broken teeth

[IceColdLemon]

Yeah.. well lately my peanut started to chew on the cages bars .. all night even though he has wood sticks in his cage as well as this blue chew toy. So, 2 days later when he yawned, i looked at his teeth and they happened to be broken / chipped. Now i'm wondering if this is bad or nothing to worry about since i have read that they need to wear down their teeth and they should grow back in about 2 weeks time. Also, he eats as normal as i gave him a piece of carrot and he nom'ed on it as usual ;]

Thanks for replies

[cdeane]

A vet visit might be in order as the two top teeth and the bottom two teeth should meet together to grind down. The vet should be able to clip the longer one if needs be. This is from the med. section on this site, (I would suggest letting the vet check him out, I had a hamster and his teeth were broken and he was fine but a vet shoud be able to help : ) )

Occasionally a hamster may break a tooth and when this happens the opposite tooth may overgrow because it has nothing to press upon. In the same way if one tooth grows crooked or becomes curved the opposite tooth may overgrow. Older hamsters are prone to teeth that may break easily and teeth that grow crooked so it is important that you check your hamster's teeth when they are older to see that they are growing correctly and it is a good idea to check a younger hamster's teeth from time to time also. This can be done by simply gently pulling the skin around the back of the neck, forcing your hamster to 'smile' by pulling the skin back away from the mouth, revealing its teeth.

If a hamster's teeth become overgrown they can be clipped using a pair of nail clippers but care must be taken to avoid cutting the tongue or cheek. To cut the hamster's teeth, hold the hamster by a good scruff of neck forcing the hamster to 'smile' and ensuring that the hamster remains still. Place the nail clippers around the tooth to be cut, ensuring that the blade behind the tooth is pressed firmly against the tooth to ensure the tongue is out of the way and clip. Many owners will not want to risk cutting the teeth themselves and a vet will be able to clip a hamster's teeth. However, if you have an older hamster whose teeth are growing crooked or curved regular clipping of the teeth may be needed and so you may wish to get the vet to show you how to do it yourself and watch you do it for the first time, before attempting it on your own.

And here is something from the california hamster society

Bar-biting is very common and would only rarely signal any sort of problem. If it's not an acute behavior change, I let the ones that like it enjoy the noise (they like making noise!) and the exercise, while trying to provide more comfortable alternatives. Some hams bite the bars because they're there. It doesn't mean they're not happy in their homes.

I've partially solved the noise for some hams by giving them a high quality stainless-steel spoon near the nest. Some go for that instead, and it's much quieter, since it doesn't reverberate through the furniture. I raid thrift shops for them, then bleach, wash and boil them. I especially look for high-end Oneida pieces, because I know they're well made and not just coated base metal.
I skip ornately carved ones that are hard to clean.

A folded towel under the cage can dull the noise also.

Some get interested in wood chews if you rub their favorite food on it to flavor it. Carrots and apples work well, or even a very thin schmear of peanut butter -- but not thick enough to scoop up and pouch.

Many of mine like a lab block wedged between the bars where they like to chew. A dog biscuit works too. I guess they like the challenge. The Syrians like the cornstarch-based Booda and vegetable-based Nylabones. I give them and the Campbells wheat, soy or potato starch-based ones. They don't show much preference for any brand over another, so I buy in bulk and shop for sales.

I don't buy any dog biscuit that contains garlic, garlic powder, charcoal, animal fats, BHA, BHT or artificial colors. For dwarf hams, I also avoid corn or cornstarch. Definitely avoid simple sugars (honey, molasses, dried beet pulp, etc.) because the prolonged tooth exposure to gnawing these causes tooth decay, which is on a sharp rise among domestic hamsters. If they prefer the biscuit to their more balanced and nutritious mix, you'll have to restrict its use.

A fun one we've tried lately is an edible Nylabone potato-based bone they can chew as is (very hard) or you can microwave to a crispier, lighter texture. These have been tremendous hits with all the crew.

Mine love hazelnuts. I give them a few days, and then help them along with a tiny crack, so they know there's a prize inside. So far the only one to get into one without help was a wee dwarf girl, who managed it in three days.

A hard roll crust that's sat in a warm oven till it's even harder is a real treat.

I've also had success with rolling up a toilet paper tube or piece of cardboard box tightly and wedging it in the bars for cardboard chewers, and wood chewers that went for bars were dissuaded by Popsicle sticks woven through and anchored
tightly. It wasn't just the chewing for them, it was the challenge, and once they win their prize and get it inside, they parade it around the first night, then annihilate it the next! Winning seems to focus them on the prize instead
of the bars.

Be careful when you wedge things in bars for dwarf hams that you don't spread the bars enough for them to work their way out of the cage.

I have one cage biter who knows the word "no" and responds to it. I train the bright, confident hams "No" by saying the word in a sharp tone and then blowing lightly on their face to stop whatever problem behavior we're working on. Some learn to respond to the word with the same squinty face they'd have made if I'd blown on them, even if I"m across the room. Very handy for edge-of-the-bed wanderers or finger tasters.

For some, it's just a favorite pastime. I've seen them running free and suddenly stop at their cage, chewing their way in!

Another trick is to pay an attention-seeking cage biter absolutely no mind until he stops, then scooping him up for cuddles when he's quiet. I've trained two that way, and very quickly.

Two hams who never bit their bars picked up the habit immediately when placed near a cage biter. I moved them and it stopped just as quickly, so it can be a learned behavior.

[IceColdLemon]

The teeth grew back so i guess there is no need to go to the vet?
And ive noticed that he bites the cage opening until i take him out but he does it at 11 pm when i usually in my bed ;/
I like the idea with a towel; will try that.
Ahh, i usually blow at him when he bites the cage he then stops, looks at me and when i step away from him he carries on, but now that you've mentioned it i shall try your training technique with saying 'NO' like that too.
I went to pet shop yesterday but damn i forgot about dog biscuits.. I shall get them next time, but hey! thanks for replying to my post