Advanced Dental Care for Exotic Pets in Charleston
Exotic pets need routine dental care to stay healthy and live longer. With rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, ferrets, pocket pets, and even reptiles, dental issues can be hard to detect. Their symptoms are subtle at best and may not come to light until their condition has become much worse.
At Exotic Vet Care, we strongly recommend regular wellness exams so we can check your pet’s oral cavity for signs of disease. This allows us to catch issues sooner and treat them before they have the opportunity to advance.
Common Dental Issues in Exotic Pets
Improper nutrition is the most common cause of dental disease we see at our practice. For rabbits, the culprit is typically a diet lacking in fiber. This type of diet does not properly wear down the animal’s teeth when they chew. The inevitable result is a misaligned bite, abnormal wear, and sharp edges or points on the teeth.
Rabbits can also end up with impacted tooth roots, which can become inflamed and lead to an abscess. Rabbits and herbivorous rodents have unique teeth designed for chewing tough, fibrous plant matter, and they grow continuously throughout life.
In older reptiles such as bearded dragons and chameleons, teeth are more delicate and prone to wear and damage. Turtles and snakes are more susceptible to infections and inflammation of the mouth, including stomatitis.
What Causes Dental Disease?
- Improper nutrition
- Insufficient UVB radiation
- An enclosure that is too small and/or contains the wrong materials
- Parasites like nematodes and flukes in reptiles
- Trauma
- Systemic disease
- Neoplasia (cancer)
Clinical Signs of Dental Disease in Exotics
- Difficulty eating and/or decreased appetite
- Anorexia
- Changes in fecal output, size, and appearance
- Nasal discharge
- Increased tearing or eye bulging
- Facial masses or swellings
- Bruxism, or teeth grinding
Reptile signs may include drooling, decreased appetite, inability to hold the mouth closed properly, changes in the lip margin, oral discharge, or jaw swelling.
How We Diagnose Dental Disease
- Physical examination
- Endoscopic oral examination with the pet under sedation
- Blood analysis when recommended
- Culture and sensitivity of affected areas
- Dental radiography
- Skull/dental CT scans
Our Advanced Imaging & CT capabilities can provide additional detail when dental radiographs alone do not tell the full story.
Treating and Preventing Dental Disease
Treatment may include crown height reduction or teeth trimming, diet and husbandry correction, antimicrobial therapy, scaling, nutritional support, pain relief, and tooth extraction when necessary.
We use a dental bur and trimming forceps to trim overgrown incisors and cheek teeth. Teeth that are loose, infected or abscessed, fractured, or severely maloccluded may need to be extracted under general anesthesia.
Healthy Mouths Support Healthier Exotic Pets
Dental disease can affect far more than your pet’s mouth. Regular wellness exams, appropriate nutrition and husbandry, and early evaluation give us the best opportunity to identify dental problems before they become more advanced.