Supplements for malo?

[caiti]

I was wondering, since the thought of malocclusion is like a bad nightmare to me, what do you all do to help prevent it (supplement-wise)?

And is it neccessary? I mean, is it generally a good idea to give extra calcium and vitamin C to your chins? Or do you just give it to chins who are gentically predisposed or rescues?

Wunderchins has this calcium/rosehip/alfalfa powder mix that they sell and I was considering buying it. I don't really know how my chin would deal with powder in her food, though...

Thoughts?

Link to Wunderchins product http://wunderchins.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_9&products_id=232

 

[starleomach]

There Is no Suppliment for Malo. It is a genetic disorder that causes teeth the grow crooked. All you can do is offer a lot to chew on and watch out for it. If your chinchillas are on a good diet with lots of Hay they do not need vitamin C or calcium. A very poor diet can cause teeth issues but usually Malo is genetic there is nothing you can do to stop it

 

[aznmexaggie]

I just have one pet chin here who was diagnosed with malo and dental disease at a year of age. She has had a few molar filings but has not needed a filing for over a year now. Her X-rays showed very minor root elongation but it has not progressed at all. I think the supplements I am using have probably helped as she seems like a perfectly normal, healthy girl. She has no appetite loss, is a good healthy weight and size, no watery eyes, or any observable signs of pain or discomfort.

I have been using vitamin C (Oxbow 50 mg vitamin C tabs) as a treat a few times a week to strengthen connective tissue in the gums, a calcium + vitamin D3 powder sprinkled over a piece of moistened rosehip or chin cookie a couple times a week (it is actually a reptile calcium supplement), as well as a good variety of hays. Timothy is the staple but she also gets other grass hays such as orchard, bermuda, and brome, depending on what's available, coarse grain hays (I use Alfalfa King's oat, wheat and barley mix), and alfalfa. The variety of flavors and textures really help to entice her to eat more hay and grind down those teeth.

When I first noticed problems back in '06, she hardly would touch her hay and didn't like to chew sticks and toys much. After the filings she was on Critical Care but to get her to eat hay again, I bought some of those botanical hays with the petals and herbs in it and mixed it in with her timothy. I think the fragrance enticed her to eat it. Gradually, I mixed in different kinds of hays and I think the variety is helping to keep her teeth problems at bay. (My other chinnies also enjoy the variety as a treat!)

I don't supplement any of my other chins with the calcium. I do however, give the vitamin C tabs as a treat to my other chins sometimes. I just break them in half. Vitamin C is a great antioxidant and any excess not used by the body would just be excreted out since it's water-soluble. I only give it maybe once a month though because those Oxbow tabs are kind of expensive to be feeding to my whole herd! I also give an average of one rosehip a week to all my chins as a treat - they are also very rich in vitamin C!