The Syrian hamster chatters its teeth after sleeping. About hamster teeth and their health

Not all owners of small pets are thoroughly versed in their habits and habits. Especially when it comes to small rodents. Therefore, some features of their behavior cause sincere bewilderment. For example, a rat chatters its teeth. What does it mean?

Most often, the characteristic sound, when a rat knocks its teeth, is made in a state of absolute rest. A rat, after eating, is engaged in a useful thing for its body - it sharpens its teeth in this way. This is an urgent natural need. If this is not done, then the incisors can grow excessively long and deliver pain growing into the oral cavity. Carried away by the process, the animal can bulge its eyes, which usually frightens inexperienced owners very much. However, this is considered normal during the sharpening procedure.

One of the special cases: sharpening of the teeth occurs not after, but during the meal while eating hard food. The animal does not have enough strength to gnaw some pieces and it is forced to sharpen the incisors for this, increasing their efficiency.

However, this does not exhaust all possible situations giving an answer to the question why the rat chatters its teeth.

Less common cases

Another option is that the rodent experiences joyful moments for any reason. This usually happens at the moment when the owner caresses his pet. The sound is equivalent to the purring of a cat. In the case of particularly vivid emotions, the vibration of the body is added.

In a frightened or agitated state, you can hear a similar sound. However, these emotions are accompanied by characteristic behaviors in everything else, so they are quite easy to read and distinguish:

• Rearing wool;
• The muscles of the body look tense;
• A look directed towards the source of experiences. Usually frozen and hardly blinking.

The most common situations are the rat experiencing negative emotions:

• The appearance next to the rodent of new unfamiliar pets;
• Unfamiliar environment;
• Visit to the veterinary clinic.

Sometimes passions boil with such force that the animal begins to prepare for an attack. This happens when a new tenant moves into the cell. The aggressor is subject to immediate isolation, otherwise a fierce fight and spilled blood cannot be avoided.

Curiosity and interest can also cause teeth grinding.

Knock and rattle, as a cause for alarm

Representatives of rodents bred for home keeping are usually prone to a whole range of different ailments, the course of which can also be accompanied by the sound of grinding or chattering of teeth. Diseases to be prepared for:

• a wide variety of tumors;
• strokes and heart attacks of all possible types and types;
• infection with ticks and their further penetration into the body;
• problems associated with the respiratory system;
• overgrown incisors, which began to dig into the skin and cause acute pain.

The sounds that an animal makes when sick are designed to attract the attention of the owner to themselves. Pain and discomfort are still moderate and tolerable.

Before the rodent begins to suffer, it is worth taking action and contacting a specialist for help.

Instead of a conclusion

Such is the immunity of rats. This is the language of their communication. If you master it perfectly and learn to understand, then you can interact much more closely with your furry little friend. Both will bring only sincere pleasure. And questions like why a rat chatters its teeth will no longer arise.

Hamster diseases are often incurable. But for a loving owner - no reason to refuse him help. If a doctor who knows the symptoms and treatment of the main diseases of pets cannot be found, the owner should independently investigate this issue. All processes in the body of tiny animals proceed rapidly, so the theory is studied in advance in order to have an idea of ​​​​what to do if the hamster is sick.

Diseases are divided into two groups: contagious and non-contagious. Their list is very extensive. But the symptoms can be similar in completely different diseases. The first task of the owner is to understand that something is wrong with the pet. A healthy animal is active, it has a good appetite. The coat is dry, thick, shiny and smooth, the eyes are clear and clean.

How to understand that a hamster is sick:

• appetite disorders: complete or partial refusal of food, selective eating of food, increased thirst;
• profuse salivation: wet hair on the chin, neck, chest;
• diarrhea: traces of feces around the anus, wet hair on the back half of the body;
• lacrimation or;
• breathing problems: discharge from the nostrils, sniffling, wheezing;
• skin problems: dull coat, tangles, bald patches, wounds and peeling;
• oppression: the hamster has become lethargic and inactive, lies all the time;
• Problems nervous system: convulsions, impaired coordination;
• unnatural formations on the body, swelling.

Any violation of the usual routine of life should be a cause for concern and close examination of the animal. The owner can understand if the hamster is sick much earlier than the veterinarian, because he is familiar with his habits and characteristics.

