A simple way to prevent a squirrel from chewing your garden is to place sacrificial wood in your yard. This will help the animal to gnaw on soft metals instead of damaging your garden’s plants. If your yard is full of trees, you can even place a piece of sacrificial wood. Leaving it unattended can leave it vulnerable to an animal with a bad dental hygiene routine.
Table of Contents
Curticle trimmer
Bucky the squirrel was experiencing some tooth decay, and his top incisors were curled so far that they nearly touched his eye. Thankfully, he was calm and cooperative through the dental procedure. After learning that teeth of squirrels do not contain nerve endings until near the gum line, Janett used a cuticle trimmer to clip the squirrel’s teeth. Bucky was so relaxed that he even sharpened his newly trimmed incisors on a tree branch! Luckily, Bucky has no other dental problems at the moment, but he is definitely in need of some dental work in the future.
To properly trim a squirrel’s teeth, first measure the length of its upper and lower incisors. You should measure one eighth to three-sixth of an inch below the gumline and about half-an-inch above it. Younger squirrels will have smaller teeth than older ones. If your squirrel is not cooperative during the procedure, hold a grape to distract it while carefully trimming the tips of its teeth.
Cuticle file
A cuticle file is useful for cutting the squirrel’s teeth. Since squirrel teeth do not have nerves like human hair or nails, you can do it without anesthesia. However, it is best left to a trained wildlife rehabilitator or vet. There are also some things you should know before trimming a squirrel’s teeth. This article will give you a few tips to make this task easier and safer.
First, it’s important to know what to look for when cleaning a squirrel’s teeth. A dull file is better than a coarser one, which may damage the squirrel’s enamel. Another good idea is to use a soft file, such as a toothbrush, to smooth the cuticle. These files are available at most veterinary clinics. Some of them have a good selection of cuticle files.
X-rays
Unlike human teeth, which grow and fall out, rodents’ teeth continually grow. Often, a broken tooth does not mean the animal is going to die. WildCare Medical Staff can trim a squirrel’s teeth and ensure the proper growth of regrowing teeth. To do so, veterinarians use a special tool, which is actually a paperclip wrapped in vet wrap. The veterinarians then make an X-ray of the head of the squirrel.
X-rays to make squirrel teeth can be painful for the animal, so a veterinarian should be involved in the surgery. Depending on the severity of the odontoma, you may need to remove the tooth and have it extracted. This procedure is traumatic for the animal, and can cause swelling and blockage of the airway. You should seek a veterinarian with experience in pulling rodent teeth. There are no noninvasive treatments for odontomas in squirrels, but supportive care, medications, and humane euthanasia can be used to extend the animal’s life.
X-rays for odontoma
An odontoma is a growth of the tooth that develops inside the mouth. It can be the result of trauma or an infection. An X-ray may show signs of the growth, such as swelling in the jaw. If an odontoma is not diagnosed at an early stage, it may require surgical removal. While odontomas can occur at any age, they are most common in the first two decades of life.
In addition to being the most common dental tumor, odontomas may be the result of a genetic or inflammatory condition. They are composed of dental tissues that are not normally formed. They can appear as normal teeth but have deficient structural arrangement. This condition should be investigated by a dentist. X-rays may reveal the presence of odontomas during routine examinations.
Treatment
In June 2001, a humanely trapped fox squirrel with protruding lower incisors was brought to the Wilshire Animal Hospital. Despite her efforts to grind down her incisors on her own, she was not eating or drinking properly. A radiograph revealed that her incisors were abnormally curled on the right side and the left was hypoplastic. Moreover, she was underweight and slightly dehydrated.
If the incisors are lopsided, the squirrel might need a surgical procedure to fix their teeth. Anesthesia-induced dental trimming will result in a large swelling and may block the airway of the animal. If this is the case, a veterinarian with experience in pulling rodent teeth should perform the procedure. In the meantime, a veterinarian can offer supportive care and medications to prolong the life of the patient. Euthanasia is an alternative, but it is not a suitable solution for every animal.
How do squirrels make their teeth?
By gnawing on things squirrels’ teeth get nice and sharp.
Jessica Watson is a PHD holder from the University of Washington. She studied behavior and interaction between squirrels and has presented her research in several wildlife conferences including TWS Annual Conference in Winnipeg.
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