inside. If you’re not sure, check the packaging, especially the nutritional analysis.
Adding a vitamin D supplement in this scenario could cause issues.
If you’re feeding 50:50 commercial and natural food, you could argue that your goo may benefit from adding some vitamin D, but bear in mind your circumstances, and how much vitamin D they are already getting.
If you’re feeding a 100% natural diet, then your argument for supplenting vitamin D would be stronger still.
REMEMBER: dental issues are not just caused by vitamin D deficiency. They are caused by other factors already mentioned. You should rule out all other factors already discussed before thinking of adding any supplement.
OK, so supplementing vitamin D is a bit of an unknown. I'd still like to give it a go. What are my options?
Before supplementing anything, ALWAYS use caution. Too much of anything in a diet is bad, particularly excess vitamins and minerals. If you strongly believe you need to add vitamin D, start VERY small.
REMEMBER: There is almost no scientific research into this area, so most evidence is anecdotal, coming from other degu owners.
UVB Bulbs - These are traditionally available for the reptile market, and come in different strengths depending on whether your reptile is aquatic, from the desert, or the jungle. Your choice will depend on your set-up. If your footprint is large, and you only have a couple of levels, you may want to consider a jungle lamp. If you have a multi-level cage, you might want to think about a desert lamp for one of the levels. Whatever your set-up, don’t forget what degus get up to in the wild. They may sunbathe, but also spend a lot of time in undergrowth, as well as underground. Compare this to the layout your degus have.
UVB bulbs decay over time, and must be replaced every year to ensure they continue to provide UVB rays.
The effectiveness of a UVB bulb is very dependent on the distance between the bulb and your goos. Shining a UVB bulb through mesh can reduce the effective UVB output into the cage by up to 50%. Likewise, many manufacturers claim a drop of 80% output if the bulb is more than 6-8 inches away from their critter.
A recent study, however, has identified that this information is incorrect, and that the bulbs, together with the manufacturer recommendations, provides significantly more UVB than an animal would ordinarily experience in the wild. Have a read HERE!
Dietary Supplements - Some owners have experimented with vitamin D, some results can be found on various forums and sites. However, general research has found that vitamin D3 is utilised by the degu body better than D2. You must also ensure that any supplement does NOT contain anything else, such as magnesium. It MUST be a pure vitamin D supplement.
Vitamin D3 is available on the market as powder, drop, or tablet, which will need to be crushed. However you give it to your goos, you also have to be careful to make sure your greedy alpha goo doesn’t scoff all of the food with the supplement, leaving nothing for the others. You might end up with a toxic alpha, and deficient others. With drops, you also have to consider that vitamin D is fat soluable, not water soluable. This means that, if adding it to their water supply, the bottle will often need a shake.
How do I know if I have given my goo too much vitamin D?
There is no defined level of toxicity in degus. However, the results of giving your degus too much vitamin D can be just as bad as the issues you are trying to negate.
Toxic levels of vitamin D can lead to:
If you spot any of these signs, stop any supplements IMMEDIATELY! If caught in the early stages, your goo should be able to recover.
So, do you recommend me giving my degu UVB or vitamin D supplement?
This forum does NOT make any specific recommendation regarding vitamin D supplementation.
There has been very little research into this area that is specific to degus, and it is likely to stay that way for a while.
We welcome any members who have wider experiences or knowledge to share this on the forum. Members wishing to experiment with vitamin D must make their own judgements, but we urge you to bear in mind the information provided.
What do healthy degu teeth look like?
The easiest to see are the incisors. Each set should be together, straight, and yellow/orange. The top set should line up with the bottom set. The top set should not interfere with the bottom set, and vice versa.
Unless you have very cooperative degus and a scope, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to see their molars.
How do I know if my degus have dental problems?
Unfortunately, there are so many different issues that degus can have with their teeth.