Some infections are very dangerous and lead to the death of the animal in 1-2 days, others. Poorly imagining what hamsters are sick with, owners usually start to worry if the rodent has bitten one of the household members. Whether to worry is a moot point: rabies vaccinations are not done afterwards, but the wound must be treated with an antiseptic and other diseases should be remembered.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis

Extremely rare viral disease that is transmitted to humans. The source can be wild rodents - house mice. In adult hamsters, the disease is asymptomatic, and in young animals, a lesion is observed. respiratory system and conjunctivitis (rarely paralysis and convulsions). In humans, the virus affects the membranes of the brain, and in case of pregnancy it is extremely dangerous for the fetus. Related to this:

• do not buy a hamster at the bird market;
• to acquire a hamster over the age of 3 months;
• do not introduce new rodents during pregnancy.

Due to the particular danger of lymphocytic choriomeningitis, many are interested in whether hamsters should be vaccinated. Rodents are not vaccinated against this disease or any other.
Bacterial infections can affect various body systems: the respiratory system, the gastrointestinal tract, and the genitourinary system.

Infectious gastroenteritis

It is believed that rodents have a stroke - a hemorrhage in the brain, but it is impossible to reliably determine this. Old hamsters have partial paralysis and others neurological diseases. If an older hamster is shaking and trembling, this is an alarming sign - convulsions are not related to the temperature in the room and can be.

In a separate group, diseases of females and young animals associated with reproduction are distinguished: pyometra, pathological childbirth, toxicosis of pregnancy.

indigestion

With diarrhea, the fur around the anus is dirty, the hamster is lethargic, lies on its stomach. If the owner is sure that it is related to feeding and not a bacterial infection, you can start treating the hamster at home. All supplies are removed from the pantry, and the pet is prescribed a strict diet - no succulent feed. Drink with an insulin syringe rice decoction, which has fixing properties, a decoction of chamomile. Well normalizes stool with diarrhea decoction of oak bark.

If during the day the pet does not get better, or there is a suspicion that the hamster has poisoned, you need to contact a veterinarian-ratologist.

Conjunctivitis

Due to bulging eyes, conjunctivitis is a very common disease in hamsters. Sometimes the eyelids are completely stuck together with pus. The owner should regularly rinse the eyes with saline or an aqueous solution of furacilin, and then drip eye drops with an antibiotic (Floxal) 4 times a day.

Injuries

In nature, hamsters live on the plains, so they are undeservedly considered extremely stupid animals: they are not at all afraid of heights, and often get injured and mutilated. An apartment is not a suitable environment for a pet to walk. And if, out of ignorance, two hamsters live in a cage at once, injuries cannot be avoided. The owner of the house should always have something to treat the wound to the hamster. An inexpensive and non-aggressive antiseptic for any skin damage and inflammation is chlorhexidine.

Conclusion

Information about what are the symptoms of diseases in rodents can help to identify malaise in time. If the hamster behaves strangely, this is already a reason to suspect something was wrong. In rodents, signs of the disease may not be obvious.

The sooner a sick hamster gets an appointment with a specialist, the more chances he has to get better. Do not ask how to cure a hamster and why he got sick on the Internet. Although experienced hamster breeders often answer on the forums, it will be much more useful to find out the contacts of a doctor who specializes in the treatment of rodents. Tiny animals get sick rapidly and often die. Even the best ratologist will not be able to resuscitate a hamster that has been sick for several days, and has already arrived at the reception in a state of agony.

Common hamster diseases

From excitement it is difficult to figure out what to do if the hamster lies and does not move, but breathes. After all, the presence of breathing means that the animal is still alive.

Before you run to the vet, you need to try to figure out why the pet lies motionless. Pay attention to other signs: whether the eyes are closed, how often the rodent breathes. If the eyelids are closed and the breathing is calm, perhaps the hamster is just.

If a previously healthy animal suddenly fell into a coma, it is possible that this is hibernation. Breathing will be very rare, and the pet will be cold to the touch. In nature, dzungars hibernate in winter, waiting out the cold, hunger and short daylight hours.

Low room temperature

If the heating was turned off in the apartment, or you were leaving on vacation, this could provoke a numbness. The body will be cold, the heartbeat will be extremely rare (1 beat in 15 seconds). A sleeping hamster barely breathes, because of its small size it is difficult to understand whether there is breathing at all. But if the body remains soft, the rodent is not dead. To awaken the animal, the cage is placed in a warm room (more than 20 C), the feeder and drinker are filled. The hamster should wake up in 2-3 days.

