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22 Mar 2015

Preventing Malocclusion In Chinchillas

Posted By : Guest

Filed Under : Chinchillas | Pet Care

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 is another term for malocclusion in chinchillas, for obvious reasons. Slobbering, or drooling, is a major indication your pet's teeth are misaligned. You'll find drool all over his chin and down his chest. Other symptoms include appetite loss, weight loss, food-dropping and mouth ulcers. You might notice swelling around his jaw, which could be an abscess from a tooth injury. If you find undigested food in your pet's feces when cleaning the cage, take a look at his mouth. He might not be able to chew his food correctly.

Feeding

Feeding your chinchilla the right diet goes a long way in preventing malocclusion. Because his teeth grow all the time, he needs fibre and other good chewing material to wear them down. Make sure he always has plenty of grass, oat, wheat or timothy hay to chew on. Alfalfa hay is a no-no -- it's too high in calcium for your pet. Give him wooden chew toys for teeth exercise. Ask your vet about a mineral block for your pet's cage.

Teeth Clipping

If your chinchilla shows signs of malocclusion, take him to the vet as soon as possible. Your vet will probably need to clip or drill his teeth to correct the problem. Since teeth grow quickly, you might need to make monthly visits for a while until the malocclusion resolves. You can't drill your pet's teeth, but your vet can show how to clip them and probably can provide you with the right tool. If the incisors are the primary issue, you can prevent future malocclusions with regular trimmings.