First of all, have a look! Incisors are easily seen. You may see:
- White teeth, or teeth with white patches
- Broken teeth
- A pair of incisors growing apart or misaligned
- A goo that might not be able to close its mouth
- Bleeding from the mouth
As the molars are difficult to see, you may notice signs such as:
- A goo not eating, or having problems eating (particularly hard things like dandelion root, or food repeatedly falling out of their mouth)
- General lethargy and fluffed
- A goo unable to drink, or having problems getting enough water into its mouth
- A runny nose (perhaps with bits of sand stuck to it)
- Weepy eyes
- Wet fur around the mouth
- Pawing at the mouth (not to be confused with a good clean)
- Breathing problems
- Weight loss
Some of these symptoms may be due to other things, such as a chest infection, a broken water bottle, bullying, or being cold. Likewise, your degu may show other signs that aren’t on this list. It really is a question of getting to know your goos.
What can I do?
Your first stop must be the vet. You can’t really do anything for MOST of the problems, but there are a couple of exceptions where you may think it’s not necessary.
The exceptions are the teeth that are white, or have white patches. These generally have two causes. The first is nutritional. Missing the correct balance of vitamins and minerals can be reflected in the teeth. Have a look at what you’re feeding. Our commercial food chart shows foods and their suitability for a healthy goo. If this doesn’t clear up, go to your vet.
Damage from a fall, fight, or other angst, can damage the enamel of the teeth. These should heal up by themselves, but keep an eye on them. If a tooth has been damaged, it may break. The teeth may also end up becoming misaligned, which can cause longer term problems. You will want to consider the vet here too, if the tooth continues not to grow straight.
So, my degu teeth are fine at the front. What can go wrong with the back set?
Molars can become overgrown. General overgrowth is possible if a goo has been sick, and has been nursed on soft foods like critical care or baby food. Provided it’s not been too long, they should be able to grind these down again themselves, particularly when they move back onto their normal diet.
A growing (excuse the pun) problem with Degus is the growth of spurs from these molars. Spurs are random, smaller growths from the teeth, which may go in any direction. The goo may experience anything from uncomfortable eating, to an inability to bring its jaw together. The spurs may also grow outwards into the cheek, causing terrible pain. You will almost certainly notice blood from their mouth in later stages, or notice a cheek lump. Spurs can also damage the tongue. They can grow over or through the tongue, making it virtually impossible for them to drink, let alone eat.
Elodontoma was first found in a Degu in 2008, although there could well have been other cases before this. It is the growth of the tooth roots themselves (both molar and incisors) outwards from the mouth, either out through the bottom of the jaw, or up into the nasal cavities or brain. This is not a death sentence, unless severe. Many forum members have healthy, active degus with this condition. With careful management, a degu with elodontoma can live a good life.
Phew! Anything else that can go wrong??
Yes. Just like humans, goos can develop dental caries (tooth decay), gum disease, abscesses, and other infections.
How can I find out if my Degu has these other teeth issues?
The ONLY person who can diagnose and treat molar, root, caries or abscess issues is your vet.
Spurs can be burred away or cut and removed if the tongue is involved. Antibiotics can be given for possible infection. Abscesses can be drained and treated with antibiotics. Bad or broken teeth can be trimmed or removed.
ALL of these treatments need to be carried out under gas sedation or a general anaesthetic. If you have ANY concerns of root problems, ask your vet for an x-ray whilst they’re under sedation. This is the ONLY way a degu will stay still enough for an x-ray! The anaesthesia and gas are traumatic and risky, so getting both done at the same time will lessen the strain on your goo.
Some vets will see your degu, but won’t have specialist knowledge. They may discount root problems by feeling along the jaw, telling you this is sufficient. An x-ray is the only way to correctly diagnose root problems. Unfortunately, a vet can’t do much for root issues.
In all cases, your vet should send you home with some pain relief. Metacam is a favourite, as it’s honey-flavoured. If you’re offered anything else, ask if it’s flavoured, or that you’re happy dosing your goo. Don't be afraid to go back to your vet if you haave any issues with medication - goos can be very fussy at the best of times.
