Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Oddtree]

Hi! Im new here, i just adopted my chinchilla about a week ago.
When she came to me i was aware if her tooth condition but am seeking for some opinions before proceeding.

My chinchilla came with the absence of her lower incisors so her upper incisors are useless so it continues to grow and require clipping every month.
1. Would it be a better alternative for her to have it extracted or to have it clip every month
2. What are the risk for both?
3. How long would i have to look after her 24/7 if she does go for tooth extraction?
4. She is not eating her hay, should i limit her pellets as she eats alot of pellets

Thank you in advance!

[GrayRodent]

I don't know all the answers but I do know that extracting teeth is dangerous as it can break the bones of the skull. Anesthesia is also dangerous and the older your chin gets the riskier it will be to have the teeth filed. Considering she is not eating hay there could be problems with the molars so you'll want have x-rays done to assess that. If the molars are maloccluded it's not going to be worth going forward with any expensive procedures.

Recovery period will vary with the animal. I suppose the first 24 hours will be critical. You'll have to closely monitor for anorexia for three weeks. Chances are the antibiotics are going to be your main culprit for complications.

As far as diet is concerned you will want to have the vet assess her weight and make sure it is healthy. Also make sure you are feeding high quality pellet that are not a mixture like some deluxe diets. Most chinchillas will regulate their food intake. Withholding food can cause digestive complications that can be compounded with these tooth issues. Their system needs a regulated and constant flow of nutrients to be stable.

[BLS Chins]

1 & 2 There is no good option either way. Extracting the teeth are very risky and can lead to further complications. They will need trimmed routinely which can also cause problems (teeth splitting, root exposure, breakage and over growth). If done awake it is at most risk of a problem, with aneth has better results but then you have the stasis and eating risks....
3 Any time after an aneth procedure the first 24 hours are the most critical. Some chins require syringe feeding and medications to avoid stasis. This can last from a few hours to a week or two depending on the dental and the chinchilla. Any time a dental is done medications will be sent home. Antibiotics tend to cause upset stomachs and reduce appetite making hand feeding almost needed every time
4 Limiting food is not a good idea. As long as she is on a quality diet she will be fine. You can try different types of hay, she may like a certain type better.

I would suggest getting full mouth xrays done or ask the previous owner for copies if they were done before you took her in. Teeth issues are a major commitment and require constant maintenance and bills. If her molars are affected that changes everything. Why were her teeth extracted?

[Oddtree]

Hi thanks all for your answers.
I brought her to the vet last friday and her molars are all ok. She had her upper teeth clipped to an appropriate length and weighs about 550g, she put on 100g since december.

We dont know why she has no lower tooth as the rescuer found her that way.

The vet told me to reduce her pellets so that shed eat her hay. I did that and she is beginning to touch her hay, although not much. But will continue to monitor.

Also she is on oxbow pellets so i think she should be fine.

So for now, is it better to bring her to have her teeth clipped every month?

[GrayRodent]

Every month? Wow, that is dedication! That's great the molars are okay.

The risks are serious either way. If the surgery goes wrong you'll lose her up front or have to put her down because of complications. Anesthesia is going to cause damage that will be harder to recover from when she gets older so she probably will not live her full life expectancy. It is a judgement call worthy of more research.

I would think it is safe to assume the teeth were damaged in a fall. Chinchillas must be handled with great care to prevent this kind of injury but accidents do happen. They don't usually result in missing teeth but you hear about it on occasion.

Oxbow is what I feed. Right now it is one of the best. I pray they will not change their formulation. A chinchilla can subsist on entirely loose hay if needed but they may not be able to maintain an optimal weight.