Username (email) Password
vetask
vetask vetask
topleft | home | about vetask | your pet healthcare questions answered | register | topleft

Dental problems in the hamster

Rodents have teeth which continually grow throughout their lives and the hamster is no exception. The teeth are usually kept healthy and at the correct length by the gnawing activities of these animals.

Problems may arise with a hamster's teeth if it does not have sufficient opportunities to wear them down during normal feeding and gnawing activities. The incisors and molars may both be affected, however generally only overgrowth of the incisors will be noticed by the owners. These front teeth will appear overly long and may curl slightly; the hamster will also have difficulty feeding. Sometimes the problem is caused by malocclusion i.e. the teeth not rubbing together naturally when feeding, perhaps due to damage caused by gnawing on metal bars of the cage.

Your vet can clip the overgrown teeth back which will enable your pet to feed normally once more. You can try to prevent the problem recurring by providing your hamster with pieces of wood to chew on; (take care , some woods may be toxic, I would recommend fruit wood such as apple or pear). However if the problem is essentially one of malocclusion then regular teeth clipping will be required, probably once every month or less.

© Samantha Coe. All rights reserved. Further information, news and pet-related healthcare articles are available at vetbase.co.uk

Questions Answered

dental (rabbit) (25-Feb-07 04:23PM)

Antoinette asks: Coco's teeth grow so fast that we have to trim them about every 2-3 weeks. Is there something missing from his diet that would cause this? ... view

Teeth grinding. (rabbit) (10-Feb-07 03:27PM)

Toni asks: Nibbles has just started grinding her teeth. She's not eating normally but is drinking. She also seems a little lethargic. What could be wrong? ... view

loss of tooth (cat) (26-Feb-07 12:33PM)

Glenn asks: My cat has lost a tooth and I'm worried its not normal. He is 6 months old. His gums were angry but seem to have settled down but he is dribbling ... view

Dragging back legs (hamster) (24-Mar-07 12:34PM)

Christine asks: My hamster is 15 months old and was hardly able to walk for last day or two, dragging back legs, didn't appear injured. Was breathing rapidly, didn't eat, slept anywhere slumped ... view

bad breath (dog) (16-Feb-07 01:47PM)

Yvonne asks: My jack russell pup is losing his baby teeth, but he has really bad breath, he is fed on a dry mix we checked his teeth they all seem OK no ... view

walks (dog) (16-May-07 10:16PM)

Patricia asks: How many times should a small dog go out for a walk? ... view

Sickness or diarrhoea (hamster) (07-Feb-07 06:02PM)

Caitlin asks: Hi there. Our young hamster is either being sick or has diarrhoea. When he is in his ball we notice a creamy coloured fluid and are unsure what this is. We ... view

Buying a non hip-scored pup (dog) (04-Feb-07 12:08PM)

Anna asks: We have been searching for a Spanish Water dog for some time now, and I have recently been in contact with a breeder who will have a litter available in March. ... view

Cat Worry (cat) (27-Jan-07 07:58PM)

Pamela asks: Hi, I have a cat, Voodoo, who is around 15 years old. Recently I've noticed he's been dribbling more than usual and biting his tongue. He always has fresh water ... view

colitis (dog) (31-May-07 06:40PM)

Ruth asks: Is it acceptable to give milk products like yogurt and cheese for dog with occasional colitis or would it cause a bout of colitis ? I would discontinue when colitis ... view

Constipated Hamster (hamster) (01-Feb-07 08:10PM)

Irene asks: We got a hamster last week, he has hardly eaten or drunk water and seems to be constipated with poo stuck to his backside. We have tried to clean this but ... view

Rapid weight loss (cat) (05-Feb-07 07:54PM)

Naomi asks: My 15 month old cat has suddenly lost weight to the point of the hips showing. She also has developed very bad breath. She isn't drinking excessively and her urine is ... view

infection (cat) (03-Mar-07 07:43AM)

Shannon asks: My cat has pus coming from around the mouth for 5 days then her right eye swelled up and puss has been gushing out of the eye for about 4 days, ... view

My hamster keeps vomiting (hamster) (20-Jan-07 10:42PM)

Jo asks: My hamster keeps vomiting? Please help ... view

Sore eye and inflamed gums (cat) (10-Feb-07 04:59PM)

John asks: Caffery's has got a watery eye although he does not rub it and red line along his gums. He is eating well and is lively and playful. What has caused ... view

Spencer is drooling, lethargic and off food. (cat) (03-Mar-07 05:08PM)