So, once my Degu has been treated, is that it?
It depends.
First of all, your goo will be dealing with the after-effects of the anaesthetic. Their mouth will also be sore and, if there’s infection, you may find they’re run down.
Immediate aftercare will involve giving them medication. Some will readily take it, others will insist on taking it with a treat, others will need to be turned into a burrito.
Feeding can also be problematic. If their mouths are sore, or their teeth have been restricting their eating for quite a while, it may take them time to start eating again. This is individual to each goo. Some will spontaneously start eating again within a few hours, others may need softer feed, such as ground or wet food, and some may need both food and water fed to them by a syringe. If your goo has not been eating for a while, you’ll need to get their weight up. Normal rules can be relaxed. Go for high-calorie foods, like ground nuts (even peanuts), vegetable baby food (carrots and peas are normally high in sugar, but if it gets them eating…….) and treats to entice them.
Infection may develop, so keep an eye on their recovery. This is particularly important if your vet hasn’t requested a follow-up appointment. If you don’t notice any improvement within 24-36 hours, give your vet a call again.
If your goo has been treated for spurs, overgrown, or misaligned teeth, there‘s every chance they’ll need further treatment. Your vet should discuss this with you.
I feel like such a bad Degu slave. Is there anything I could have done to prevent this?
Again, it depends.
If the teeth become damaged as a result of a fall, look at your set-up. It might have been a freak incident, or there’s every chance of it happening again. Make changes if you need to.
Overgrown teeth can often be controlled by their feed and environment. Make sure there are plenty of things in their homes to chew on, and try not to get too frustrated with the racket they make. It’s necessary, after all! Give them a good quality hay. The grinding action when eating hay helps to keep their teeth in check. Degus can be very fussy when it comes to hay, so it’s really worth persevering with finding something they’ll eat.
Is there anything else that could have caused this?
Yes, maybe.
There has been very little research undertaken on degus, although this is starting to increase because degu brains have been found ideal for examining the causes and development of Alzheimer’s.
What we do know is that there has been quite a bit of inbreeding within the pet trade. In any species, inbreeding has been known to cause bodily defects, which could be a contributing factor to an increase in things like dental spurs and root issues.
However, we also know that degus in the wild have also been found to have these problems. Whether they are as prevalent is unknown.
We also now know that degu diet should have a calcium (Ca) to Phosphorus (P) ratio of 2:1, with the total calcium in the diet being 1-1.2%. An incorrect balance has been shown to contribute to dental spur and root problems, as well as kidney calcification (kidney stones).
I’ve heard that vitamin D is important. Why?
Degus are like humans. They sleep through the night, and are active and awake during the day (although our own may not appear to believe this). Their bodies, therefore, receive the natural sunlight, which helps their bodies produce vitamin D from the plant matter that they eat in the wild. Without the sunlight, they cannot produce vitamin D, as dietary sources alone are not sufficient.
Vitamin D is essential in most mammals to help the body metabolise the calcium from the diet. There are studies in humans and other species showing that good calcium absorption leads to good mineralisation, essential for healthy teeth and bones. Humans have been shown to develop serious health issues without vitamin D, including rickets.
Why do pet degus have problems?
We can't be certain that it is just pet degus, because the research just isn't available.
One possible cause is diet. Many degu feeds tend to be plant-based, with or without grains. Some of these feeds are fortified with vitamins, including Vitamin D, but not all. Feed can be anything from specialist degu pellets to the SAB (species appropriate and balanced) mix from Hansemman.
A fundamental difference between wild and pet degus is that pets are almost always kept inside. Even if your degu home is in front of a south-facing window, your degus are, ironically, NOT getting benefits of the sunlight. The important bit of the sunlight that degus need is UVB rays. Domestic glass is designed to block anything up to 95% of both UVA and UVB rays, so the sunlight that comes through your windows does nothing apart from warm and light their cage.
So, should I be giving my Degus vitamin D?
