I'm so afraid!

[bethypoo22]

As usual, I am freaking out. I was checking out Tinkerbell today (something always seems to be wrong with her) and when I went to examine her teeth, I noticed something that has had me worried since the second I saw it. I pulled her bottom lip down further than usual and noticed that the bottoms of her teeth are white! I have read a couple places that white teeth could mean a number of things but all of the sources said that white teeth result in death every time. Is this true?! If it is, how long does it normally take to kill them? I don't think that I could stand to lose my little Tink and I know that Buttercup would be absolutely heart broken. Somebody please give me good news.

[Amethystbelle]

Please don't panic its only the bottom edge and it could be anything doesn't mean theres anything seriously wrong with her at all For a start it could just be normal for her or it could mean she has a nutrient deficiency, does she have any fresh veggies? Does she pick at her food at all? If its only the very bottom i wouldn't be over worried for now

[Chinchilla_Girl]

I always tell owners the same thing. If you are concerned, see a vet. Even if it's nothing, it's definetly worth the peace of mind. If it is something to be concerned with, it's ALWAYS better to catch it early. Good Luck

[fluffball]

maybe a quick vet visit maybe in order just for your peace of mind

[Purplebunny]

Kirsty is right, it can be a sign of vitamin defiicancy.. Does she eat veggies?

[Amethystbelle]

Its easy to get freaked out with degus especially if your new to the hobby especially when you read some of the stuff, just keep an open mind it might not be bad at all white teeth can mean anything she might be under the weather with her eyes so hence the bases being white, if the rest of the teeth are ok then its more than likely going to be a vitamin deficiency which is going to need sorting. I also want to add if it is a vitamin deficiency then you might want to see a vet to see if theres anything you can add or give her to help her maintain an equal balance and get her checked over for peace of mind

[bethypoo22]

She doesn't seem to like anything fresh. I have offered her lettuce, carrots, apples, and apricots and she always takes a sniff or two and runs off or waits for you to offer something else instead. She has always preferred dehydrated peas, carrots, and apricots. Is there any fresh veggie that anybody else's guys would kill for that I could try? The white is also more than just along the bottom edges of her bottom teeth. It covers about a quarter of each tooth. Could it be from too many of the dehydrated treats?

[Purplebunny]

Mine love broccolli, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, curly kale, cabbage, baby sweetcorn, brussell sprouts and lettuce..

[Amethystbelle]

I'd get her checked out by a vet to be on the safe side just to make sure everything is ok

As for fresh veggies mine are picky they will eat a little carrot, tomato, cucumber and they go mad for broccoli. The dehydrated peas and carrots won't hurt her in small amounts but i wouldn't feed them the apricots as they are full of sugar and won't be doing them any good in the long run, i'd also not feed them apple as thats also full of sugar too as are most fruits thats why its best to avoid them where degus are concerned or if they do get any in a very small amount and not very often or i try not to feed them any full stop to be on the safe side!

[Sassy]

Mine liked sweet potatoes and broccoli best.

[Ilovesmepets]

One of my degus had a tooth that turned white. I thought she had a mouth illness, so I started putting a little less than a capful of this blue liquid marketed for cats and dogs to help prevent mouth infections in her water. Her tooth was back yellow again a week or so later. I don't know if it was the blue stuff that helped. I am not suggesting anyone try this, because it may not be safe. I only put a tiny bit. Also, when I noticed it, I gave her more veggies. That's probably what I did right. Good luck. Try not to freak out too much. But if you are worried, visit a vet. They'll know what to do.

[bethypoo22]

I have still not been able to find a vet that knows anything about degus but their regular vet does see exotic small animals so (hopefully) we will have an appointment for sometime next week to get her teeth checked on and an x-ray to check for an overgrown root. The white now covers almost 3/4 of her 2 bottom teeth. I tried offering fresh carrots and cucumber today and neither of my girls wanted anything to do with it. Tomorrow we are trying broccoli and lettuce. My major problem is that I am living with my parents and they will not allow any rodents to be kept as pets in the house. I work at a pet supply store and I convinced my manager to let me keep them at the store as store pets. They get much more attention there than they would have at my house. They are loved everyday by my coworkers and customers. We do not have a fridge at the store though, making it hard to buy a bunch of different veggies at once to try them all out. So any veggies that i buy for them, I have to bring home with me and put in my fridge. Tonight I left the cucumber and the carrots in a dish in their cage. Is it still as good for them if it sits out all day. I couldn't get them to take any from my hands but I figured I would go ahead and leave it in there in case they wanted to munch on it later as they tend to ignore their food until we have closed up shop and all of their visitors are gone for the day. I do plan on throwing out whatever they don't eat first thing in the morning but will they be alright with it overnight? Oh, I also decided that nobody is allowed to give them anymore of their regular treat (the dehydrated veggies or the carrot or corn slims) until they have eaten some of the fresh veggies. Do any of you think that that is going to hurt them more than it helps them? I just figured that maybe if I totally cut them out, they would get desperate and eat some fresh stuff.

[Sassy]

Dehydrated veggies are better then no veggies at all. What are you feeding them as far as pellets? Do they get hay?

Where are you located in MD? what county?

[Amethystbelle]

I agree some dehydrated veggies are better than non at all but i'd cut out the fruit such as apple and apricots as they are full of sugar and limit the carrots to a couple of times each week. The veggies will be ok over night aslong as you remove them first thing in the morning, they might eat them once no ones around as mine don't always take them when i offer them to them and eat them later in their own time. Something i did think about was mouth disease as some degus are prone to them, do you give them fresh water daily?

[bethypoo22]

I am in Prince George's County but I will travel just about anywhere in MD(I am that desperate). For their pellet food I give them Brisky Pet Degu pellets. They get a stalk or two of alfalfa everyday but always have fresh timothy available as I learned through the forum posts that alfalfa is not good for them in large quantities. I change their water every other day. I fill their bottle with Deerpark water and then add like 5 drops of Vita-sol for Guinea pigs and Rabbits to it (extra vitmains can't hurt right?). However, since I noticed the whiteness on Tink's teeth, I have started changing the water every day and adding a few more drops of the vitamins to it. When I got to the store this morning, I noticed that somebody (maybe both) had taken a few nibbles off of one of the carrots but nobody touched the cucmber slices. We tried sweet potatoes and broccoli today and while they both seemed very interested in the sweet potatoes neither of them cared to eat it. Each of them did a fake tatse test and then wandered off to play. I also had a new thought today. Would it be the same as eating a fresh veggie if I were to throw a sweet potatoe into a blender until it was like a sweet potatoe smoothie and then offer it to them as a drink (in a separate botttle next to their water)? I'm trying to think of ways that I can fool them into eating it and realizing that they like the taste.