Bottom Teeth dull and receding & top teeth not growing.

[dsprice40]

My Millie will be 7 years old this July. She is a Florida Gray squirrel. Just in the last maybe 2 years Iv noticed she slowly stoped chewing on everything. I keep Oak limbs in the rooms that she is allowed to run free in and Oak and apple wood in her pin. She has pretty much stoped chewing on anything now. Ill try to get a picture of her teeth on here later today. Her bottom teeth look like they are roting to me. They do not look healthy and her top teeth have seemed to stop growing. Her energy levels seem to come and go also. I feed her two Henrys healthy blocks per day along with fresh veggies and fruit with a pecan and pumpkin seeds. On most days she spends more time out of her pin then she does in it. Her pin is 4x4x6 also. Im really worried about her so any suggestions would be great. Thanks

[CritterMom]

The bad news is that you are describing a tooth issue called odontoma. Normally due to trauma (many baby squirrels fall from the nest landing on their face and the dental issues from that can take many years to show up), the teeth begin growing large calcium deposits at the roots of the front teeth, and since the calcium is being directed there it is no longer working to keep the teeth growing out of the gums. The deposits will become larger and larger until they begin to interfere with the sinuses and breathing. Treatment involves removing the teeth, which is a difficult surgery.

That is the bad news. The good news is that the number one squirrel vet who at this point probably does a couple of these procedures a day now and who we have had people drive cross country to see, lives and practices in Port Orange FL.

Dr. Alicia Emerson at Ravenswood: https://ravenwoodvet.net/

It is possible you are looking at something else but either way, teeth require vet intervention. Call this practice.

[dsprice40]

The bad news is that you are describing a tooth issue called odontoma. Normally due to trauma (many baby squirrels fall from the nest landing on their face and the dental issues from that can take many years to show up), the teeth begin growing large calcium deposits at the roots of the front teeth, and since the calcium is being directed there it is no longer working to keep the teeth growing out of the gums. The deposits will become larger and larger until they begin to interfere with the sinuses and breathing. Treatment involves removing the teeth, which is a difficult surgery.

That is the bad news. The good news is that the number one squirrel vet who at this point probably does a couple of these procedures a day now and who we have had people drive cross country to see, lives and practices in Port Orange FL.

Dr. Alicia Emerson at Ravenswood: https://ravenwoodvet.net/

It is possible you are looking at something else but either way, teeth require vet intervention. Call this practice.

Thanks for the timely responce. I will call the vet in the morning. Odontoma will affect her lower teeth also?

[CritterMom]

It can but they don't usually extract them. The problem on the top is that it interferes with their breathing eventually, where the bottoms aren't near the sinuses.

[dsprice40]

I called the Vet and Dr. Emerson will be out of town untill the first of the month. I am supposed to call back Monday the 20th and hopefully they can set me a appointment. I took a couple picture's. There not the greatest in the world. Mill doesnt like me fooling with them. she acts like her bottom ones are sore. I am taking her to the Vet no matter what but I was hoping someone could tell anything by the pictures. On the one that is a screenshot if you can see it there is a pice of skin growing between her bottom teeth. Like her gum is growing between them and its at least half as tall as her teeth. I know its hard to tell but her bottom teeth do not come to a point they are blunt.

[CritterMom]

The missing ones on the top are very indicative of odontoma. Since they have ceased growing OUT of the gums like normal because they have instead begun using that calcium to grow the odontoma, they eventually wear down from normal eating. That will affect the bottoms and they may begin to overgrow.

Needless to say, xrays will have to be done to confirm this, but that sure does look like odontoma. Ugh.

[dsprice40]

Its hard to see in the pictures but her top teeth are not missing. They are only about 1/8th of a inch which is very short I know. The nurse at Ravenswood told me I could call back around end of the month and they could set up a appt to see Millie. I will update after We see the vet. Thanks for the help.