Dwarf Hamster Tooth Loss

Question
Our dwarf hamster is a white, red-eyed female that we bought about 1 1/2 years ago.  She has been very tame and sweet.  She seemed to have finger nails that were too long, so we never tried to breed her, as we read that that was a fault, and such a hamster should not be bred. A few months ago she started seeming stiff and clumsy and has gotten worse.  She seems bony and her fur is dirty and matted and we hear her chirping in distress when we hold her close to our ears.  We have always given her a good assortment of pet store seeds with supplements and extra treats like meal worms, yogurt, fruits and veggies, and dandelion leaves and flowers.  However, we just noticed that she couldn't seem to eat her meal worms, and when we tried to see her teeth, all we could see was what seemed to be a stub of one upper tooth.  So we gave her soft and moist food, but we wonder what is causing her teeth not to grow as normal any more, and if there is any treatment.  Please anwer quick!  Thanks very much.

Answer
Hi Margo,

There are a couple of possibities: 1, your hamster broke her tooth on something, and it's growing back, but slowly, or 2, your hamster has some sort of tooth decay, which is causing her teeth to rot.  Since healthy teeth are so important, I would advise that you see a vet for a proper diagnosis and treatment.  (You can call to find out how much that would be.  Most vets charge much less for small animals than they would charge for a dog or cat.)
I hope your hamster will be fine :)

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask :)

Kelly