Nessie's teeth trim

[jorats]

We tried to take pics as best as we could but it was hard, you don't have time to stop and pose when doing this.

Here's what Nessie's teeth looked like:

The top left one is not growing much and so the right one is growing crooked.
The bottom ones are not lining up so they are just growing out of control.

I get my son to hold Nessie in a way that he's pinching gently her arms together so she can't move or use them.
He has her on her back, and I'm facing her head, I find this method easier to get to her teeth.
I put my fingers behind her teeth to hold back her lips.

I use my cat clippers and clip each incisor at a time, this is the bottom one.

The top one is much harder because it's thicker and there's more of a chance to clip her top lip. So I only do a short trim, not a big chunk like the bottom one.

After each cut, make sure to turn her over so she can spit out the loose teeth that get caught in her mouth.
And make sure to give them a treat when you are done. Nessie has a small piece of cheese.

 

[Moon]

I do not know how you do it. I just don't know.

 

[lindsayfawn]

wow her teeth are quite bad, we need to do franka's top teeth again, they're getting quite long but I'm always afraid to trim them where they're white.
That's some good pictures though to help people see how it's done.

 

[PiedPiper]

Jo, you must have nerves of steel! No way, I could do that! NO WAY!

 

[Chel]

Wow its great to see some pics, but we CANNOT get Rose on her back, she struggles twice as hard. And lindsayfawn, my rats teeth are white too, not sure why, and I heard that makes them more brittle, but We haven't had a problem with that yet.

 

[jorats]

Jasper's teeth were white as well and not brittle, it was the same as Nessie's.
Nessie struggled like a cat caught in a fence but Mat, my son had a good grasp on her. You have to hold on tight and not be afraid that you will squish them.

 

[Godmother]

Thanks for posting those photos. I hope that I will never need them, but all things come to those who get enough rats!!

How SQ does it on her own is totally beyond me.

 

[jorats]

There's no way I could ever do it on my own either.

 

[Debbie]

Poor Nessie! But I bet she feels so much better after her trim.

 

[Adrienne]

Jo, you must have nerves of steel! No way, I could do that! NO WAY!

Me either.... does it hurt them???

 

[rat.charmer]

I know somebody who used to wrap their rats snugly in a towel - like a swaddling baby - nice and tight and that seemed to help when holding them still.

 

[jorats]

rat.charmer, I had to do it that way for my Jasper.

Adrienne, it doesn't hurt them at all.

 

[mercurydust]

Your how to's are just the best, Lily is being stubborn and her teef are getting a bit long so she is not too far from manual trimmings. I have read how to do it but seeing pictures just helps out so much more, and that camera takes beautiful pictures! :bow:

 

[lindsayfawn]

Wow its great to see some pics, but we CANNOT get Rose on her back, she struggles twice as hard. And lindsayfawn, my rats teeth are white too, not sure why, and I heard that makes them more brittle, but We haven't had a problem with that yet.

Yeah that's why I'm nervous Chel, 'cause of the brittle part. I hate knowing they could go all crazy when we trim them. It's almost just the top we have to trim though, we first found this out when I looked in her mouth and the teeth were pretty much going in her throat :shock: was crazy couldn't believe it.

Why would it be that Franka can't keep her teeth trimmed down on her own? They line up fine to me and she bruxxes ALOT. I mean so much that, that's how we find her most times lol

 

[jorats]

To be honest, it's much safer and easier getting it done by the vet. :thumbup:

 

[lilspaz68]

I'd love to learn how to do that, but since its just me and only 2 hands and a squirmy rat, I will just have to goggle at yours. :laugh4:

Then again, I think I could do Angel's bottom teeth but those uppers? *shudder*

 

[chicky82]

I got Chimo's one tooth done at the vets but now the other one needs it my poor boy, I'm considering doing it myself but don't know if I could. Jo, you must have nerves of steel to do it as soon as my Chimo would sweak I'd be done, at the vet's he let out this god-awful sound that almost made me cry

 

[SQ]

Thanks for posting those photos. I hope that I will never need them, but all things come to those who get enough rats!!

How SQ does it on her own is totally beyond me.

Now that I'm back in NB maybe I won't have to trim teeth by myself anymore ...
It would be heaven to have someone hold down a squirming rattie for me so I could trim their teeth ...