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Post by misscatafer on Jun 5, 2018 20:30:26 GMT
Yes that incisor keeps going pale on and off! What could it be? Yeah I would leave it too usually as I've seen them worse than that, but I think she grinds her teeth to let me know they are uncomfortable.
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Post by bouncy on Jun 5, 2018 20:34:20 GMT
It's strange - I often hear Scaredy grinding his teeth, but he's eating just fine at the moment, and is maintaining weight, so I'm not going to do anything about a trim for now - it'll be six months at the end of June! I just wonder if he's consciously checking them himself?
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Post by misscatafer on Jun 5, 2018 20:50:17 GMT
Maybe, 6 months is fantastic
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2018 18:23:36 GMT
Good luck with you and Boo! She is looking a bit hill billy... reminds me of a certain Mr Tibbs lol!
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Post by misscatafer on Jun 21, 2018 11:16:01 GMT
Just thought I would share some of my observations over the past week as they are quite interesting! I haven't taken Boo for another trim yet after I was concerned a few weeks ago, I decided to be strict and follow the vets advice to wait until she drops weight two weeks running.. Which still hadn't happened. Anyway, on Friday I did the mahoosive cage clean (which was quite difficult with my emerging baby bump! Think Rob will have to the bottom levels next time.) and I noticed p@h have changed their wood shavings slightly, they seem to contain a lot more bark and generally seem more 'woody', has anyone else noticed this? Boo has gone absolutely mad for them bless her and when I popped her back in the fresh cage she wouldn't stop eating and nibbling on it. I decided it was perfectly safe so am not too worried, but she has literally left empty spaces where she has been hoovering the pieces up! Ever since this, she has been chewing things! Which is so unusual for her.. She has a little wooden log which she has been gnawing away at, as well as a sandstone type toy. Isn't this weird? She has also been much more active, using the flying saucer and wheel frequently and enjoying the cage more. I checked her teeth yesterday and her bottom incisors are noticeably shorter, I think she has actually ground them down a bit! The three main things which have changed this week are having a clean cage, 'new' p@h substrate and I have been feeding them fresh forage from the garden. All these things seem to have made some kind of difference to her which is great to see
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Post by deguconvert on Jun 21, 2018 15:00:03 GMT
WOOHOO!!! I love that! Hey, since your parents have a large amount of raspberry cane, you can also give the canes to your degus as chewing fodder. You just have to shave the spikes off of them. Somehow.
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Post by bouncy on Jun 21, 2018 15:51:11 GMT
The Bedmax equine shavings are like those! They're jumbo flakes, but they also have bits of bark in, and are much woodier. Spud loves them too.
Might be worth seeing if you can find a local stockist - it's a 20kg bale for about £7. Because the flakes are bigger, you may find that she goes even more mad chewing on them!
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Post by misscatafer on Jun 21, 2018 17:58:51 GMT
I'll keep an eye out, thanks!
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Post by moletteuk on Jun 21, 2018 19:23:05 GMT
I wonder if having fresh things to chew has triggered the more natural behaviour in her. Chewing bark off twigs was always a major activity for my crew. I think bark must taste good and they do actually swallow it. The german forums always suggest that fresh forage has more benefits that just the water content of the forage over dry stuff. This is interesting!
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Post by misscatafer on Jun 21, 2018 20:54:58 GMT
Well guys I jinxed it; weighed them a night early today as we are going camping this weekend, she's dropped another 8g, totalling 15g in 2 weeks... So definitely a trip to Gavin when we get back. Quite disappointed but I suppose with dental disease this is to be expected. And she is acting and looking so well at the moment...
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Post by deguconvert on Jun 22, 2018 5:37:15 GMT
Hopefully it is more a blip and not the result of dental issues. Really hoping for this!!