Heat

The Djungarian hamster lives in the steppes, and the Syrian hamster even in semi-deserts, but both species are extremely sensitive to high temperatures and direct sunlight. Tiny nocturnal rodents with dense fur have no protection against overheating - they do not sweat, do not breathe through their mouths, like dogs. Heatstroke is deadly for them.

Signs of hyperthermia:

• the hamster does not move and breathes heavily;
• weakness;
• convulsions;
• impaired coordination of movements.

In acute overheating, heart failure leads to the death of a pet. Death may not occur immediately, but within a couple of days due to the failure of all organs, if the temperature has risen so much that proteins have coagulated in the blood and organs (at 44 C).

Situations where there is a risk of heat stroke:

• cage on the windowsill or balcony, outdoors (sun);
• next to heating appliances;
• in a stuffy room with high humidity.

It can be difficult to understand why the hamster lies on its side and breathes heavily, if by the time the owner returns, the sun has already gone and does not illuminate the cage.

Treatment for heat or sunstroke

Transport the pet to the clinic in case of heat or sunstroke- not the best solution, time for first aid will be lost. What can you do without the help of a veterinarian to help your pet:

Lower the temperature

First aid is to cool the body, but not too abruptly: applying ice, immersing the hamster in water is prohibited! The animal is placed on a tile or ceramic dish, or on a damp towel. Carefully moisten ears and paws with cool water.

Fighting dehydration

Heat stroke very often occurs when there is no access to. When the animal is unconscious, it can no longer use the drinker. However, it is dangerous to drink a hamster from a syringe: he will not swallow, liquid will get into the lungs, making breathing difficult and causing pneumonia.

The liquid (sterile Ringer's solution or sodium chloride) is administered subcutaneously in 4-8 ml to Syrian and 2 ml to Djungarian hamsters.

Antishock Therapy

Although all strong medications are best used as prescribed by a doctor, in a situation with acute overheating, a hamster may not live to see a ratologist. If it seems to you that there is nothing to lose, you should inject intramuscularly (in the hind leg) prednisolone 30 mg / ml with an insulin syringe. The dose of the jungaric is 0.05 ml, the Syrian is 0.1 ml.

The prognosis is unfavorable: the pet may die

Whether a pet survives may depend on how long it has been under the effect. high temperature. If the hamster did not die immediately, on the first day after overheating, the owner often notices that the hamster rolls over on its side and can barely walk. Neurological disorders associated with cerebral edema, and if the pet survives, then the coordination of movements will gradually recover.

Other diseases

If the hamster is breathing frequently "out of the blue" without being frightened or tired, this indicates respiratory or heart failure.

Pneumonia

It is necessary to listen to the breathing of a tiny animal - wheezing, gurgling, sniffing indicate problems with the lungs. If you've had a runny nose lately, it could be pneumonia (pneumonia). The animal simply has nothing to breathe, so he tries not to move and freezes in one place.

Treatment consists of antibiotic therapy - for small rodents, Baytril 2.5% is traditionally used at a dose of 0.4 ml per 1 kg of body weight (for a 50-gram jungarian, this is 0.01 ml). Injections are made subcutaneously 1 time per day for 10-14 days.

Agony

If the hamster lies motionless with open eyes and breathes heavily, and before that he was sick for several days, then he dies. A rodent in agony cannot be helped, even an experienced veterinarian can only end suffering through the animal.

Remember if there was (a sign of diarrhea), sudden or sudden weight loss. The metabolism of hamsters is very fast, so they cannot get sick for a long time: without proper treatment or in case of severe problems, they “burn out” in a few days.

Conclusion

Decorative hamsters have fragile health, and yet the animal can live its entire short life without getting sick. To do this, you just need to follow the simple ones. In case of unforeseen circumstances, you need to find out in advance where to run for an appointment with a rodent - general practitioners will not be able to provide qualified assistance. And do not despair if the hamster lies and does not move, but breathes: perhaps not all is lost.

The hamster lies motionless: reasons

4.8 (95%) 12 votes

READ ALSO:

Paw fractures: symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

Common diseases of Djungarian hamsters

What to do if your hamster is not moving? What could be the reasons? Hamsters can hibernate, during hibernation the heart rate and respiratory rate drops. Sometimes it's even hard to tell if the hamster is sleeping, or the reason is something else. If you find that your hamster is not moving, here's what to do.

