Grinding teeth!!! - Paw Talk

atmospherebound · #1 03-21-2009, 01:43 PM

I took my degu out to play. He was running around on my bed and when I put him back into his cage, he ran straight for his wheel, then started grinding his teeth at me. He let me groom him, then started grinding his teeth again after i did that. He has plenty of things to chew on...so I am not sure if he is scared or if he does not like playing outside of his cage...??? What do you think?

VanillaRat · #2 03-23-2009, 06:10 AM

I am not sure if it is the same with degus,but when a rat grinds it's teeth,this is called "bruxing".It is a sign of happiness and contentment.

mulder · #3 03-23-2009, 12:37 PM

Don't worry, goos do lots of dental grindage lol. My girls did it lots, whether I was with them or just hearing it nearby. It's great that he lets you groom him. You're safe

atmospherebound · #4 03-23-2009, 02:25 PM

Thank you so much! He is very loving and will let anyone groom him..I was just worried that he was unhappy after playing outside of his cage. He is acting fine now! Thanks again!

mulder · #5 03-23-2009, 03:19 PM

No problem

If you have any concern about boredom or a need to chew, just put more ramps and ledges in the cage. Pop can cases (the boxes) are a huge hit. In the wild, their hierarchy is determined by the size of the 'nest', and the size of sticks and materials used for said 'nest'. The bigger the better. I gave my girls tp tubes and they piled them up the sides of the boxes. Your recycling bin is your friend

atmospherebound · #6 03-24-2009, 12:30 PM

haha. thats a great idea about the pop can cases! I also give him tp tubes and he loves them. Do you know if it is safe to give degus wood other than the wood you get from the pet store? My husband just finished building a speakerbox and has a lot of extra wood that we don't want to throw away.