URGENT- rat with bottom teeth off a little

Question
QUESTION: My Petey is 2 years old and last week I noticed that his lower jaw is off center a bit {teeth are off to his left} He is having a hard time eating his hard rat chow and seeds and nuts. He eats good with soft fruits and veges,yogurt,eggs ect. His other symptoms are that his right eye has porphyprin present and his right nostril. He is scratching at both ears alot and around his neck. He hasn't wanted to play but wants to snuggle in close with me and be pet and massaged. He has interest in eatind his peanuts and seeds but he can't use his teeth as he used to and just rolls them around and around in his hands trying to chew but can only get a teeny bit chewed off. He also seems to have a hard time picking up any food with his mouth and I am hand feeding him. I took him to the vet on Friday(3 days ago) I let her sedate him to get a good look in his mouth. She also did a radio graph. Nothing showed up. She saw nothing wrong with his teeth or found no growths. Oh, Petey is also sneezing constantly and cleaning his nose with both hands like it's irritated.The vet said his lungs sounded good so I think that the nose irritation is due to whatever is causing his bottom jaw to be off. Vet put him on metacam which I don't think is doing anything at all. I started him on amoxycillon 1 week ago because he has been sneezing (before I noticed the jaw problem)H e has been on amox. many times in the past and I feel he needs a stronger antibiotic to try and maybe a stronger pain killer? He doesn't seem to be in any pain and I don't see of feel a lump or any sigh of swelling..I am VERY worried about him .PLEASE get back to me with any suggestions!!!

ANSWER: You need a new vet.  Petey has malocclusion and needs to have his teeth trimmed every few weeks.  Try offering baby food to him.  Also, his diet is pretty bad.  This is too much protein for rats and the pet store food that is sold to the general public is just terrible for them.

Please see my website, sandyscrittercity.com and refer to the page on diet.  This is one good way to get your rat to live longer than just a few years old.  Kidney disease is a big cause of death in rats and is brought on by high protein diets in rats that include seed mixes that hold absolutely no nutritional value at all.   However, this is not about that I realize, and its about his misaligned jaw.  

Also please let me find a better vet for you.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: What I don't understand is that nothing is showing up. I paid over 200.00 at the vet to find out she couldn't find anything upon sedating him, looking in his mouth and doing a radiograph. How could he become so sick suddenly with no visible reason?? I liked the vet and she does see rats and has owned and worked with them in the past though this is the first time I've seen her. I've been looking for a vet for a long time who is very knowledgeable with rats. PLEASE let me know if you know of any vet in my area. I live in Oakfield Wisconsin 53065. Bigger towns around me are Fond du lac with a zip code of 54935 and Oshkosh Wi. (dont know the zip)I've been going to the animal hospital of Osh Kosh.

I am very worried about Petey. He is eating his soft food and baby food and ensure. He is very sleepy though. He hasn't had energy or played since Wednesday. When I bring him out he crawls up onto my lap and wants to snuggle and love. Today I massaged him and pet him and he got so relaxed that I was able to look into his mouth real good and pull his lips back and see his teeth. The bottoms are not overgrown but they are off a little to his left, not in line with the top. I notice that he can't open his mouth well like when he picks up a pea or banana from his bowl his little mouth opens only just enough for him to grasp his food. He seems to lick ok. He can lick the baby food and the syringe of ensure.
 If it was an abcess in his mouth or on his tooth the vet would have seen it. I just don't understand. And wouldn't a radiograph pick up a problem with his jaw or a root in the tooth?  I think too that maybe he is so sleepy because of his extreamely stressful visit to the vet on Friday and having been sedated. PLEASE let me know what you think about all this and thank you so much for your time and care. Petey has my heart. We have been best friends for 2 years. He has come on 4 vacations with me, he soothes me and comforts me, he makes me laugh and he breaks my heart. He waits for me to come to him as we are on a very dependable schedule. He loves me too. No one can ever tell me that rats don't have souls. Petey crawls onto my chest and looks right in my eyes and breathes a breath of pure contentment as he softly chatters to me and closes his eyes. When I cry he comes and licks my tears gently away. When he is out and I call his name he comes running just as happy to see me.I'm so afraid I'm going to lose him to this. If there is somethig I can do I have to try.I just don't understand whats happening? He is itching his ears and neck alot and sneezing and his right eye and nostril have porphyrin. Please tell me your view. Sorry I have rambled on.....Only a fellow rat lover would understand. My family thinks I go overboard with Pete...They don't know what they have missed.

Answer
Dr. Jennifer Bloss
Brook-Falls Veterinary Hospital and Exotic Care
14885 W. Lisbon Road
Brookfield WI 53005
Phone:  262-781-5277

This place looks to be about an hour from you.  I know that you want the best for your baby boy, so not sure if this is too far to drive or not.  I used to drive 45 minutes to my  exotic vet. It was never good when they had respiratory disease though, but for something like this, the trip should not be so bad. It may  be well worth the drive for the right Vet!

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Another place below that is a bit of a drive.  
Dr. Marla Lichtenberger
Milwaukee Emergency Center for Animals and Specialty Services /Exotics
3670 South 108th St
Greenfield WI 53228
Phone: 1-414-543-7387       

Let me know what you think........


It could easily be malocclusion and it doesnt have to show up on any x rays really, and not to be  rude, but I have had many vets read an xray film upside down and not even know it.  TRUE STORY!