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You want to take good care of your little friend with the finest fur. Part of caring for chinchillas requires regular inspection of the state of his mouth and teeth. Unlike human teeth, a chinchilla's teeth grow throughout his lifetime. If they don't wear properly, malocclusion or misalignment results. Simple proper chinchilla husbandry prevents malocclusion except in cases in which the condition is hereditary.
Malocclusion
Chinchillas are rodents, which translated from Latin means "to gnaw." Your pet's incisors grow at the rate of 2 to 3 inches annually, and his molars can be responsible for misalignment. Not only do they make it difficult for your chinchilla to eat, wayward teeth can penetrate his nasal cavity. Malocclusion can cause infections in his teeth that spread into other parts of his body, particularly the sinuses. Untreated, your pet will eventually die from a severe malocclusion. As always, prevention is your best bet.
Symptoms
Slobbers .. [More]
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