Steps

How to tell if a hamster is hibernating

Think how unexpected this happened. Has your hamster been feeling unwell lately? Maybe he lost his appetite or started drinking more than usual? Have you noticed that the hamster's stool has changed? What did he lose weight? That he became less mobile and stopped running in the wheel? If you've been noticing these signs frequently lately, the cause of the immobility is most likely death.

• But if recently the hamster was completely healthy, but suddenly suddenly became completely motionless, most likely the hamster is just hibernating.

An important role is played by the age of the hamster. How old is your pet? Average duration The life span of rodents is 18-24 months, very few hamsters live to 36 months. If the hamster is already old, the risk that he has died increases.

Pay attention to the ambient temperature. Hibernation of a hamster is largely dependent on temperature. If the air temperature in the room is above 20 degrees Celsius, then hibernation is unlikely to be the cause of immobility. If the room is hot, pay attention to whether the cage with the hamster is near the air conditioner. Air conditioners greatly cool the room, as a result of which the hamster can hibernate. Therefore, even in a stuffy room, there is a chance that your hamster is just fast asleep.

Think about whether the hamster has enough food and enough light. Hamsters hibernate during difficult times when there are not enough resources to survive. This is usually associated with harsh winters, low air temperatures, short days and lack of food.

How to make sure your hamster is hibernating

1. Watch your hamster closely for a while and try to see if he is breathing or not. If possible, approach him and look at him for a few minutes. Remember that the whole body of the hamster has gone into hibernation and slowed down the pace of work, so breathing can be almost imperceptible.

   • Observe the hamster for more than two minutes. In 2 minutes, you may not notice signs of life and not see if the hamster is breathing. Then you may mistakenly think that the hamster is dead.

2. Feel the hamster's heart beat. If you can't see if your hamster is breathing, try to feel the heartbeat. It may slow down significantly, but it will still be present. In a hibernating hamster, you can feel only four beats per minute, or one beat every 15 seconds.

   • It will be difficult for you to find the heart of a hamster due to the small size of the animal. To do this, put the thumb and forefinger of one hand on both sides chest hamster (behind the elbows). Press a little, but not too hard. Wait a little. After a while, you may feel a slight jolt at your fingertips.

3. The body temperature of a hamster is not an indicator of his life / death. Don't worry if the hamster suddenly seems cold to you. This does not mean that he is dead. During hibernation, all processes in the body slow down, and body temperature decreases.

How to wake up a hamster from hibernation

1. To wake your hamster from hibernation, take him to a room where the air temperature is about 20 degrees Celsius. After 2-3 days, the hamster should wake up on its own.

   • If the hamster has not woken up after 2-3 days, look for any signs of death, such as bad breath or rigor mortis. If the hamster is hibernating, it will smell like normal.
   • Experts recommend this method of awakening, because it is the closest to natural conditions, the body gradually awakens itself. Therefore, the risk of any violations due to the “quick reset” of the body is sharply reduced.
   • Fill your hamster's feeder and drinker with food and water ahead of time.

For those who have the same symptoms...

When a hamster starts behaving strangely, gets sick, or suddenly you urgently need advice, immediately open Google and start typing in your question.

Daisy was my first hamster. Furry family member Small child. Our princess. Every evening we spent together...

Fluffy Syrian hamster. I very often opened Google and searched for information on care, nutrition, appearance etc. I often found what I needed, but these were posts on forums, which, unfortunately, do not have an ending to the story.

Daisy passed away today. She was one and a half years old, she could live more, but unfortunately she could not cope with pneumonia. And this is the worst thing, that she died not from old age, but from a disease that could have been prevented, cured if the symptoms had been noticed right away. Let my sad experience be a lesson to all. Let this story have an ending. I want you not to repeat my mistakes.

In her entire life, Daisy was sick 2 times, 2 turned out to be fatal.

Poisoning (bloating, not active behavior, no appetite).

She was a year old. It so happened that she ate white cabbage and raw potatoes. As you know, for hamsters, this is a heavy food that can be fatal!

1- She didn’t leave the house all evening (it happens that in the evening we fall into the period when she sleeps, and we go to bed without seeing her). The next day it became clear that she did not go out at night, the food remained untouched.

2- We got her out of the house, she looked at us, did not utter a sound and did not move. Just calm sat on the arm, did not run anywhere(which is very surprising).

