Chinese teeth check...

[Roxie]

How exactly do I go about this? The thought of scruffing my little one totally terrifies me. The way she eats I'm sure their not overly long but I'm just thinking for the future, I really can't see a way of doing it.

[SnickersTheFirst]

I think the only safe way is to scruff or swaddle them.

I had to scruff Bailey alot after his op to clean his wound and administer antbiotics, it's quite stressful for an untame hamster but my other lot are fine. It's easy to scruff hamsters as they have so much spare skin. Just grab the skin behind their neck gently with your thumb and forefinger and rest their back on the palm of your hand so their body is supported.

Swaddling is where you wrap them tightly in a blanket (not too tight!) so they can't struggle, not sure how you'd get them to open their mouths though. :mad:

[SnickersTheFirst]

Giving Medication - Vectis Hamstery (http://vectishams.webs.com/givingmedication.htm)

Here's a link you may find useful, it's for giving medication but shows pics of the handling methods.

[Roxie]

Oooh thanks. I'm fine when it comes to scruffing Cookie but it's Shilohs size that worries me, I'm worried about hurting her. Once I've done it once on her, I'll be fine, I just need to actually try and that frightens me! :)

[Gamina]

Well scruffing is an option but with my gerbil who is a little bugger with his teeth I hold him gently on his back and use a med pen to push his .. lip... back just to check them, my vet showed me how.

[racinghamster]

I would only scruff a hamster if it was totally necessary (i.e, at the vets) or if I thought something was seriously wrong and wanted to check myself. Natural eating should keep their teeth in check even without the need to gnaw on anything else, but there will be some exceptions where the hamster or gerbil will have natural maloclussions or have a broken tooth due to an accident, so the teeth do then need frequent checks.

Gerbils should`nt be scruffed at all because they don`t have the same loose skin that a hamster has. Scruffing a gerbil should`nt be done too often or it can cause a head tilt. gerbils are not easy to hold at the best of times! :mad:

[fluffymunchkins]

I have to scruff Bacardi every so often as his teeth don't wear down properly.
Hes very relaxed when handled and doesn't seem to mind at all. The best way to go about it if your not confident or the hamster is uncomfortable with it, is to go to the vets or ask someone at a hamster show for example :)

[Vectis Hamstery]

Scruffing is fine for a hamster. If they get used to it then it makes it much easier if they need medications in future. I do it as part of their routine health check to look at their teeth and none of them get upset by it. You need to act confident just like with handling in general.
Another way of checking teeth is 'the hamster smile'. when the ham is sitting on your hand and your striking their head and giving them ear scratches, gently move your two fingers either side of their cheeks and gently pull back to expose their teeth. To be honest, I find my hamsters get more upset with this method than a quick scruff.