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Post by pinky on Apr 7, 2008 0:50:15 GMT -4
Over the last week or so I've noticed that Fuzz was taking a long time eating his bit of oatmeal in the morning. I've also noticed that he stopped eating the bigger seeds in his mix. I looked at his teeth the other day and they seemed ok, but after I saw him tonight taking 5 minutes to even penetrate a sunflower seed I took a better look. There are sharp edges on one top and one bottom incisor. They're not flat across. Because I was looking at them repeatedly he got freaked out and began to squirm. I noticed that the bottom incisors seemed to spread out away from each other (left and right) to make a V of sorts and then returned to center. Is this normal? Does it sound as though the teeth are loose? Tonight I also found his ear red with a little dried blood in it. I tried to look in the canal and I saw a little dried blood. I can't tell if he maybe cut himself with a sharp nail while scratching. He certainly didn't have a stroke--as I write he is rolling around like a maniac in his ball. Might I need to take him to the vet to have the teeth cut straight across? Any thoughts about the ear? Thanks all.
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Post by pinky on Apr 7, 2008 10:49:34 GMT -4
I made a vet appointment. I gave Fuzz Mazuri mash last night and he ate ravenously--I'm thinking that he hasn't been able to tackle even his favorite small seeds, though they have been disappearing from the dish, and that he was starving. So it's Mazuri mash and other soft food till we see what happens Wednesday. He is obviously getting old--he runs more slowly and with the curved back that Pinky had at a year older than Fuzz is now. I fear that he might not make it to 3+ as the other ones did. All of this in just a few weeks. Katie--Chewie has tooth problems. What suggestions can you make? It could be that Fuzz will need soft foods indefinitely. Thanks again.
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Post by Hamsters82 on Apr 7, 2008 12:19:51 GMT -4
That's good that you're taking him to the vet, I was thinking that straight away. With Chewie, his teeth curl. But if it is teeth, you could ask the vet about baby food (one or two's, it says that on the side) and give him that. The kinds I give him are: peas, green beans, carrots, and sweet potatoes, and then there's a mix of carrots/green beans/peas. But there are others, if you feed Fuzz, say, apples, there's baby food for apples.
I've never heard of that kind of thing for Fuzz, sorry. But maybe he bit something that made his teeth loose. Is there anything in his cage that he could've bit that hard?
Good luck on Wednesday. I'll pray for little Fuzz.
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Post by Andrea on Apr 7, 2008 14:15:32 GMT -4
Hope all goes well at the Vets.
I've had a hamsters teeth clipped, it was quick and simple. One of the gerbils I had adopted out from my place ended up loosing her front teeth, they were loose ad fell out. She had a mash diet for a while and the teeth grew back!
Do you feed him an hard biscuits, Branches or hay? All these things help maintain the teeth.
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Post by pinky on Apr 7, 2008 15:03:17 GMT -4
Thanks to both of you.
Katie, I mentioned on another forum that he lives in an aquarium, so no bars or anything like that are around. He is not a chewer of everything in sight. He chews the things that are supposed to be chewed, like his Mazuri block food, the hard food I give (carrots, broccoli, etc.), his seed diet, the occasional piece of dog biscuit, etc. His teeth were fine till recently.
Pinky needed his teeth clipped regularly as an elderly ham because he stopped chewing on things. That's how I knew where to take Fuzz--I've been through this before.
I just can't believe how he has seemed to age before my eyes. He really does look like Pinky at 3+. He's only 2 and 3 months.
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Apr 7, 2008 18:50:56 GMT -4
>> the bottom incisors seemed to spread out away from each other (left and right) to make a V of sorts and then returned to center. Is this normal? << I am fairly certain rodent incisors (particularly the lower ones) can move sideways to facilitate gnawing, scissors like. I have seen this on many of my critters, both alive and deceased. I have never understood the diet Kate's vet recommended for Chewie: all soft but loaded with starch and some sugar. And starch gets turned into sugar in the mouth and stomach. I can make any food soft with a little water and a hand blender, such as broccoli, or berries. And natural creamy peanut butter (no addtives; only ground peanuts) is already soft. Etc. >> Do you feed him an hard biscuits, Branches or hay? All these things help maintain the teeth. << I would never feed hay or alfalfa to an animal that pouches food. The sharp edges could possible cause a puncture leading to an infection. Hard biscuits, and such, fine. All my critters have wood pieces: even the one hanging down in a rabbit/GP cage gets gnawed on--I can see it. Tooth clipping. Sounds reasonable. I would ask about using a dreml tool instead of a clipper. This is done with GPs to avoid fracturing the tooth even below the gum line. This may not be feasible with a much smaller animal. Would they all have long lives. Just look at my memorial gallery link in my sig below. It is not even up-to-date, sadly. We do what we can. Best wishes to you both.
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Post by Andrea on Apr 8, 2008 13:54:40 GMT -4
My vet uses a dremal tool, it takes seconds.
I feed ALL my animals hay, the Hamsters however get more of the small softer stuff (end of the bag bits) I have never had a problem, and found none of the hammies 'pouch' the hay anyways. I believe more of that statement to be a myth, only because I have never found any information saying it has actually happened. Just like the diabetes 'myth', though i still feed minimal fruits to my guys.
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Post by pinky on Apr 8, 2008 15:07:43 GMT -4
Thanks, everyone.
The Mazuri blocks are a complete diet and are easy to make soft. But there are plenty of other soft foods for variety. Last night he got a bit of plain yogurt, some cooked yam, and a few tiny pieces of angel hair pasta.
I think they use a "bone cutter, " whatever that is.
His ear seemed better today. He has energy, that's for sure.
So tomorrow we go. It will be his first car ride since I brought him home. Critter and Pinky had been on several car rides by this point in their lives. We could walk, actually, but it's still a bit cold for that. He'll go in the purple plastic pumpkin. :-)
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Post by Hamsters82 on Apr 8, 2008 18:17:10 GMT -4
Aw, that's sounds like a cute carry case for him. Good luck to Fuzz and please tell us how it goes Robin.
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Apr 8, 2008 18:51:00 GMT -4
I once had a Syrian hamster get a serious pouch infection which she died from. I have always been concerned since then vis a vis the hay. >> My vet uses a dremal tool, it takes seconds. << There you go! (For all critters??). >> I think they use a "bone cutter, " whatever that is. << Sounds like the name of a horror movie. Good luck and best wishes.
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Post by pinky on Apr 8, 2008 22:32:01 GMT -4
Appointment is tomorrow at 2:45. I teach at 5:30. I'll report back after 9:30 or so.
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Post by pinky on Apr 9, 2008 11:24:48 GMT -4
There's now hair loss around the ear. Mites maybe? It's good that we're going to the vet!
Otherwise he seems fine, just grumpy today. He tried to bite me, but with the teeth he can't, really.
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Apr 9, 2008 15:51:28 GMT -4
Can you look closely for mites? I can always see them with my bare eye even before they feed. (There are some mites that are microscopic).
Hair loss in older critters is not particularly unusual. But look for irritation in the skin and scales, and see how long it lasts.
Best.
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Post by pinky on Apr 9, 2008 16:14:42 GMT -4
It's hard to hold him in the position required to look at the area.
Anyway, the vet went home sick, so we're rescheduled for tomorrow morning at 10:30 (so long as the vet feels better).
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Apr 9, 2008 16:46:37 GMT -4
The saga continues. . . Mites are mostly easily seen not in fur but on bedding, inside wooden houses, or on white paper towels after the critters has been on it awhile especially if rubbed in the possibly afflicted area.
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