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Chipped tooth... Baby tooth??

2K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  dobbymama_01 
#1 ·
I just check my little Dobby and he also have the same problem. He chipped one of his two front teeth... And I honestly don't know how he chipped it because he just escaped recently. I did notice he isn't drinking from his water bottle for a while now unless I put the bottle directly near his mouth. (That's when I noticed the chipped tooth.) I can sense he's stressed due to the "escaping" thingy... I don't know what to do exactly... because I'm thinking he might just be lacking the exercise he needs (I haven't bought any wheel yet) but I know that it's more recommended to take him to the vet... And I can do only one of these two for this month due to financial reasons.

I know for a fact that it could be baby tooth but I honestly checked again and I think I saw remaining part of the tooth.

:confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:

:?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?:
 
#2 ·
My guess is the water bottle is the problem, both because bottles are common causes of chipped teeth & because he's avoiding it. That's a serious problem that he's avoiding his water bottle, he could quickly get dehydrated. If you don't have a water bowl in his cage, put one in right away.

If he's escaping, it's because he's bored. He needs a wheel ASAP to keep him from escaping again. He could seriously injure himself while trying to get out, so you need to get him a wheel, even if it's just a $20 Comfort Wheel from the store right now.

As far as the vet, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have the vet look at his tooth & see how badly it's chipped. If it's cracked or chipped enough, it could expose the root & be very painful, plus open him up to infection. I just read over your description again & it sounds like quite a lot of the tooth is gone? If so, then yes, a vet is the priority. Spend your money on that before the wheel, but he does still need a wheel - see if you have any friends or family willing to pay $20 for a Comfort Wheel for him. Call it your birthday present or Christmas present, or offer to pay them back as soon as you can. He really does need both, neither thing is an option here.

And I'm sure you probably already know this, but I can't post without saying it - you need to have a vet fund. Hedgehogs need wellness exams at least once a year (twice a year is better), and they're susceptible to a variety of health issues, and they're good at hurting themselves. When something goes wrong, you can't wait a week or two until you get your paycheck. They usually need to go to the vet ASAP, within a couple days. If financial issues are a concern, you need to find back ups you can have in place (such as a vet-only credit card, pet insurance, someone who's willing to loan you money in case of an emergency, etc.), and start saving up a vet fund of at least $200 ($500 is better).
 
#4 ·
Hedgehogs do have baby teeth & do lose them. I'm not sure what age they do so though. People don't seem to find them very often for whatever reason. I think they probably lose them fairly early, though, so it wouldn't my first guess with this situation. If you think you still see some tooth, I would schedule a vet appointment to have it checked, just in case. Better that you find out it was indeed a baby tooth or that everything's fine than to wait and have the root become infected and/or turn into an abscess. That will be painful for the hedgehog and more expensive for you to treat.
 
#6 ·
Thank you so much! Your suggestions really helped I guess I better buy a wheel tomorrow and get him to a vet this weekend...

I already had a thought about the water bottle being the cause of it... Thank you...

I checked his tooth again and it is chipped but half is left.
 
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