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[pink]

from what I've heard chins teeth are supposed to be a dark orange color all over. my chins teeth are white-ish just on the very very side of the teeth. is that okay?

[lesliesuniquecharm]

Roo's teeth are white too..he chews on everything ...hehe theres no way he can have bad teeth..i let him chew on my finger to make sure they're still even..

[Abby W.]

Chinchillas are born with white teeth.  Their teeth change color as they grow, sometime between 6 and 12 weeks, from what I have seen.  An adult chin who has white teeth is not getting enough calcium.  Too little calcium can lead to a condition called hypocalcemia, which can cause seizures.  It is important to check their teeth to make sure they are the proper color.  Mine range from a medium yellow to a deep caramel-orangey color.  I have also seen the sides of the teeth turn a little white.  When I see this I usually give a little calcium supplement, like half of a Tums with calcium tablet.  I'm probably being a little overly cautious, but better safe than sorry.

[Asikovsek]

Tums is deffinitly a good way to boost calcium in chins, also make sure your chins are eatting a higher end feed if they are having calcium problems, make sure they have lots of hay perferably alfalfa hay, also you can try to give your chins live bacteria yogurt, dannon makes a good one.  This give your chins live bacteria that is good for their digestive systems and give them a calcium boost.  I give it to all my chins atleast once a month to keep their bellys in good shape. There are many different things you can do, but you should always try to keep their teeth as orange as possible to prolong their life and protect them from problems!

[shadowborne]

I have found, and I heard this from the exotic vent and our regular vet, that cuddle bone is a good suggestions for calcium. I have been giving it to Silver since we first got her and she loves it and will go through half a cuddle bone every 2 months. Her teeth are exactly as they should be and we don't give her special suppliments, just her regular high quality food (the one most recommend, mauri or something) and plenty of alfalfa and timothy hay. She's getting a little plump but that might have something to do with her getting into the sunflower bag a week ago (She found a way onto the top shelf of our cabinet with nothing around for her to shimmy up or jump onto and get there. We still have NO idea how she got up that high). Anyway, I use cuddle bone for that so if people on the forums approve it could be a good way to give them a constant source of calcium.

[ChillinChinchillas]

I am a big believer in cuttle bone. I give my chins cuttlebone (Well we do cuttlebites) a few times a week. I give my pregnant females tiny pieces in their food along with a tiny peice of tums with calcium. All of my chins just love it!

[pink]

thanks guys, i'll try something like that. he eats mazuri, and i have a cuttlebone in there with him  all the time. plus he gets a supplement from lonestar chinchillas that my breeder recommend. maybe i should try the tums idea though. either way i'll keep an eye on his teeth, i dont want there to be any problems with his teeth, i'd feel so terrible!

[mikasauntie]

Re Cuttlebones...the ones I saw at the petstore had aluminum pieces to hook to bird cage. When you give cuttlebone, do you remove the aluminum, or can you get it without?

[Abby W.]

I just remove the aluminum.  Though I have found mixed results with cuttlebones.  Some of my chins love them, some just pee on them 

[ChillinChinchillas]

I would not put the whole cuttlebone in the cage and leave it. I found that they can get soiled and you don't want your chin eating a dirty treat. I make bags of cuttlebites. I give my chins a peice of cuttle bone and put a few crumblike pieces in their food bowls. The cuttlebone is gone before it has a chance to get soiled.

[Asikovsek]

I do the same its better to put the cuttlebone in pieces because it saves you money and is healthier for the chin.  Chins love to soil things..lol