3- Immediately worth it remember what was different from usual. New bedding, toy, food, sand? We remembered cabbage and Google to help us. Found what is possible solder a hamster with a solution of dill. Crushed dill seeds, poured hot water (I think it’s better to boil), and gave her a warm solution. We didn’t have a syringe, we gave it on a spoon, she got 2-3 drops. The next morning she was already running in the wheel and ate all the food.

4- Why did Google come to the rescue, because it was night, and all the clinics I called did not treat "exotic animals" or offered to make an appointment with a qualified veterinarian who shows up on certain days. If you have a hamster, it is better to immediately find a clinic that treats them and works around the clock, because hamsters are nocturnal animals, more often you will notice that something is wrong with them already at night !!!

5- This story has a happy ending. I had dill seeds, I was just about to plant them on Daisy's windowsill.

Outcome:

-Always google what a hamster can eat!! Even when it seems to you that this is a completely ordinary food! Phrase: “Yes, in nature they generally eat anything!” is inappropriate here. Hamsters do not know what they can eat and what not, here you are responsible.

-Buy dill seeds. Hamsters often have indigestion. They didn’t notice - and he is already chewing your flower or collecting crumbs from the table.

-FIND A VETERINARY CLINIC NOW!!! Very few experts on hamsters!!!

Colds, pneumonia (festering eyes, weakness, wheezing, rapid breathing).

I don't know exactly when it started. Perhaps she cared so much for one day, and perhaps it lasted for several days. But I will take as much time as possible.

1 - Mon - morning. I noticed that one eye is somehow covered and they are wet, it was not clear whether she stood up and therefore was so rumpled, or something was wrong. But she behaved normally. I ran, my appetite is good. We left for work. In the evening she was already as usual, not a hint of wet eyes. Just in case, we washed everything and changed the bedding.

2-Wed-night. Daisy published strange sounds, no squeaking, no sneezing, but some kind of chirping. Now I think that maybe it was a cough, few people know how hamsters cough. She looked normal, we assumed that she was just washing herself in the house, she sometimes made a couple of such sounds.

3- Thu- we bought her hazel sticks, new cleaning sand, food. This purchase then led us astray.

4- Sat-evening. Daisy again slept for a long time we didn't see her that evening, which was a big mistake.

5-Sun-evening. Daisy came out of the house and was in a terrible state! The eyes were swollen and there was blood. We decided that it was because of the new sand or we got a bad sawdust - here we were mistaken (((

We washed her eyes with chamomile. They removed everything from the cage, washed it and left only the house, they didn’t even lay down sawdust.

An hour passed, Daisy left the house and she could not walk normally, she fell on her side, her eyes were again stuck together. In an hour!!!

Of course, an urgent call to clinics, who will take a hamster at night? Google the symptoms. On the 8th call, I got to the right place, we they suggested giving the hamster cycloferon (1/16 (1/4 in half, then in half again) part of the tablet or intramuscularly). But it's one thing to drink dill, another thing is to give a serious medicine. We got together and took Khoma to the hospital. By the time she arrived, she was just lying there and not moving. There was frequent breathing.

The veterinarian listened to the breath (there were wheezing), conducted an examination, tried to check the temperature, but to no avail. All symptoms pointed to a cold. They gave her 5 injections! Left for the night for observation, but immediately said that she had few chances, too bad condition + age. This morning they called and said that she was gone ...

Outcome:

- look at the hamster every day!!!

-if you notice something strange, then immediately find the reason !!!

-And most importantly, homies are very sensitive to temperature changes. We had heat, but then the gas was turned off for 2 weeks when we were at home - the heater was working, when we left, it was turned off. The summer in our region was cool, perhaps she caught a cold because of this, and on Sat during cleaning I opened the window, Daisy was far from him, but there was a draft and that was enough for her. It was the last hot day of summer outside, today it's cold, +7 degrees...

PS. This is my first review - I apologize if something is wrong and for errors.

A hamster's life is rather short. When buying a fluffy, immediately understand this moment for yourself and do not hope that he will live 10 years. Usually hamsters die of old age at the age of 2.5-3 years. But there are factors that can accelerate the death of the animal. At the same time, it is not always clear what to do if the hamster dies, and is it possible to somehow help a pet?

