I have a Toothy Dilemma...update 02/26

[Jennicat]

What a pretty girl, and what a scary situation to deal with! I don't even know what I'd do if I looked in a ratty mouth and saw that... probably pass out, hah!


So kind of a dumb question on rattie teeth in general...

They don't recommend that you clip guinea pig teeth at home because when you use cat nail trimmers (or whatever) they tend to split the teeth (and then you have problems like this!) and because piggie front teeth very very rarely overgrow without a more serious problem going on with the molars.

Is the splitting less of an issue for rats?

 

[jorats]

I'd say splitting is less of an issue but breakage is a big one.

 

[lilspaz68]

Well its seems we were going in every 3-4 weeks, but its starting to look like 2-3 weeks now.
Angel was last in for her trim on Feb 13th...and you can see how advanced/crooked it is. She cannot eat solids anymore. Poor Angel. Well she thinks its dandy, ensure, oatmeal, ground up veggies :happydance:

She's 30 months now

 

[bruxxy]

Oh god! That looks awful

I wonder if it's really painful for her?

 

[jorats]

My Nessie has her top teeth going sideways like that too. I'm due to trim them probably today. But from watching Nessie she doesn't seem in pain but her's is not as bad as Angel... and Nessie can still eat blocks.

One thing you can ask which is what happened with Nessie is that my vet trimmed her teeth right to the gum line and it helped to straighten a little bit. Maybe your vet could try that too with Angel?

 

[ryelle]

So are her teeth crooked from a 'malformed jaw'?? why would a rat get one of those? is it something from birth?

I like looking at these teeth pics - gives me some general idea of what my rats teeth should look like - colour, length, straitness etc.

Does having to get her teeth trimmed so much not bothering her? I know the vet knocks her out but im wondering if shes ever bothered afterwards. Poor girl. She is a cutie though ^^

 

[lilspaz68]

We talked about it, and the gum line is further down the tooth at the back so she does trim it down there. She showed me once when Angel was still a bit groggy

 

[lilspaz68]

Sorry...Can't resize pics at work, stupid 'puter

I think the one thing I did hear sounded most plausible.

Older rats don't absorb nutrients like they used to and the calcium leaches out of their bones making them more brittle and bendy, which can create these developed malocclusions.

 

[jorats]

Which makes sense to me that it's with age... Jasper had it in his progressed age as well as Nessie, just out of the blue one day they started going crooked but she is 2 years old.

 

[lilspaz68]

I am sure injury/trauma could do it as well, but I think the rubber-jaw older rats can develop makes a lot of sense with our cases.

 

[Moon]

*has a small breakdown*

Poor Angel, and poor you having to deal with those darn teeth!

 

[Chel]

What a sin. My Rose has teeth that grow to the side too, I cut them at home for the first time last night. It seems the more often they're cut, the less time it takes between trimmings. ugh. Good luck!