As 60% of degus over 2 years old get dental disease it’s important to
know what to look out for, warning signs include:

• loss of interest in food
• discomfort eating
• difficulty swallowing
• weight loss
• slobbering
• swelling around the mouth
• pawing at the mouth
• tooth grinding
• discharge from the eye or nose
• irregular incisor wear
• difficulty drinking
• difficulty grooming

A degu’s teeth grow continually at a rate of around 1 cm per month and
need to be worn down constantly. If a tooth is damaged, for example by getting
chipped while chewing at the cage bars, then the corresponding upper or lower tooth
won’t have anything to press against to wear it down and may end up overgrown,
or a tooth may end up overgrown if it grows out at an angle. The teeth may also grow spurs; these are sharp points
which can cut in to the cheeks, tongue and gums and may lead to the tongue being trapped.   

If teeth are overgrown the degu should be taken to the vet to have the
teeth clipped or burred. This may be something that a degu requires regularly;
the degu will require a little anaesthetic for this procedure. 

If the teeth are overgrown then as they continue to try and grow but
have no space to grow in to the tooth roots can become overgrown which is much
more serious as there is no way of treating this short of removing the affected
half of the jaw. The most likely course of treatment would be to regularly trim
any overgrown teeth and long term pain management. Overgrown tooth roots can cause discharge from the eye or
nose as the roots grow in to the structures of the skull.

The main cause of dental disease is diet, although genetics and
environment also play a part. Degus should have access to hay at all times as
this wears down the teeth as well as providing fibre. In the wild degus would
spend most of their day foraging and eating as the food available would be low
in nutrients, in captivity where degus get all the nutrition they need from a
much smaller amount of food their teeth still need to be worn down.

As the teeth become more overgrown the degu will begin to have trouble
closing their mouth, leading to slobbering, and making it difficult for them to
eat.

If a degu is kept in cage which is too small, doesn’t have enrichment,
or is kept on their own they are more likely to chew at the cage bars which can
lead to chipped or cracked teeth. A degu may also break their teeth through an
accident such as falling off a shelf if there is a sharp impact.

In order to notice signs of illness as soon as possible I recommend
weighing degus on a weekly basis as a change in weight can be an early warning
sign of a number of illnesses. Also keep an eye on any change in their faeces,
if a degu isn’t eating properly these may become smaller or less uniform.

After a degu has been to the vet for treatment on their teeth their
mouth will be sore and it may be necessary to mix their nuggets with some water
to soften them. Another possibility would be to feed the degu Critical Care. Critical Care should only be used in the short term as it contains some sugars.

Pictured below: Jack’s overgrown teeth and tooth roots (top photo) compared to Sam’s healthy teeth (bottom photo). Photos used with expressed permission from my vet. Do not use or repost.