VanHalcyon
07-22-2020, 01:16 AM
Hey, squirrel board.
So I have three and a half year old female who started, about a month ago, doing this weird jaw-wagging routine where she opens her mouth really wide repeatedly, like she's on an airplane and trying to pop her ears. This went on for a few days and I worried she had something stuck in her craw or that she had developed a sudden dental occlusion, then it stopped and went away. Two weeks later though, she's back at it. I have not burritoed and forced her jaw open to look, but I have done my best to hold her up and look inside her mouth and I can't seem to see her top teeth.
My local sanctuary hooked us up with an appointment to see their vet next Tuesday, but of course I'm fretting. She's eating and drinking fine, and doesn't seem to be at all uncomfortable when I rub her jaw and snooter. She likes it same as she always has. Her bottom teeth look normal, but sharp, protruding about 1/3 inch above the gum line--so a little on the long side now. I am pretty sure that a month ago when I looked at her top teeth one was slightly shorter than the other, and today when I tried to look--it's difficult to get her to let me look--i didn't see anything at all. It was the briefest glimpse, maybe I'm nuts. But I didn't see any top teeth.
For general reference, she gets two-three Henry's blocks a day and more fruit and nut treats than she should, not enough greens. She's fat, but she was also born without any back feet and her left hand is very tiny, her right hand very crooked, so normal squirrel exercise isn't really something she gets readily. She weighs 610 grams. Her poop, fur, and temperament are all really normal.
Tuesday I guess we're scheduled for a consultation and examination, which will mean sedation since she won't let anyone but me touch her, with possible tooth-trimming to follow as necessary.
Is malocclusion at three years normal? I would have thought it would present sooner, I guess. Is this maybe something else? This jaw-stretching motion is the only symptom, and my cursory, wimpy demand to see inside her mouth is questionable in terms of what I've seen. She holds her secrets close.
Any advice you guys can offer, or questions I should ask/answer, would be really lovely. More greens, I know. I'm scared.
So I have three and a half year old female who started, about a month ago, doing this weird jaw-wagging routine where she opens her mouth really wide repeatedly, like she's on an airplane and trying to pop her ears. This went on for a few days and I worried she had something stuck in her craw or that she had developed a sudden dental occlusion, then it stopped and went away. Two weeks later though, she's back at it. I have not burritoed and forced her jaw open to look, but I have done my best to hold her up and look inside her mouth and I can't seem to see her top teeth.
My local sanctuary hooked us up with an appointment to see their vet next Tuesday, but of course I'm fretting. She's eating and drinking fine, and doesn't seem to be at all uncomfortable when I rub her jaw and snooter. She likes it same as she always has. Her bottom teeth look normal, but sharp, protruding about 1/3 inch above the gum line--so a little on the long side now. I am pretty sure that a month ago when I looked at her top teeth one was slightly shorter than the other, and today when I tried to look--it's difficult to get her to let me look--i didn't see anything at all. It was the briefest glimpse, maybe I'm nuts. But I didn't see any top teeth.
For general reference, she gets two-three Henry's blocks a day and more fruit and nut treats than she should, not enough greens. She's fat, but she was also born without any back feet and her left hand is very tiny, her right hand very crooked, so normal squirrel exercise isn't really something she gets readily. She weighs 610 grams. Her poop, fur, and temperament are all really normal.
Tuesday I guess we're scheduled for a consultation and examination, which will mean sedation since she won't let anyone but me touch her, with possible tooth-trimming to follow as necessary.
Is malocclusion at three years normal? I would have thought it would present sooner, I guess. Is this maybe something else? This jaw-stretching motion is the only symptom, and my cursory, wimpy demand to see inside her mouth is questionable in terms of what I've seen. She holds her secrets close.
Any advice you guys can offer, or questions I should ask/answer, would be really lovely. More greens, I know. I'm scared.