Causes of hamster death

The death of a tiny creature can be provoked by various factors, so first of all you need to understand what hamsters die from. Here are the most common reasons:

If suddenly the hamster died, the reasons can be anything. But when the homa has been living with you for 3 years already, becoming more lethargic day by day, he dies of old age. Let's consider this question in more detail.

Death from old age

The main cause of death in older animals (and not only hamsters) is the wear and tear of the heart muscle and blood vessels. For example, in a person who is in a calm state, the heart beats at a frequency of about 70 beats per minute. In a hamster, this figure is 180 beats per minute. Just imagine how this tiny heart works!

Many factors throughout life cause stressful conditions in pussies, during which the heart works much faster. Thus, the heart muscle of small animals wears out very quickly, so the old hamster can die, even if all other organs are healthy.

The wear of the vessels is fraught with hemorrhage in the animal's brain, after which paralysis occurs. That is, the homa is still alive, but he can no longer play, run in a wheel and generally move. What to do in such a situation, euthanize a friend or continue to care for him? You must make this decision yourself.

How do hamsters die?

The death of a pet can be expected or sudden. Hamsters can die screaming or absolutely silently. Here are the signs that your hamster is dying:

• if the pet is sick, he will cry, gradually his voice will turn into a fading wheeze;
• when falling from a great height, the pet can damage the spine, in which case its body will be limp, and death will occur within an hour;
• The paralysis of an animal can be determined by its immobility. Homa breathes, can eat a little, but is no longer able to move independently. From now on, the days of the hamster are numbered.

In the case of protracted illnesses and old age, the following external signs will help to recognize the approaching death of the animal:

1. The animal became lethargic, uncommunicative, although earlier it willingly went to the handles.
2. The sudden loss of weight and the refusal of the animal to eat indicate that the end is near. Also, a sure sign of dying is that the homa has stopped storing food: he feels that he will not need food soon.
3. The eyes of the animal do not shine, as before, they gradually become cloudy.
4. Wool takes on a dull appearance, begins to fall out or fall into "icicles".

Can a pet be saved?

If you see a hamster dying, try to save his life. Of course, in the case of old age and cancer, it is no longer possible to help a tiny creature. The only thing you can do is prevent the animal from suffering.

But if warning signs appear in the behavior of a young pet, you can extend his life. But at the same time, a quick consultation with a qualified specialist is a prerequisite. The sooner the homa is examined by a doctor, the higher the chances of the fluffy.

Ascertaining the fact of death

The death of a hamster can sometimes be confused with paralysis or sound sleep. If your hamster suddenly died, you need to make sure that this is really death, and not paralysis. But how to do that?

by the most important features a dead animal is considered to be the absence of a pulse, breathing. It is necessary to bring a mirror close to the nose: if it fogs up slightly, then the animal is still alive. To determine the heartbeat, the body must be taken in hand. By the way, its temperature can be determined in the same way: no heat comes from dead hamsters. The stiffness of the hamster may also indicate the fact of death.

Prevention of premature death

For a hamster to live a long and happy life and died only of old age, it is necessary to take good care of him. Here are some rules that will help extend the life of your pet:

1. Feed the animal properly, do not give fatty, spicy and sour food. Remember: a rodent should not eat stale food!
2. Clean the cage more often, this will reduce the chance of picking up a bacterial infection.
3. Eliminate sources of stress and danger: electrical appliances, cats and dogs. Do not break the habitual mode of the pet, do not play with it by force.
4. Do not wash the animal unless absolutely necessary and do not leave the cage with the animal in drafts.
5. You can not cross rodents too early: the hamster may die during childbirth.
6. Chat with your furry friend, he must feel your love.
7. Take your furry to the veterinarian periodically.

It happens that, despite the best efforts of the owners and veterinarians, home pet dies. If you want to re-introduce a hamster or other animal, thoroughly rinse the cage and all hamster furniture, pour boiling water over several times. This will help fight bacteria that may have caused the death of your previous pet.

Now you know why yours might die pet. It should be remembered that not all hamster diseases are treatable. Therefore, prevention of their development plays an important role. Prompt veterinary advice proper care for the animal, a balanced diet will help prolong life. But if your hamster dies of old age, it is unfortunately impossible to save him.

A hamster's teeth are an indicator of his health. Owners should monitor their pet's teeth. If they are not all right, the animal will not be able to eat normally. And proper and nutritious nutrition is important for all living beings.

How many teeth does a hamster have?

