Dental checks and anesthesia

JamaisVu · Feb 25, 2020

Hello!

Just here looking for advice on things to watch for/consider/options

I was playing with my chins last night when I noticed one of Kumo's incisor teeth was fairly white. The tooth right beside it was a nice, healthy orange so it was quite a contrast. He'd presented discoloration on this particular tooth years ago, he had a dental check and thankfully it turned out to be nothing. Since chins don't usually show their teeth I don't know if this is a recent occurrence or if it's the same discoloration that just never resolved. He's eating/drinking/destroying toys normally and I haven't noticed a change in his behavior or grooming. Honestly, if I hadn't been sitting in just the right spot when he started drinking water, I may not have noticed this at all.

Now that I did notice, I feel like a vet's visit is in order. However, since Kumo's at least ~11 years old (rescue thought he was about 2 when I got him), I have concerns about anesthesia. He's a very healthy, very active chin and you wouldn't guess at all he's a senior, but I know anesthesia and small animals is potentially very dangerous.

Any advice on things I should consider discussing with the vet as I set up his appointment?

Thanks a lot in advance! I really appreciate the wealth of knowledge in this forum

Amethyst · Feb 25, 2020

White teeth is a sign of calcium deficiency, so I'm not sure what they would do for a dental. Most chins they can use a camera scope to check teeth, no sedation needed. You need to find out why he has a calcium deficiency though, could be a medical issues, could be a diet issue, etc, so don't just add calcium without vet approval

. They may have to do blood work to rule out a medical problem.

JamaisVu · Feb 25, 2020

Amethyst said:
White teeth is a sign of calcium deficiency, so I'm not sure what they would do for a dental. Most chins they can use a camera scope to check teeth, no sedation needed. You need to find out why he has a calcium deficiency though, could be a medical issues, could be a diet issue, etc, so don't just add calcium without vet approval . They may have to do blood work to rule out a medical problem.

Oh, I see! I was worried about potential malocclusion. This is good to know! Kumo can be a picky eater (I've struggled getting him to eat more hay over the years) but he loves alfalfa hay and thinks it's a real treat (he doesn't get it very often since adult chinchillas shouldn't eat much alfalfa). I don't think he'd have any objections if he gets to have more of it.

I'll discuss this with the vet. Thanks a lot for the reply!

DawnStar · Feb 26, 2020

JamaisVu said:
Oh, I see! I was worried about potential malocclusion. This is good to know! Kumo can be a picky eater (I've struggled getting him to eat more hay over the years) but he loves alfalfa hay and thinks it's a real treat (he doesn't get it very often since adult chinchillas shouldn't eat much alfalfa). I don't think he'd have any objections if he gets to have more of it.

I'll discuss this with the vet. Thanks a lot for the reply!

Would you mind following up with what the vet said? I'm learning all the things!

JamaisVu · Mar 5, 2020

Just a quick update: The vet think Kumo looks really healthy and everything looks good, so she just wants me to keep a lookout for any change in behaviour, the appearance of the tooth, or any sensitivity around the mouth/jaw areas. Since the other teeth look really good and he has a history of discoloration in this particular tooth she thought it is unlikely he's got calcium deficiency.

If it anything changes we'll schedule X-rays or additional blood work but at this moment she's not overly concerned.