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Post by kimsgerbils on Aug 15, 2006 11:34:36 GMT -8
Well, I was feeding the gerbils mealworms and noticed that Riley couldn't eat his.. he kept dropping it and getting frustrated so I took him out and noticed he has some tooth issues.. He has NO upper teeth, just one shattered nubbin, and then his lower teeth are alot longer than they should be (since he can't chew to wear them down)... I'm thinking I'll take him to the vet, see if they can do anything, or at least help hold him so I can trim the teeth... I usually trim teeth on my own, but these are longer and not as brittle as most of the oldies' teeth that I trim... I managed to get some pics (blurry, but it's hard to get a clear pic)...   |
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Post by pepandmax on Aug 15, 2006 12:26:21 GMT -8
Actually, that's what happened to Max when his teeth got messed up. One had broken off just above the gum line, and the other was loose and ended up coming out. The bottom two were overgrown.
The vet trimmed the bottom teeth and pulled out the loose top one. That was a gamble--there was no guarantee that it would grow back, but it did, and he hasn't had any problems since.
The vet should be able to trim down the bottom teeth. If you have concerns that the top teeth won't grow back, why don't you ask the vet if s/he can teach you to trim the bottom teeth yourself? It might save some hassle.
I've had excellent success with pulverizing the normal gerbil diet (minus seeds--just pellets) and reconstituting the resulting powder with some water. If the gerbil is dehydrated, I make it soupy, but if they seem to want to pick up the food to eat it, I roll out pea-sized balls of the damp food. The gerbils like it because it tasts just like they're used to, but its in a form they can eat.
It'll be ok! I think the hardest part for the gerbils is the psychological part--they really want to chew, and they like hard foods, but it's not possible. If you give him alternatives, he'll be fine.
EDIT: ok, so the pictures finally showed up... ouch, those bottom teeth are long. Are they hitting the top of his mouth? That might get painful.
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Post by kimsgerbils on Aug 15, 2006 18:59:28 GMT -8
Yes, they are hitting the top of his mouth.. I've been giving him some of my rodent cookies, and he can eat the cheerios and kashi cereal just fine... I tried trimming his teeth a few times already, but he starts squeaking and puts either his tongue or foot in the way, and I don't want to clip off anything that shouldn't be clipped...
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Post by kimsgerbils on Aug 16, 2006 9:31:22 GMT -8
Ok.. teeth are trimmed... I was worried, so I tried again this morning and got them without him fighting it... So, his bottom teeth are now about level with his lower lips when they're relaxed... Right after the cutting, and some initial pawing at the mouth, he started attempting to chew on the tp roll... So, he has the want to chew, but without the top teeth he can't... The top teeth are slowly budding through, so I think after a week or so of a special mash diet and spoiling, he should be on his way to a normal chewing lifestyle..
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