My 3 yr old hammy Brownie has overgrown teeth and I have been spending weeks calling different exotic pet vets trying to find one that does teeth trimming. My hamsters teeth look painful and I am crushing his harder foods into smaller pieces and feeding him fruit/veggie bits. Does anyone know any vets in NJ that trim teeth? I am very concerned and worried, especially because he is pretty old now.
So sorry to hear this and yes it does need a vet to do it. I'm in the Uk so not much help but maybe just keep ringing around. Or is there a small animal hospital in the region?
There are some listed for NJ. I know its for guinea pigs but they also normally have other exotic animal experience. The list was compiled by scottys animals viewers recommending their vets.
I am also based in the UK so I won’t have much advice but expanding on the hospital idea, if you have a rescue near you some have vets on hand with experience so you could ask a rescue if they know anyone or if they could do it
They used to "clip" teeth, but in the Uk new vet protocols are in place whereby they will only "burr" them (use a burring machine to grind them down) and they give them a whiff of anaesthesia to do it. So I think you do need a vet really. It might mean a long journey. I don't know what the vet protocols are in the US though. How long are they? Can he open his mouth?
As well as giving him crushed food, give him soft food as well. Four month old baby food (I used to put some in an egg cup) without spices, onion or tomato. Also put his usual hamster mix out (they still like to pouch and hoard it) plus some of his regular hamster mix soaked in boiling water. I use the baby food lids as extra dishes for the soaked food. So just a few drops of boiling water really, let the food go cold and it will turn mushy. If you can get Science selective pellets it's good to soak those instead as they contain all the nutrients needed.
You might need some calorie boosting foods as well if he's losing weight. So another baby food lid with a pinch of crushed nuts (you can actually buy crushed nuts as a health food for putting on porridge - pecans and brazil nuts are high calorie but other nuts fine too) and a pinch of hemp seeds separately. They just lick those up like the baby food.
If he can't get his mouth open to lick food though it's a bit of an emergency.
I am not sure this is recommended or safe, but I did see this youtube video a few years back where the owner filed down the bottom teeth herself. I'd be concerned about doing this myself and particularly if you're not sure how to scruff a hamster safely. Which is why I took mine to the vets to have it done. After our first hamster I ensured all our hamsters had hard food and hard chew sticks to chew on so their teeth never got too long. It's why hamster mix is such hard food - they need to constantly wear their food down. But sometimes when they're older (and your hamster is very old at 3 years old) they get arthritis in the jaw and don't chew food properly and that can stop their teeth getting worn down as well.
I am sure there must be a vet who would do it in your state somewhere. Personally I wouldn't want to cause distress to a very old hamster and a whiff of gas to have it done would be kinder.
Thank you so much for the suggestions. He can open his mouth, although the top tooth seems to be curving back and one of the bottom teeth sometimes sticks out of his mouth or pokes the inside of his mouth. I have tried my best to see if I can cut them for him, but im scared that if i do it wrong, itll make it harder for him to eat. Ill try and get a picture
Teeth trimming vets in NJ?!!!
Re: Teeth trimming vets in NJ?!!!
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