Splayed & Uneven Bottom Teeth

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Scythe

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2009
Messages
727
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canda
I know a rats bottom teeth are supposed to be splayed, and then sit side my side when the mouth is closed, but I noticed about half an hour ago that my rat Percy's bottom teeth are noticably splayed without too much prodding. Ontop of that, his left bottom tooth is much longer than the one beside.

What is the procedure for this? This is the first time I've noticed something strange with teeth in my rats. I picked up all seven and looked at EVERYONES teeth, and his are very, very noticeably different. He is still eating, not any slower or faster than anyone else in the cage.

Unfortunately I have no way to get a picture as holding him down to look at his teeth is a two hand job and no one I live with knows how to work a camera(nor is even willing to look at one of the rats).

Does this tooth have to be removed? Is there something I'm supposed to do at home, or do I need to get him to a vet? Is it an urgent "He needs to go into the vet right this second" matter, or can it wait until this insane weather(we are getting leftovers of hurricane sandy) passes?

Thank you.
 
Will he be sedated for this, do you think?

And if they are splayed and that's whats causing the one to grow longer(no friction to keep it down) how does this fix it?
 
Do any of the incisors look crooked as seen in maloccluded teeth? http://ratguide.com/health/digestive/malocclusion.php
It sounds like he broke one..

IMO, a mild sedation for the vet to trim their teeth is a good idea. They wiggle around and have no idea what the vet is trying to do. It's very stressful for them and their tongue or inner cheek fold could easily get cut. A friend of mines boy had to get his teeth trimmed every month, and even with advanced respiratory disease (He was in the end stages, extremely cyanotic feet and hands.) he did well with sedation (Isoflurane gas was used).

Teeth that are always splayed makes me think maybe there is some sort of abscess or tumor not allowing them to sit back together. I agree with Jo though, he may just need a trim to even them out then he can brux properly to keep them down.
 
RattusNorvegicus said:
Do any of the incisors look crooked as seen in maloccluded teeth? http://ratguide.com/health/digestive/malocclusion.php
It sounds like he broke one..

IMO, a mild sedation for the vet to trim their teeth is a good idea. They wiggle around and have no idea what the vet is trying to do. It's very stressful for them and their tongue or inner cheek fold could easily get cut. A friend of mines boy had to get his teeth trimmed every month, and even with advanced respiratory disease (He was in the end stages, extremely cyanotic feet and hands.) he did well with sedation (Isoflurane gas was used).

Teeth that are always splayed makes me think maybe there is some sort of abscess or tumor not allowing them to sit back together. I agree with Jo though, he may just need a trim to even them out then he can brux properly to keep them down.

ONE tooth(the one on the left) looks similar, but not quite, to these: http://ratguide.com/health/figures/malo ... gure_3.php But only one, not both like in that rat.

I noticed the other day he "chatters" when he's out of the cage, but I figured he was bruxxing and ignored it until tonight when I saw him look up and saw that one tooth came up really high, and I thought, "That's strange..."
 
I don't know if you can see this very well, He was being very hard to hold.. I couldn't pull his lips back, but this is his mouth in the best photo I could get. It's a little blurry, but you can see his teeth.

DSC04870.jpg
 
We had a rat like that and were able to trim it with cat nail trimmers. Dr. Munn may be able to do it without sedation, we all know rats seem to be on their best behaviour for him :p
 
Unfortunately due to unpleasant coworkers changing my shifts, and new management who seem to be on the not-so-kind-and-approachable side, the soonest I can get him to Munn's is on Friday. But he still seems to be eating, being his normal self, etc.

I was quoted almost 70 just to trim his teeth, plus sedation and exam fee. Good god, he better not need this forever.
 
The exam fee should just be a one time thing. After that you might just be able to bring him in without an exam.

In the picture it looks like the top incisor is over growing too, but that would be expected. Hopefully once they get his teeth evened out it won't happen again.
 
The biggest tooth you see in the photo is one of his bottom teeth. The other tooth I'm not sure what it is.. I think it may be the other bottom, I'm starting to think its a little overgrown, too.

He kind of looks like a vampire... :/ How Halloween-ish of him.
 
Thats scary, Jo. I have no fear clipping dogs nails or cats nails or rats nails but the idea of trimming their teeth... Ick, i couldntm Percy is a punk enough just to hold him. Hes a 'love me when *i* want it' kinda guy... Reminds me so much of Edward. If only he loved being held still as much as he loves hand wrestling.
 
Sadly, 70$ is a normal price, I think.

My vet charges 80$ for a VISIT alone- any procedures or medication is extra.... :/

When my baby Charlotte had a freak accident and was *most likely* having internal bleeding, I brought her in and she had to be put into an oxygen chamber, with baytril and fluid injections. It came out to over 700$.
 
Aida said:
Sadly, 70$ is a normal price, I think.

My vet charges 80$ for a VISIT alone- any procedures or medication is extra.... :/

When my baby Charlotte had a freak accident and was *most likely* having internal bleeding, I brought her in and she had to be put into an oxygen chamber, with baytril and fluid injections. It came out to over 700$.

Yeah, it's 70$ here for the exam as well, then everything on top. It sucked last week because I had to have a tumor removed on one of my girls, went in for an exam for the tumor and to set up a date to get it removed and it turned out he'd had a cancellation that day so my girl got a surprise surgery, that outed me almost 450$.

Go figure all the rats want to give my money to the vet all in the same week, right? :p :lol:
 
Just got back from Percy's tooth trim. He is a little brat and it apparently took three people to restrain him plus Dr.Munn trimming his teeth. Munn was shocked that Percy's teeth issues are only just popping up now at 18months old, with no issue ever before.

The tooth went right up and punctured either his top lip or his top jaw, but not right through. Now that it's trimmed you can see the little picture hole.

He trimmed them down abnormally short so that the splay is gone and his top and bottom teeth sit together now. Percy has not stopped grinding his own teeth since we got home from the vet, and also managed to spook himself with his own teeth. He touched a treat puff with his newly trimmed teeth and bolted without his treat. *facepalm*
 
Taking them down quite a bit is a good thing even if Percy doesn't think so, lol. Hopefully this helps them Ben back out as Jo said, but if not at least it means you should wot have to get them done again too soon.
 
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