Malocclusion

The term "Malocclusion" refers to an incorrect alignment of the teeth when the mouth is closed, sadly it is probably the biggest killer of domestic chinchillas. Malocclusion can caused by several possible reasons including genetics, injury to the teeth or jaw, abnormal growth, poor bite, and very often, inappropriate diet. Malocclusion can appear in the cheek teeth and front teeth, resulting in the uneven wear of the teeth or overgrowth of the teeth. It is considered that malocclusion normally appears by the age of 4 and in severe cases can appear before the Chinchillas 1st birthday. There are 4 types of Malocclusion which can appear on their own or together. In some instances a chinchilla can damage their front teeth, normally the result of a fall or a knock in the cage which can loosens one or more of the teeth so that they move and misalign with their opposing teeth. This can make eating very difficult. In some cases vets are able to clip the teeth to encourage them back into correct alignment. This needs to be done under anaesthetic and has been known to be effective in some instances. In chinchillas, a diet which includes tough, fibrous roughage is extremely important to the health of the animal. If a diet that does not require enough chewing is given, cheek tooth wear is uneven causing spurs to grow on the edges of the cheek teeth. These spurs can cause severe pain resulting in drooling, reluctance to eat, the inability to close the mouth, and weight loss. The situation deteriorates as the teeth continue to grow, and, if it is not treated, can result in the eventual death of the chinchilla through starvation. The overgrowth of the cheek teeth can lead to root elongation. When this occurs the root continues to grow through the tissues of the mouth causing swelling and inflammation. If this happens in the upper jaw, the root can grow into the eyes or nasal cavity, resulting in watering, bulging, or inflamed eyes. In the lower jaw the root can grow through the jaw bone. Age related dental problems can be in the form of both spurs and root elongation and as the name suggest effects older chins (approx 8+yrs). When a chinchilla gets older it’s teeth slow down the rate at which they grow, this does mean that spurs can be treated more effectively than with malocclusion in young with sometimes just 1 or 2 treatments. However, there is an increased risk with anaesthetics in older chinchillas. There is a limited amount of research into the causes of malocclusion although the research that has been done would indicate that it is carried by a recessive gene. This means that if 2 chins both carry the gene for malocclusion the offspring will also carry the gene and will most likely develop the condition. A chinchilla can carry the gene without ever developing the condition. Genetic malocclusion will normally develop in the first 3 years of a chins life and any chinchilla with malocclusion should be removed from breeding along with any offspring. Studying the pedigree and contacting the breeder and the owners of any offspring to inform them of the condition is considered to be courteous as the breeder may not be aware that a particular pairing produces maloccluded chinchillas and the owners of any offspring should be made aware of the condition in case they are breeding from the offspring. It is then up to the breeder and new owners to decide what they are going to do with the information that has been provided. In some instances there is nothing that can be done to prevent the onset of Malocclusion, however, regular examination of the teeth and a balanced diet enriched with calcium and coarse fibrous food should be fed to maintain adequate wear. Ensure your chinchilla is kept in a suitable cage where they cannot fall too far and that they are always supervised during exercise, so as to avoid injury to the jaw which may cause misalignment. Do not over breed your chinchillas. Most breeders recommend a maximum of one litter per year. Over breeding can cause a calcium deficiency for mum, weakening the teeth, and also affects the kits that may well have weaker bones and teeth because of it. Also ensure the chin has adequate calcium in their diet. The hay or dried grasses fed should have a calcium - phosphorus ratio of 2:1 and you may need to supplement you chin's diet with calcium powder to ensure they have enough. Chinchillas 2 Home have plenty of information on their website about the best hays and calcium supplementing. If your chinchilla appears to be having difficulty eating, is reaching their paw to their mouth frequently, and particularly if you notice wetness around the mouth or on the chest or eye/s then take it along to the vet as soon as you can. These symptoms indicate serious tooth problems which will probably require surgery. If diagnosed early, the spurs can be removed under anaesthetic by the vet. Should your vet suggest investigative sedation carried out it is imperative that x-rays taken first to see the extent of the dental problem and decide on the best cause of action. In more severe cases, permanent damage may have already occurred meaning aggressive intensive treatment is not the best option. It is important to get dental problems diagnosed promptly as if your chinchilla stops eating his digestive system will start to shut down. Remember most treatments for malocclusion will only buy time for your chinchilla as even is its teeth are burred, the recovery time is long, painful and time consuming and it is likely the teeth will re-grow sometimes within only 2 or 3 months and your chinchilla will need the treatment repeated. Treatments are expensive and range from £60 to £400+ per treatment depending on where you live, if x-rays are taken and how serious the damage is. Sometimes in less severe cases time between treatments begin to space out and your chinchilla can go for 6 months to even a year between burring. In these cases it will probably be feasible to continue treatment whilst the chinchilla's quality of life is good. In severe cases intervention will become more and more urgent and you will need to have these operations carried out almost monthly, in an attempt to stop the continual pain the animal is in. The difficulty here is that chinchillas often take several weeks to begin eating normally after this kind of operation, having to be syringe fed in the meantime. Often by the time a chin is just beginning to cope with eating independently the teeth are ready for burring again. In these case owners must find themselves forced to decide what the best thing for their pet is. Based on my personal experience I would highly recommend that if you suspect that your chin has Malocclusion that you see an exotics specialist as they are best placed to effectively treat the condition. Unless a vet is familiar with the condition and knows what to look for they may not even be able to assess the x-rays correctly, let alone treat and manage the condition. A specialist is also in the position to try more radical or extensive treatments that a general vet may not be prepared to attempt. Sadly Malocclusion is a very widespread ailment amongst chinchillas and unfortunately there is no long-term cure. Procedures for treating Malocclusion have improved and now vets are able to extract teeth, however there are few general vets in the country that are willing to attempt to do it. It is also possible to manage the pain with medicine that is available from vets; however the side effects are undesirable so it is not considered an advisable treatment. There are people that have tried using a vegetable based diet for chinchillas with malocclusions and they have had some success in mild cases that were caught early.