how to check for malo

[Luci]

im sure i can find this answer by browsing a bit through the threads, but just a curiosity question about how to check for malo. i know a majority of the symptoms and the necessity for chew toys. so just a few things:

how early will malo set in and is it mostly genetic? gizmo is from petsmart so i know nothing about his parents.

can it be prevented?

at the moment his teeth are at a good length and hes a great eater and chews everything down to dust and shavings. no matted fur under his mouth or anything. but somehow out of the illnesses, this is the one im most afraid of because his mouth is pretty much off limits to me. i would love to have him in my life forever, so can i do anything to make sure he won't get it? or is it mostly just a "take care of it if it happens" type of thing?

 

[LemonSqueezi]

Hi Luci,
You can run your fingers along the jaw lines and check for bumps but even some who are experienced miss that. The only way to really check for malo is to have a vet look at the back teeth with a special instrument and take a skull x ray.
Unfortunately genetic malo cannot be avoided if he has it , maybe pro longed then the quality of life needs to be considered.
Now Environmental Malo can be avoided. Wood chews, daily hays, quality pellets, and no sugar is the key.
Sugar (including raisins and other dried fruit) can really mess up the back molars over time causing decay and making them loosen from the sockets. Then the teeth do not file properly and also become weak and eventually overgrown.
If hay isn't given the molars in back don't really have a way to grind and file themselves properly either.
Best bet is to a feel check every month and just watch his food intake, poos, etc. which should be done for every chin

 

[Brittney]

There is really no way to check for sure for malo other than with a full xray of the head. Even an otoscope can't pinpoint malo, only in severe cases it can. As a vet tech, I can tell you this, when checking the back teeth of any small, scared rodent who has a device shoved in his mouth, you kind of only have a split second to look, so you better know what you are looking for. That being said, it's not the recommended solution for checking malo, since things can be missed. As said, you can try, but try being the key word, to feel the teeth through the sides of his mouth and feel for bumps, gaps or irregular placement of the tooth, but this practice is actually only positively known for checking spurs.

If you got yours from a breeder, you should really not being so worried about checking for malo, Just keep giving him quality pellets and hay daily to keep the back teeth worn to prevent malo since genetics shouldn't be a factor here.

But, since Gizmo is a pet store chin (so is 1 of mine, not sure about the other) then maybe monthly checks are needed. But same as above, hay and quality pellets are a must regardless. Sometimes you can slow down genetic malo with monthly filings, but you can't really prevent it unfortunately. Just remember, witth any xray, depending on the temperament of the animal, anesthesia is commonly used. So maybe go to the vet and see if malo is even present, if not, just go the preventative way, if so, then you need to talk to your vet for further steps to take to slow it down.

Now if you are really concerned he might have malo, which is doesn't sound like he does with what you described of him, then schedule an appointment for a full teeth evaluation. This includes spur and malo check, an xray, possible filings if they find something and loads of knowledge Good luck.

 

[ticklechin]

Malo can show up as early as 10 months and it can show up through out a chinchillas life, where you get your chin from is no guarentee the chin won't get it, pet store chins, ranch chins, hobby breeder chins all can have malo show up. The earliest sign is slow gradual weight loss, so make sure you weigh your chin on a regular basis, once a month is good and keep track of it.