Joanna asks: I have noticed over the last couple of weeks that my 10 month old kitten is drooling, is a bit lethargic compared to normal and not as interested in his food ... view

Sticky eye (rabbit) (04-Sep-07 06:18PM)

Isobel asks: Hey! I have noticed that my rabbit has wet sticky fur around his eye. Should I leave it or take him to a vet ? ... view

Pregnant kitten problems (cat) (03-Feb-07 11:32PM)

Denise asks: Toffee is 8 months old. We took her to get spayed and found out she is pregnant. She is approximately 4 weeks. She cannot settle, she is meowing all the ... view

ill and nippy (hamster) (06-Mar-07 06:27PM)

Debbie asks: I have just got my hamster 5 days ago but since the third it doesn't move. All it does is sleep, before it nipped you if your hand went near it ... view

behavioural (cat) (10-Apr-07 10:02PM)

Karen asks: Hi. I wrote in at the start of February about our cat Blacky who hadn't settled into our new home very well. I took the advice and bought the plug in ... view

Your Questions Answered

Injured Wild Owl 30-Nov-07

Kelly asks: I found an owl this morning, very small but adult. It flew into a power line. It's still alive. ... view

swollen hind leg 20-Nov-07

Zshai asks: I have a 6-day-old bunny who has a swollen hind leg. I saw her mama step on her but ... view

Sick syrian hamster 08-Nov-07

Sara asks: Hi. My syrian hamster is 2 and half yrs. old. The last 24 hrs I have noticed a big ... view

lack of sleep 07-Nov-07

Bill asks: We have a 14 month old Yorkshire terrier, which goes to bed at around 6.30pm, because I have MS ... view

wet tail 06-Nov-07

Evelyn asks: Can a young hamster be successfully treated for wet tail and what would it roughly cost? ... view

Alfie 06-Nov-07

Elaine asks: Hi Sam Thank you. Alfie has no feeding time he just has food in his bowl when he wants it ... view

Guarding problem 05-Nov-07

Elaine asks: Alfie is a terrible guarder and will take your hand off if you try and retrieve an object he ... view

White Gums and Dark Stool 02-Nov-07

Leslie asks: My 8 week old American Bulldog has really white gums, around the eyes is also white. She has dark ... view

Dog's Health 01-Nov-07

William asks: My dog is around 11 years old, possibly older (we received her as she was taken from a bad ... view

behaviour 31-Oct-07

Debby asks: Hi Max is very lively of course but he seems to get very excited and bites the children, not ... view

Blood in dog's stools 31-Oct-07

Lee asks: Hi. We recently got a 3 year old Labrador from a friend. From what we can see she has ... view

upset stomach 30-Oct-07

kat asks: About three days ago my dog started acting like she was sick; diarrhoea and vomiting along with excessive sneezing ... view

Blood in Poo 28-Oct-07

Mandy asks: Treacle is now 9 wks old and had her first vaccination two days ago. I have noticed that at ... view

neutering 27-Oct-07

ashen1956 asks: 3 days ago Molly-Mae gave birth to 5 kittens. How long should I wait before having her neutered and ... view

Ordering Insulin Online 26-Oct-07

Purdie asks: Purdie is diabetic and I'm keen to find a way of reducing the cost of the treatment. Currently ... view

Fleas and skin problem 26-Oct-07

Joanne asks: I have two cats, a neutered tom and his sister. They are 6 and a half yrs. old. They ... view

My cat has a hole in its stomach! 23-Oct-07

Sarah asks: My cat has a hole the size of a dime in its stomach. He doesn't seem to be ... view

labrador vomiting bile and nearly passing out 22-Oct-07

Paul asks: Hi there - our five year old male labrador is generally in very good health - excellent appetite, plenty ... view

Guinea pig fits 22-Oct-07

Renate asks: My guinea pig is acting strange. I've only had him around a week and he's running as if spooked ... view

feeding 22-Oct-07

Terry asks: Is it safe to feed my GSD raw chicken wings, he is 16 months old and is 37 kg? ... view


© vetask.com Springing Dragon Limited 2012 | Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy | All Rights Reserved | All Trademarks observed | No responsibility taken for links to external sites or any content beyond our control | Views expressed by contributors or forum users not endorsed by vetask.com. Disclaimer: The content of this website is based upon the opinions of the authors and contributors, unless otherwise stated. Individual articles, extracts, and any links to external sites are based upon the opinions of the respective author(s). The purpose of this site is the sharing of knowledge and information and you are encouraged to make informed healthcare decisions for animals in your care based upon your research and in consultation with your vet.