Alfie's tooth troubles (update - good vibes needed!)

Emma · 04-22-2005, 02:31 PM

*sigh* - I was so pleased with Alfie's progress on the biting front - now I may have found out why!

I've noticed he's eaten and drunk much less for the past 2 or 3 days, not a good sign, so I checked his teeth and sure enough, one of his lower incisors is quite overgrown and just starting to rub his tongue. Poor boy, it must be sore for him. I've only checked his teeth properly once before, when I first met him at the rescue, and it wasn't this long then - it wasn't absolutely straight, but it wasn't overgrown.

Why is it you always notice these things on a Friday or Saturday, and can't do anything about it till Monday! I don't have the right clippers for teeth here, and I'm not that confident yet to do it by myself anyway. He'll come into uni with me on Monday and I'll find a clinician to lend me a hand. I don't know of a vet that is particularly experienced with rodents that I can get to help me until then. For now, he's got some baby food - as soon as I put it down he ran over and licked up quite a bit, he must have been hungry

SnuggleHam · 04-23-2005, 03:56 PM

So true, they always get sick just as all the veterinary offices are closing. Fortunately your problem isn’t as serious, only meaning that a wait over the weekend probably wont kill the little guy. At lest you noticed and got some easy to eat food for him while you wait for him to get to a vet.

I’m sure ones they are trimmed back he will be so delighted to be able to eat a seed or some kind of yummy treat

Emma · 04-24-2005, 01:02 AM

I just feel bad - if I'd noticed it the night before I could have sorted it on Friday. You're right it's not life-threatening I just think it must be quite sore so I'm feeling especially guilty and Alfie is getting spoiled - he has a selection of every food I can think of so he definitely eats something - the babyfood is going down well, as is the Robos' bird seed! I hope he goes back to normal food on Monday!

Emma · 04-25-2005, 06:54 AM

Alfie came in with me today and got his tooth clipped successfully. The vet that did it is of the opinion that the risk of tooth fracturing with clippers conscious is less that the risk of GA to burr it (it'd be very difficult to burr a conscious hamster). Anyway she managed to clip it a bit, it's not as perfect as burring would be but it shouldn't be sore any more.

Alfie is spending the day staying in the hospital whilst I have lectures - I went to see him at lunchtime, he came to the front of his cage when I spoke to him, and licked some babyfood from my fingers! Apparently he'd been hiding at the back and been antisocial to everyone. He recognises me

I just hope he starts eating properly again soon.

**babyboos** · 04-25-2005, 10:38 AM

Not a pleasant experience for either party... did he struggle much for the vet? Hope he feels the benefit of his trim soon

Emma · 04-25-2005, 11:16 AM

He didn't struggle for me when I held him to show the vet the problem - he was a tinker for the vet though and bit her twice - he hasn't bitten me at all for about 10 days now I think. It's quite a nice feeling that he seems to trust me now. Everyone else is still in trouble though!

When we came home he went straight back into his cage and to bed. I haven't seen him eat anything yet but he has a few choices in there.

There were several final-year vet students working there today, who either weren't interested in hamsters, or were a bit scared of him. I said if anyone wanted to try handling him they could, as he is quite a difficult ham for a stranger to handle, it'd be good practice. Noone took me up on the offer though.

**babyboos** · 04-25-2005, 11:31 AM

Oh that is a great pity - small rodents will be in their surgeries nearly every day if they go into typical small practice.

Emma · 04-26-2005, 01:43 AM

I know - many people seem to think that he was going to savage them. You should have seen one jump away when he turned his head! It is a shame.

I was quite worried when I went to bed last night I still hadn't seen Alfie eating or drinking - but I was actually woken up this morning by him making a racket with his water bottle, and he's back to his usual tricks making a mess with his food all over the cage. He's actually ignored the babyfood and gone back to his normal hamster mix, so I'm pleased.

I suspect in another few months it will happen again, as it wasn't clipped completely evenly and is still obviously maloccluded. I know a different vet at uni who has the opposite opinion - that you should never clip teeth with clippers, always burr and a whiff of anaesthetic to knock them out for a few seconds isn't very risky at all - if it does regrow I think I'll make an appointment with him, if possible. Or hunt him down and hijack him!

Emma · 05-23-2005, 03:22 AM

So....Alfie hasn't been quite right for a few days, not eating much, had another look and the tooth has grown right back and is pressing into his tongue again

He's at the uni vet practice now, he's going to have a short anaesthetic this afternoon and have it burred down even. When it was clipped last time it still wasn't even so was never going to wear properly, this way hopefully it might start wearing even. I couldn't stay to watch unfortunately as there are other students there, I'm working in the library and waiting! Everyone send Alfie good luck vibes.....I know I've seen many small furry anaesthetics go absolutely fine but when it's your own you worry!

A good point though is that the student whos with him is an old classmate of mine, seemed to have the charm, Alfie was very well behaved for him, but then bit the vet when she came in (same one as last time!). But Paul the student was very good with him, I think he's in good hands.

Waiting is awful!! Good luck Alfie.

SnuggleHam · 05-23-2005, 04:40 AM

I'll be sending out positive thoughts for you and Alfie

It's too bad that he can't keep up his teeth on his own

from the sounds of it, it seems like he's going to need to see the vet every so often to have his teeth fixed? Is that what's going to probably happen from now on?