Here we can see, “How Do You Look After Your Hedgehog’s Teeth?”
You’re certainly aware that your hedgehog has teeth—how else would he crunch his cereal-like insectivore food?—But did you realise that these teeth, like yours, may require frequent attention? Hedgehog tooth disorders exist and should not be overlooked. They can give your hedgehog considerable discomfort and infection, and if you’ve ever had a toothache, you know how unpleasant it is!
Dental Treatment
Hedgehogs can have as many as 44 teeth. Like us, they have incisors, premolars, molars, and canine teeth. They obtain these teeth around the age of three weeks, which means they’ll have them for the rest of their life to chew and grip food. Even though most hedgehog owners don’t brush their pets’ teeth, that doesn’t mean your exotic pet doctor can’t clean them or that your hedgehog won’t have dental problems.
Your hedgehog will need to be put under an anaesthetic to have his teeth professionally cleaned. Cleaning, polishing, and x-raying such tiny teeth is then possible. Teeth that are causing problems may need to be extracted. This is the same treatment used on cats, dogs, and other pets with teeth, but any time your pet is put under anaesthesia, there is a danger of anaesthetic complications. Before the treatment, you and your vet should talk about blood tests and IV fluids to make sure that the dental prophylaxis is as safe as possible.
Brushing at Home
If you must brush your teeth, avoid using toothpaste. Try carefully rubbing all of your teeth with a damp Q-tip. Pay special attention to the rear molars and the visible sides of the teeth. Don’t overwork your hedgehog and be kind to it. Don’t be alarmed if your gums begin to bleed. This just means that they are not used to being brushed, which could be bad for their health.
Get your hedgehog to the veterinarian if you notice a lot of blood or can see any of the tooth roots. If you have a lot of tartar on your teeth (brown or black stains), brushing alone will not be enough to remove it. Although hedgehogs rarely let it go, your fingernail may be able to gently peel it off the tooth. Otherwise, you’ll have to hire a professional to clean your teeth with an ultrasonic scaler.
Dental Issues
Your veterinarian may refer to the black or brown substance on your hedgie’s teeth as plaque, tartar, or calculus. Saliva, food particles, and microorganisms make up this substance. It’s a concern since it irritates the gums and causes tooth decay. Germs can get to all of your hedgehog’s important organs through the gum line, which is a direct route to the blood supply.
A systemic infection in your hedgehog can be caused by a huge accumulation of one of these three items. You can usually brush off the milder plaque, but tartar and calculus are usually too difficult to remove without professional help.
Tooth Root Abscesses
Hedgehog tooth fractures and dental abscesses are common in hedgehogs. In your hedgehog’s mouth, a tooth root abscess occurs when the root of the tooth, which cannot be seen without x-rays on a healthy tooth, has a pocket of pus surrounding it. This is caused by a bad tooth infection, and the side of the face where the infected tooth is can sometimes get a bump under the eye.
This protrusion may resemble a zit and may appear suddenly. If you notice a bulge like this on your hedgehog, or any lump, take them to the veterinarian right away. Your little hedgehog will require pain medicine and antibiotics once the bad tooth is extracted and the rest of the teeth are cleaned.
User Questions
Do hedgehog teeth fall out?
There is no need to be concerned because young hedgehogs do lose their baby teeth. Hedgehogs can also lose their teeth as they age. An aged pet may require softer or smaller foods that are easier to consume.
What does a hedgehogs teeth look like?
Hedgehogs have pointy cusps on their front teeth and flat, wide molars. Hedgehogs have sharp front teeth that can break skin when they nip or nibble. However, their nips normally feel more like a pinch than a puncture wound.
Do hedgehog bites hurt?
Hedgehogs have little teeth that are developed to eat insects. They lack large predator canines as well as the typical rodent incisors. Normal bites are not pleasant, but they are not excruciatingly painful.
Do hedgehogs get pimples?
He has a small pimple-like lump on each side of his face. It’s not so much a growth as a thin film filled with what appears to be puss, similar to a whitehead pimple. The tip of a hair appears to emerge from the middle of each “pimple.”
Do hedgehogs like to be held?
Each hedgehog has its own personality, but the majority of them are uninterested in human contact. Hedgehogs require a lot of time and effort to get used to being held, according to their caregivers. Hedgehogs, like porcupines, have prickly quills that they employ to ward off predators.
Conclusion
I hope you found this helpful guide. If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to use the form below.
