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[worrywart]

So, today I took my chinchilla Simon to the vet. I've had to take him to the vet a few times for a few weeks now because of mouth ulcers, and they came back again today, and we also found out his back teeth are overgrown, so he has to go into surgery for it on Friday. He's lost a lot of weight and now we have to syringe feed him because he isn't eating on his own.
I've got my dad to help me but he doesn't seem to get that the food isn't medicine, and tried to just get the whole load we had in the syringe in his mouth and it went all over poor Simon. Anyone got any tips on how to clean him up? I tried to dry him with my hair dryer (with cold air, since my hair dryer has that setting) but he struggled a lot, since he really doesn't like being handled.

[GrayRodent]

I'm very sorry you're having these problems. It is always sad to hear of chinchillas with tooth problems like this. Sometimes these problems are caused by bad breeding practices but they can also be caused by improper diet and care. If your chinchilla is suffering from malocclusion it is usually too late to save it because filing the teeth does not ensure the teeth keep growing back straight. Rodent's teeth constantly grow and their alignment with each other must be very precise to keep the entire face of the tooth trimmed. Otherwise the part that gets missed grows outward into the jaw and the process eventually escalates. Unless the underlying cause of misalignment can be surgically corrected your best option is euthanasia if you are not willing to have its teeth filed every few months. Eventually even with regular filings there will a point of no return.

As far as syringe feeding you cannot feed all of the liquid at once. This can cause choking and death to your pet. Your pet must be properly restrained. Use a towel if necessary and wrap him in it. Also get someone to help you restrain your pet while the other person feeds it. Make sure he swallows it down before you overfill his mouth. It may take a couple of minutes to do this properly. Have everything set up in advance to minimize the amount of time you are handling him. Use a damp cloth to clean up the mess when you're done and then a dry cloth to dry. When I've done this I've had success with paper towels. You will probably not get it all but as long as it does not build up on the fur it will come out on its own. Also make sure you are breaking down the amount of food per feeding as directed by your veterinarian.

If your pet does not make it and you are interested in obtaining a different chinchilla do your research on proper diet and care first. I recommend locating a local reputable breeder that is careful to remove known malocclusion from their line which is still somewhat rare. I may be able to help you find one. Good breeding, proper diet and proper care will minimize the risk of this kind of sickness in the future. I hope this will help you make an educated decision. Veterinarians will not always give you the full picture.

[worrywart]

I really hope this doesn't end up with euthanasia, the idea of that terrifies me. I really, really hope they can fix it.

Is there any other way to feed him it without the syringe? Like maybe putting some into a spoon or something? Or would that just make more of a mess... I put a little bit on my finger and he happily licked it off of my finger. The vet didn't give me an exact amount to give him, it just says a little bit every few hours.

Does malocclusion happen with every chinchilla in the same family it's present? He has a brother but he isn't having any trouble eating or has any odd smells from his mouth or anything.

I really, REALLY hope Simon makes it through this.

[GrayRodent]

I wish I had better news for you. I recommend you discuss these concerns with your veterinarian. Once it is diagnosed things usually do not go well but you still may have a couple of years if you manage it properly. It does not follow that if malocclusion is genetically inherited from one chin that all of the others in the line will get it. It just means the risk is higher. Also as I have mentioned it depends on the cause. Bona-fide genetic malo is rare but not unheard of. Diet is a huge factor. If your are not feeding the right diet all of your chins could easily be affected. Keep in mind that just because diet is marketed for chinchillas does not mean it is a good diet. If it is from an injury or fall usually it is it the front teeth that are affected.

I am perplexed that the vet did not provide instructions on proper dosage for your pet. This is totally unacceptable for an animal that is not eating. You need to be measuring its intake. You should call your vet and get exact dosage instructions or you need to find a different competent vet who will properly help you manage your problem. If you are unable to do this today please say so and I will message you with an estimate of what you should be feeding, however, I am not a competent vet, and my advice may not be correct for your particular case. If your pet does not get enough food or too much food it can die before you can even take it to surgery, or worse, it can die of digestive complications sometime after the surgery.

You may certainly try to feed from a spoon. It is a legitimate method, although, a sick chinchilla with a sore mouth might not go for that so you'll have to try and see.

[worrywart]

I'll definitely talk to her on Friday about it, but she actually hasn't told me it's a maloccusion yet? She was just looking in his mouth and said that his back teeth were too long and that he needed to have them filed down, but I supposed I'll know for sure on Friday. I give them hay and the pellets I have for them are fine, or my vet said so at least. Oh, also, I don't have a definite vet for him, each time I've went I've had different people.

Yeah, my dad and I thought it was weird. It makes it hard to feed him because we don't know how much to give him, but we've been giving him about 5ml, I don't know if that's too much though. I don't think I can call them today since they're closed now, so if you could message me that'd be amazing.

I'll definitely try to feed him with a spoon then, since he doesn't like the syringe. I think he might try at least, since he ate off my finger.

[GrayRodent]

I strongly reccomend finding a new vet asap. A decent vet should have explained this. Clinically overgrown teeth are caused by malocclusion, which referes to an incomplete covering (occlusion) of the opposite tooth in relation to the faces of the teeth where they meet. The teeth are constantly growing but chewing wears them down so the part of the tooth that is not occluded cannot be worn down. It is out of alignment. This usually grows outward in a spike, sometimes known as a spur. The spur is the part that must be filed off. Either that, or the teeth entirely miss each other.

I will respond this evening when I get back home. I am out running errands now. Please pm me with your pet's healthy weight. Continue going as you are.

[GrayRodent]

I've sent you a personal message. The weights you gave me seem pretty extreme. I am not comfortable giving advice in this context as I am just not qualified to give that kind of advice and I think your pet in peril. You need to seek professional assistance immediately and begin managing GI-stasis. You have not been given adequate supplies either.

[BLS Chins]

Have dental xrays been done? if not those need to be done before you invest in a dental to remove the spurs. Spurs are caused by improper husbandry or misalignment of the teeth. That may be secondary though to root problems. If the roots are affected in any way its best to euthanize. If its just spurs and the roots are fine, then a trim may fix the problem but its likely it will reoccur at some point. Malo is genetic but it can also be caused by injury and husbandry.  What meds are you giving? How much and how often are you syringe feeding? How old is the chin?