Teeth questions

[teela1342]

I read posts from other people about how they have been bitten by their little angels and how much it hurts. Jake bites sometimes, and I know he intends it to be hard. I can see it in his face. :angry: But it doesn't hurt. I acutally can't really feel teeth. It just feels like pressure.

He has had 2 previous owners who were questionable. I know the last one fed him grocery store brand cat kibble. So he wasn't starving, but he didn't have the best nutrition either. Could this have affected his teeth?

Does anyone have any experience with rescues with bad teeth? What do I need to look out for? He will eat kibble, but it is always a last choice. I have started dripping flax oil and chicken broth on it to soften it up a little. :slurp:

Do I just have a high tolerance for pain, or are bites generally supposed to hurt? Does Jake really have a hard time with kibble, or is he just holding out for the hard boiled egg? Should I just chill out, or should I let the vet knock him out and take a look?

[mrgew]

I dont know both Indy, and Oda, have bitten me, mostly cause I woke them up to clean their cages, I think indy wanted it to hurt to teach me a lesson, well it didnt really hurt, no blood, just felt like a clothes line clip on my finger. Oda on the other hand just bit me today, and it didnt hurt so I dont know. As for the teeth part, not sure what to tell you on that one, Indy has let me look at his teeth (got him from a breeder), Oda well, I just started to see her face today so yeah.

[Ododad]

If you can, it's always best to have a vet check him out. That way you will know for sure. Poor little Frodo had bleeding gums and black teeth. I would never have known it if not for his vet visit.

About the biting, you really sure he was trying to hurt you? I ask because Odo tagged me on the toe once and it hurt. Not a lot, but I had two little vampire marks on my toe! She nips me all the time though, it feels more like pressure than it does teeth.

[kaiteedyd]

Take a wooden skewer (not the pointed end) or something else relatively thin and pry his little mouth open. That way you'll get a good look at his teeth for yourself. If they are white with pinky gums he is fine. If they are black and gross then he has bad teeth.

It doesn't always hurt to be bitten. It depends where you are bitten , how hard and whether you're a weenie or not :)

[razzle]

I've been bitten by Razzle a couple times and it startled me more than it hurt (thought I, like Ododad, did once get a couple vampire tooth marks!! :laugh: ) I just took Razzle to the vet, where he had his teeth checked and the vet said they were beautiful. I think he CAN bite hard if he wanted to, but he has just given me a few "warning" nips when he was grumpy.

[Ododad]

Outstanding!
Razzle is such a lucky guy to have you!

[teela1342]

Take a wooden skewer (not the pointed end) or something else relatively thin and pry his little mouth open. That way you'll get a good look at his teeth for yourself. If they are white with pinky gums he is fine. If they are black and gross then he has bad teeth.

It doesn't always hurt to be bitten. It depends where you are bitten , how hard and whether you're a weenie or not :)

Yeah . . . uh . . . looking in his mouth . . not gonna happen. He isn't the touchy feely hedgehog type. He is more the feed me then shut up and leave me alone type. :rolleyes:

I guess a dentist visit is in order. I just hate having to sedate him for it if he doesn't need it.

[teela1342]

About the biting, you really sure he was trying to hurt you? I ask because Odo tagged me on the toe once and it hurt. Not a lot, but I had two little vampire marks on my toe! She nips me all the time though, it feels more like pressure than it does teeth.


Oh yeah, he meant to cause as much injury as he could. When I wake him up to do something horrible like clean his cage he is grumpy. If I try to handle him too much at this time, his forehead quills drop down like he is scowling and he rears back and strikes like a cobra! It is funny and doesn't hurt. I think my laughter hurts his feelings. He likes to believe he is big and bad.

[razzle]

Oh yeah, he meant to cause as much injury as he could. When I wake him up to do something horrible like clean his cage he is grumpy. If I try to handle him too much at this time, his forehead quills drop down like he is scowling and he rears back and strikes like a cobra! It is funny and doesn't hurt. I think my laughter hurts his feelings. He likes to believe he is big and bad.

:laugh: They all think they are big and tough. Just let 'em believe it and all will be fine.

[Pippin'sMom]

Pipp bit me once. In fact, it was right after I had brought my mice home and he must have smelled their cage in HIS room, and he bit down on my finger. Jealous little beggar. ;)
It felt a lot like putting a clothespin on your finger...except afterwards I had little vampire marks as well. ;)