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Post by misscatafer on Jun 28, 2018 15:46:35 GMT
Boo saw Gavin today. The problem molars were not overgrown but were covered in spurs, two on the left, one on the right which were all removed. The left side of her tongue is quite ulcerated from the spurs poor thing, but that should clear up now. She had a full trim of all teeth back and front, Gavin feels her top incisors are growing back unusually thick so that is something to keep an eye on. She sustained a small cut to her mouth during the process but again, that should heal. She has been given a pain relief injection. When I collected her she was so sprightly and alert, straight up on my shoulder the nurse was cooing and cooing over her saying how lovely she is. I was worried about bringing her home in the heat, so they gave me a rubber glove filled with ice cubes to put in her travel case for the journey home, which I appreciated. She was fast asleep when I got her home and wouldn't stir even when I had the lid open and Toby practically diving in to say hello. Since being home all the excitement has caught up with her and she is now fast asleep on her favourite perch. I just wish these little things had voices to let us know when they are in pain! She shows no signs whatsoever, so I just have to keep on waiting for the weight to drop. Good thing is she is all sorted now for a few more months and should be back to her usual self in no time
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Post by yasmin on Jun 29, 2018 3:08:10 GMT
Yeah, I wish they could tell me too. Good you brought her in - she should be feeling a lot better (in a few days – tongue needs to heal too) with those nasty spurs removed.
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Post by misscatafer on Jun 29, 2018 17:20:40 GMT
Well Boos lower incisors are mega mega short, can only see gums presently so she's forced to have soft diet only. I've seen her picking up nuggets and seeds etc, but she's just licking at them then putting them back down. She couldn't even manage linseed last night, so I made her some warm degu porridge made of oats, hot water with a grating of walnut mixed in. She ate that last night but didn't really fancy it today, having a few small mouthfuls then leaving it. She did have some dried forage leaves as long as they were small enough pieces to be 'slurped up'. I laced a small piece of corn with metacam and she licked it all off but couldn't eat the actual piece. To be honest though, I got back today after a few hours out and she was head first in the forage pile munching on who knows what.. Most likely dried leaves and flowers. She has been nice and alert all day, running about the cage, playing with the hanging toys and exploring, she isn't acting like she is starving or in any discomfort. Weighed her this morning and she has lost 10g since the vet trip (pre-op). I bought baby food today, but she had no idea what it was and just stuck her paw in it then ran off. I'm hoping the incisors will be usable again really soon.
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Post by deguconvert on Jun 29, 2018 17:44:15 GMT
Right down to the gum?! OUCH! Poor little love! Having no idea if their teeth have dentin and nerves and blood . . . all I can think of it what that would feel like in me . . . OUCH again!! Hang in there, Misscatafer!
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Post by misscatafer on Jun 29, 2018 23:03:51 GMT
Well, I'm hoping they aren't cut to the gum, but the gums are visible when I look at her and there are no bottom incisors visible at all. She still seems OK, there are half eaten pear leaves strewn about the cage which I assume are from her and she's eaten a bit more porridge just now.
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Post by misscatafer on Jun 30, 2018 8:32:32 GMT
Well weighed her this morning and she's gained 7g, which I don't think would be from one teaspoonful of porridge and a thawed green bean, so she must be eating stuff in the cage she had another teaspoon of porridge this morning sprinkled with forage mix, she is still unable to eat anything hard but if I break things up small enough she is 'slurping' them up.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2018 8:54:27 GMT
Did they look like this when Gavin showed you?
Could they have snapped?
I guess it’s good she’s eating something and gaining weight.
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Post by misscatafer on Jun 30, 2018 14:00:16 GMT
I didn't look at them when I picked her up, just trusted that everything was OK... Hmm do you think there is a chance they could have snapped? I got some pics, sorry they are not that great: this shows the thickness of the top incisors - do they look concerning to you? had to include this one as she thought she had got the treat off me then proceeded to nibble at air hehe! blurry pic of bottom teeth which today are just about visible I treated her in the end obviously and she ate it after much difficulty yay!
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Post by deguconvert on Jun 30, 2018 19:10:39 GMT
WOW! I'll just take your word on the lower incisors beginning to be visible. LOVE the enthusiastic nibbling of air, LOL! SOOO CUTE! Really glad to hear of the weight gain this morning. . . may it continue with heartiness.
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