Tinkerbelle
01-13-2021, 08:02 PM
Hi all - This is a very timely thread as I was just about to post some similar teeth questions. My squirrel Tinkerbelle is a California Ground Squirrel. She also lost one top incisor for no apparent reason when she was still a bottle baby. She is now almost 9 months old and it has never grown back. The remaining top tooth was white for a long time, and got worn down very quickly to just a button. I don't know whether the white color was because the tooth was growing so much to try and gain leverage against the bottom ones, or was part of her age, or irrelevant.
But in the last few months I notice the top tooth seems to be more hardy. It is closer in color to the bottom ones, and it actually looks wider, but that may be because it never gets a point, or it may be an illusion. I was trimming her teeth every 3 to 4 weeks. At this point I have not trimmed her bottom teeth since November. I am wondering if her adult tooth, even though it's just the one, may be able to hold its own against those bottom teeth now that she is reaching adulthood? I am also wondering how long I would need to continue to monitor her tooth wear until it is safe to draw a conclusion that she could be released? Or would it ever reach this point? She is an avid chewer, remodeling any wooden part of a cage that she can get to, cardboard boxes, blankets and towels, branches, etc.
She manipulates food normally in her mouth I believe, and is able to stick her tongue out and lick, so I do not see the tooth configuration interfering with her eating at this point. I also do not think the bottom ones are hitting the roof of her mouth. At least there is no red spot up there to indicate any irritation.
I believe that in other respects Tinker would be a good candidate for a soft release. I just don't know how to evaluate her tooth situation now that it possibly appears she is managing the wear on her own.
I am not sure whether the differences between grey squirrel teeth and ground squirrel teeth would make advice for Jazz different than advice for me. However, they are similar problems. And Jazz, yes, if Tinker has snacks she will FOREGO all healthy food and act like she's been sooo abused. Such a drama queen. If your baby can eat nuts, he can eat healthy foods too. I throw in bird seed, meal worms, chicken scratch, cat food, weeds from the property - pretty much anything I think the wild ones around here may find.
Here are pics of Tinkerbelle's teeth. Again, at 9 months old. California Ground Squirrel:
But in the last few months I notice the top tooth seems to be more hardy. It is closer in color to the bottom ones, and it actually looks wider, but that may be because it never gets a point, or it may be an illusion. I was trimming her teeth every 3 to 4 weeks. At this point I have not trimmed her bottom teeth since November. I am wondering if her adult tooth, even though it's just the one, may be able to hold its own against those bottom teeth now that she is reaching adulthood? I am also wondering how long I would need to continue to monitor her tooth wear until it is safe to draw a conclusion that she could be released? Or would it ever reach this point? She is an avid chewer, remodeling any wooden part of a cage that she can get to, cardboard boxes, blankets and towels, branches, etc.
She manipulates food normally in her mouth I believe, and is able to stick her tongue out and lick, so I do not see the tooth configuration interfering with her eating at this point. I also do not think the bottom ones are hitting the roof of her mouth. At least there is no red spot up there to indicate any irritation.
I believe that in other respects Tinker would be a good candidate for a soft release. I just don't know how to evaluate her tooth situation now that it possibly appears she is managing the wear on her own.
I am not sure whether the differences between grey squirrel teeth and ground squirrel teeth would make advice for Jazz different than advice for me. However, they are similar problems. And Jazz, yes, if Tinker has snacks she will FOREGO all healthy food and act like she's been sooo abused. Such a drama queen. If your baby can eat nuts, he can eat healthy foods too. I throw in bird seed, meal worms, chicken scratch, cat food, weeds from the property - pretty much anything I think the wild ones around here may find.
Here are pics of Tinkerbelle's teeth. Again, at 9 months old. California Ground Squirrel: