Chin crushing food?

[LennyChim]

I have an 8 year old rescue chinchilla. He tends to crush his food into almost dust. Sometimes he eats very little food. He has done this for a while and I’m unsure if he’s just bored or if there is a dental issue I’m not aware of. He eats treats perfectly fine and is acting as always. No signs of gas or any other issues. He does tend to be picky on his hay, usually tears pieces into shreds and choses what to eat, and he seems to be chewing on sticks and pumice stones as normal. I was wondering if he is just being picky/normal or if there is an underlying issue?

 

[Amethyst]

It could be a tooth issue, is there any other symptoms other then messy eating, like weight loss? drooling? pawing at the mouth? If you notice any of those things it's a good idea to get him checked out at the vet.

Most chins are picky about their hay, they only want to eat the choice pieces or parts of each piece. Also some chins are just messy eaters, especially if you give them unlimited amounts of food at a time. For example filling the bowl with pellets vs just giving him a couple tablespoons and refilling if empty before the next day. A messy eater that is given unlimited you will see crumbs since they can get their fill, but one that is just given a day's worth will eat up the crumbs too since that is all that is left, so you never notice it. Chewing on pumice and sticks is done with the front teeth, so they can do that even if they have an issue with their molars, but chewing and grinding up hay and pellets requires the molars.

Another thing to look at is how long the pellets have been open, ones that are near the end of the bag or from a large bag that has been open for awhile (more then a month) can be more crumbly then pellets from a newly opened bag.

 

[LennyChim]

It could be a tooth issue, is there any other symptoms other then messy eating, like weight loss? drooling? pawing at the mouth? If you notice any of those things it's a good idea to get him checked out at the vet.

Most chins are picky about their hay, they only want to eat the choice pieces or parts of each piece. Also some chins are just messy eaters, especially if you give them unlimited amounts of food at a time. For example filling the bowl with pellets vs just giving him a couple tablespoons and refilling if empty before the next day. A messy eater that is given unlimited you will see crumbs since they can get their fill, but one that is just given a day's worth will eat up the crumbs too since that is all that is left, so you never notice it. Chewing on pumice and sticks is done with the front teeth, so they can do that even if they have an issue with their molars, but chewing and grinding up hay and pellets requires the molars.

Another thing to look at is how long the pellets have been open, ones that are near the end of the bag or from a large bag that has been open for awhile (more then a month) can be more crumbly then pellets from a newly opened bag.

I’ve noticed some pawing at the mouth the past few days. Would you say this is a cause for concern? I’ll call the vet and see what they can recommend as well. Thank you for your answer.

 

[Amethyst]

If he hasn't been to the vet recently it's not a bad idea. Chins are so good at hiding issues you really have to pick up on the little things. If you don't already it's a good idea to keep a weight record of him as well, at least once a month, a kitchen scale the measures in grams works well. Weight loss is very often the first sign something is wrong, long before any physical symptoms since it's not something they can hide. When you see crushed pellets it's a good idea to make sure he is actually eating enough and not just having the food fall out of his mouth, and the easiest way is to weigh him.