The front of the hamster shows two protruding incisors. However, this is not all of his teeth. How many teeth does a hamster have? Normally, there are 16 of them. To examine the entire dentition, take the animal by the scruff and carefully pull the cheek pouches back. The animal has 4 incisors (2 on each jaw) and 12 molars (6 on top and bottom). The front teeth are for chewing hard food, the rear teeth are for chewing.

Why are hamster teeth yellow?

Many owners wonder why the hamster yellow teeth? Some people start to worry about their health. However, such fears are in vain, the enamel color of these rodents is not naturally white, but yellow. If the incisors are very dark for a short time or covered with a brown coating, there are many dyes in the animal's food. If the animal is no longer young, such a phenomenon may be a sign of approaching old age.

Why do hamsters sharpen their teeth?

The front teeth of a hamster have no roots. Teeth continue to grow throughout life. Therefore, animals have to grind them down. The nerve endings are located at the very base of the incisors, so the sharpening process is absolutely painless. Since the enamel is stronger in front, when the animal gnaws on something hard, the incisors become sharper. He also has to sharpen his molars.

It is important to provide your hamster with solid food every day, because if he eats only soft food, his health deteriorates and the condition of his teeth worsens. When a hamster needs sharpening of the incisors, he may start to gnaw on the bars of the cage. To sharpen them, it is recommended to put pieces of tree bark, twigs into the cage fruit trees or mineral stone. Thus, you will supply the baby useful substances and trace elements, help him maintain oral health.

When is dental care required?

Dzungaria and Syrian hamsters may experience the following problems:

1. Broken upper or lower incisors. If this happens, it is necessary to ensure that the tooth opposite the broken one does not grow too long. It is recommended that the teeth be trimmed so that they grow evenly without growing too much.
2. Uneven growth of incisors. The teeth can grow into the sky or cheek pouches, grind unevenly. Be attentive to the pet, if he has become restless, behaves strangely, splashes with saliva, feels discomfort with light pressure on his cheeks, loses weight or eats poorly, this is a reason to immediately show him to the veterinarian.
3. If the animal chatters its teeth, this indicates that it is experiencing anger or irritation. Usually hamsters react in a similar way to strangers who take them in hand.
4. Increased salivation most often indicates tooth loss (usually this happens due to trauma, although it can happen unnoticed). You should not worry, soon the crumbs will grow a new one.
5. The curvature of the incisors does not allow the hamster to fully eat.
6. If formed malocclusion, the jaws cannot close completely, food gets stuck behind the cheeks, and the hamster feels worse.

How to prevent dental disease in a hamster?

To discover in time possible problems with teeth, check regularly oral cavity pushing back the cheek pouches. Ideally, you should see straight, even teeth that are about the same length. The following tips will help you save your baby's teeth:

1. If the hamster squeaks or chatters its teeth, it means that it is dissatisfied with something, is experiencing stress and cannot relax.
2. Hamster teeth will be strong and healthy if you buy special foods with sufficient calcium content.
3. If one of the incisors falls out or breaks off, experts advise trimming the teeth so that they grow evenly. Then the pet will be able to eat normally. It is best to contact a veterinarian who will straighten the incisors. In the absence of the opportunity to visit a doctor, treat the fluffy on your own. The protruding part of the incisor can be carefully cut off with a cat nail clipper or manicure tweezers. The hamster will not experience pain if you act carefully.

So, we learned about how many teeth a hamster has, how to care for them, monitor their condition, and what to do if problems arise. Do not be lazy to watch your pet, visit the veterinarian on time, then the baby will delight you and will not give you cause for concern. The health and longevity of your pet is directly dependent on the quality of care for him.

Why is the bite of a hamster worse than the bite of other, larger and stronger animals?

Hamsters settle singly, near grain or corn fields, orchards, vineyards. They dig deep and complex burrows. They sleep during the day and come out to feed at night. The diet is the same as that of the jerboa, except that the hamster prefers potatoes, grapes and bird eggs. If you come across a large egg (bustards, for example), which you can’t carry away in your paws or stick in your cheek, the hamster pushes it with his forehead and rolls it into the hole. In fact, it’s good not to disappear, if you’re lucky. If at the same time during feeding the hamster collects vegetable and animal food, then in the cheek pouches they are strictly differentiated: for one cheek of grain, for example, for another, grasshoppers and other “meat”. These bags, which V. I. Dahl called "cheek bags" - the wisest invention of nature.