Today the popularity of rodents as pets is increasing. After all, they are precious and make you love them even more with their cute traits.
Among some popular rodents as pets, Hamsters are one of the perfect choices to adopt. They are low-maintenance and very entertaining.
Though Hamsters are mostly physically fit and love to keep themselves hygienic. Sometimes their “hygiene” looks so different from what we usually consider clean.
One of the examples is them having yellow teeth, while many owners start worrying about the color thinking it’s dirty, it is actually normal and healthy.
If you recently bought a Hamster or are planning to bring one, knowing common things about his dental as well as overall health will keep you off from unnecessary worries.
So, let us learn about Hamsters’ dental health including its color, size and what’s normal and what’s not! Make yourself a better owner with such knowledge about your new member in the house.
Contents
Should Your Hamster’s Teeth Be Yellow?
Yes, the yellow teeths of Hamsters are completely normal. Hamsters’ teeth turn yellowish when they mature. But, if you have a younger Hamster then it will have pale teeth. The color of Hamster teeth tends to get darker when they grow up.
What Color Should Hamster Teeth Be?
Brownish-white! A color of healthy looking teeth for Hamsters is considered to be brownish-white. Also, yellowish colored teeth for Hamsters is normal.
What Are The Reasons For Hamsters Having Yellow Teeth?
There is nothing to worry about when Hamsters have yellow teeth. Here are a few reasons for the yellowness of your Hamsters teeth:
- Yellow colored teeth are caused by Hamsters’ saliva. Remember that completely white teeth are not considered healthy for Hamsters.
- The accumulation of yellow-orange enamel on Hamsters’ lower and upper front teeth called incisors causes their teeth to look yellow. The enamel tends to grow continuously all their life.
How Do You Keep Your Hamster’s Teeth White?
It is not healthy for Hamsters to have entirely whitish colored teeth. And you should not try to make them white as well. Instead you can try to maintain a brownish-white teeth color if you want to keep your Hamster’s teeth clean and healthy.
You can achieve this by giving a proper diet to your Hamsters. Here are a few tips to do so:
Give them fresh food
Fresh foods are good for Hamsters’ teeth. You can give them foods like Carrot, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Chicory, Spinach, Sweet peppers, Cucumber, Cress, and Courgette.
Give different options of dry foods
You can find different food options available in the pet food shops. You can try giving them pellets and seeds. Mix up different options to see what foods your Hamster is enjoying the most.
Make sure to avoid ground or mashed items. Also change their diets gradually and not all of a sudden.
Limit store-based treats
Hamsters love eating store-bought treats, but they may cause their teeth to look unhealthy and might decay them if given in excess. These treats generally have added sugar in them, hence try to buy the ones that are sugar free.
Invest in a chew toy
Overgrown teeth of your Hamsters prevent them from eating sufficiently. This will affect its diet which is not good.
Take your Hamster to the veterinarian as soon as possible if it has extensively outgrown teeth.
How Can You Keep Your Hamster’s Teeth Healthy?
To keep your Hamster’s teeth healthy you need to prevent development of overgrown incisors. Hamsters’ need to wear down their teeth from time to time.
Give them soft wood blocks or any other wooden chewing toys that will rub their teeth. You can also give them paper to shred.
Hamsters need a balanced nutrition to maintain strong teeth. Hence, include different seeds and fresh vegetables in their diet.
To prevent cheek pouches in Hamsters offer small pieces of foods that don’t stick in the lining of their cheek pouches.
Provide fresh water in a bowl everyday so that the lining of their cheek pouches remains supple and hydrated and won’t get stuck to bedding or food.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can You Check Your Hamster’s Teeth?
Hold your Hamster and pull the skin surrounding its neck to look at its teeth.
Check if there is any misalignment of teeth or if teeth are growing against each other.
Check for any swellings, redness or other teeth related issues.
Can You Brush Your Hamster’s Teeth?
No, as Hamsters have very tiny mouth openings and tendency to bite will make it difficult to brush their teeth. However cleaning is important to prevent occasional tooth root infections and other bacterial growth within their mouth. Providing fresh water may help in this situation.
Can You File Your Hamster’s Teeth?
Yes, you can file your Hamster’s teeth using a nail file to smoothen the edge of newly cut teeth. When your Hamster outgrows its teeth you need to cut them separately. Cutting both teeth together can split them or make them shatter.
What Can You Give For Your Hamster’s Teeth?
You can give wooden chewing toys, chew blocks and other such items that can keep your Hamsters teeth sharp and healthy. In terms of foods, give dry, fresh, sugar-free and semi-solid or solid food items to prevent cavities in your Hamster’s teeth. These aspects are vital for their dental health.
Conclusion
Understanding physical traits of Hamsters is a very crucial step to provide proper care to your lovable pet Hamster.
Your Hamsters having yellow or browinish-white teeth should not worry you anymore. It’s a part of their natural physical appearance and indicates their perfectly fine teeth.
However, a complete white tooth is a matter of concern which usually indicates underlying diseases of your Hamster’s body. If you notice such a thing, rush your Hamster to the hospital quickly.
It would be great to know a basic list of do and don’ts when it comes to the health of your Hamster’s teeth. With proper knowledge prevent your Hamsters from all the dental problems.