Teeth issues might arise with pet rats. Rats have teeth that grow regularly throughout their lives; thus, while some exotic pets have dental issues, these teeth may occasionally need to be taken care of. You can prevent major oral injuries to your pet rat by being aware of what to look for in its mouth.
What type of teeth do rats have?
What type of teeth do rats have?
Upon birth, dogs and cats lack teeth, grow baby teeth, and eventually shed those teeth to make room for their adult teeth. However, rats have just one set of teeth for the whole of their lives, and these teeth can be seen in their jaws as early as eight or ten days of life. These teeth, which are made up of four incisors and twelve molars, are permanent in the mouth of a rat. The incisors develop continuously, whereas molars do not; however, your rat may have issues as a result of the incisors' constant growth.
Examining the Teeth of Your Rat
Rat incisors are tougher than human teeth and have a yellow color that occurs naturally. Their bottom incisors should extend about twice as far past the gum line, measuring seven millimeters, compared to the upper incisors' approximate length of four millimeters. To ensure that the teeth are not curling upward into the rat's mouth or digging into the underside of their cheek, you'll need to carefully peel back their cheeks or lips in order to have a good look of their teeth, as most of the incisors reside underneath their lips.
Rat teeth that have grown over
When they get big, the incisors, the front teeth, are easy to spot. Usually, they get long enough that they start to bend and protrude between the lips, giving them the potential to catch on objects or, worse, eat their way into your rat's gums or the roof of its mouth. Rats do not experience the same problems with their molars, or rear teeth, that guinea pigs or rabbits do since they do not grow into them.
When rats nibble on their food, the majority of them will wear the incisors down adequately. However, some rats were born with malformed teeth or jaws, or they may experience trauma at some point in their lives, which prevents them from gnawing normally.
Rat Tooth Trims
Teeth trimmings are not painful when done properly. When trimming incisors, there are two typical techniques employed. The first method involves cutting the teeth using standard dog nail clippers, much like removing a toenail. A veterinarian that treats exotic animals will strongly advise against using this procedure, as it is not the recommended manner to trim teeth! The force required to use the clippers increases the likelihood of the tooth breaking or splitting. When the tooth is fractured up against the nerve or cut too short, this procedure may be painful. It may also permanently cause aberrant growth by shattering the junction between the jaw bones.
The second way is to cut off the superfluous tooth with a portable rotary tool, such as a Dremel, that has a cut-off wheel. Because rats' lips are so small, this approach does require a little more expertise and anesthesia or sedation, but it is still easily accomplished by a qualified veterinary specialist. If done correctly, cutting with a tool that rotates won't cause any harm to the tooth or nerve. The only things that should worry you are getting cut teeth or injuring your lips or gums if the wheel grazes them. Rats must therefore be anesthetized or sedated in order to securely and correctly trim their teeth.
Owners of exotic pets, such as rats, who have teeth that erupt regularly need to be mindful of potential dental issues. Overgrown teeth can result in major injuries, anorexia, infections, agony, and even death due to the inability to swallow and chew food if left untreated. Fortunately, routine tooth trimmings and measurements of tooth length allow for easy management of the overgrown tooth issue.
Preventing Rats' Overgrown Teeth
Giving your rat something to chew around is the best way to maintain the regular length of its teeth. Natural gnawing behavior from healthy wood, rat pellets, or toys will wear down these teeth to a safe length. Rats may find it challenging to chew and wear down their teeth when they are born with deformed teeth as a result of inbreeding.
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