This is an area where there has been little to no research. Too much of any supplemented vitamin can be toxic, and create health problems in itself. The toxic level of vitamin D in degus is not known, although the human levels have been found to be significant compared to the average levels.
Many commercial degu foods include a vitamin D substitute, which compensates for their being kept inside. If you’re not sure, check the packaging, especially the nutritional analysis.
Adding a vitamin D supplement in this scenario could cause issues.
If you’re feeding 50:50 commercial and natural food, you could argue that your goo may benefit from adding some vitamin D, but bear in mind your circumstances, and how much vitamin D they are already getting.
If you’re feeding a 100% natural diet, then your argument for supplenting vitamin D would be stronger still.
REMEMBER: dental issues are not just caused by vitamin D deficiency. They are caused by other factors already mentioned. You should rule out all other factors already discussed before thinking of adding any supplement.
OK, so supplementing vitamin D is a bit of an unknown. I'd still like to give it a go. What are my options?
Before supplementing anything, ALWAYS use caution. Too much of anything in a diet is bad, particularly excess vitamins and minerals. If you strongly believe you need to add vitamin D, start VERY small.
REMEMBER: There is almost no scientific research into this area, so most evidence is anecdotal, coming from other degu owners.
UVB Bulbs - These are traditionally available for the reptile market, and come in different strengths depending on whether your reptile is aquatic, from the desert, or the jungle. Your choice will depend on your set-up. If your footprint is large, and you only have a couple of levels, you may want to consider a jungle lamp. If you have a multi-level cage, you might want to think about a desert lamp for one of the levels. Whatever your set-up, don’t forget what degus get up to in the wild. They may sunbathe, but also spend a lot of time in undergrowth, as well as underground. Compare this to the layout your degus have.
UVB bulbs decay over time, and must be replaced every year to ensure they continue to provide UVB rays.
The effectiveness of a UVB bulb is very dependent on the distance between the bulb and your goos. Shining a UVB bulb through mesh can reduce the effective UVB output into the cage by up to 50%. Likewise, many manufacturers claim a drop of 80% output if the bulb is more than 6-8 inches away from their critter.
A recent study, however, has identified that this information is incorrect, and that the bulbs, together with the manufacturer recommendations, provides significantly more UVB than an animal would ordinarily experience in the wild. Have a read HERE!
Dietary Supplements - Some owners have experimented with vitamin D, some results can be found on various forums and sites. However, general research has found that vitamin D3 is utilised by the degu body better than D2. You must also ensure that any supplement does NOT contain anything else, such as magnesium. It MUST be a pure vitamin D supplement.
Vitamin D3 is available on the market as powder, drop, or tablet, which will need to be crushed. However you give it to your goos, you also have to be careful to make sure your greedy alpha goo doesn’t scoff all of the food with the supplement, leaving nothing for the others. You might end up with a toxic alpha, and deficient others. With drops, you also have to consider that vitamin D is fat soluable, not water soluable. This means that, if adding it to their water supply, the bottle will often need a shake.
How do I know if I have given my goo too much vitamin D?
There is no defined level of toxicity in degus. However, the results of giving your degus too much vitamin D can be just as bad as the issues you are trying to negate.
Toxic levels of vitamin D can lead to:
- The same signs of diabetes, which could lead to diabetes being mistreated
- Kidney problems, including painful calcium deposits and kidney stones, and even kidney failure
- Joint and bone issues, as a result of excess calcium in the bloodstream forming as deposits and spurs on the bones
If you spot any of these signs, stop any supplements IMMEDIATELY! If caught in the early stages, your goo should be able to recover.
So, do you recommend me giving my degu UVB or vitamin D supplement?
This forum does NOT make any specific recommendation regarding vitamin D supplementation.
There has been very little research into this area that is specific to degus, and it is likely to stay that way for a while.
We welcome any members who have wider experiences or knowledge to share this on the forum. Members wishing to experiment with vitamin D must make their own judgements, but we urge you to bear in mind the information provided.