The drool I noticed under my chinchilla’s chin seemed cute to me. Little did I know that chinchilla wet fur under chin leads to illnesses and could be caused by dental issues.
I dove into this topic and examined the mouth of my chinchillas much closer after learning the details I will explain below.
This article is about the wetness you notice under your chinchilla’s mouth including the causes and effects that may interest you to read further.
Chinchilla Wet Fur Under Chin
Excessive drooling makes the chin of a chinchilla moist. This could be a dental and digestive problem as well as wet fur leading to possible skin concerns.
Have you ever heard of chinchillas being referred to as “Slobbers” or diagnosed with malocclusion? Look out for your chinchilla slobbering their food and seeing drops of meals being spat out or falling down their chins.
Chinchilla Dental Problems
Dental difficulties and digestive disorders have a relationship in some cases. Chinchillas have teeth that continue to develop and expand throughout their whole lives. The teeth grate against each other in order to maintain the correct length of each one.
Something occurs that causes their teeth to become misaligned, such as:
- an infection in the bone around the tooth that shifts it in the socket
- a congenitally malformed jaw
- the teeth grow unopposed and get so long that they may poke into the cheeks
- their teeth curling around and penetrating the roof of their mouth.
This occurs because the teeth are unable to compete with one another for space. If the teeth are not corrected, the chinchilla may have severe malnutrition or debilitation.
Chinchillas, despite the fact that they are susceptible to the above issues, make for robust and resilient pets.
How Do You Dry Wet Chinchilla Fur?
Drying wet chinchilla fur needs to be quick in case your chinchilla accidentally gets wet. Carefully and thoroughly pat them dry with a towel.
You should place your chinchilla with the towel in front of a fan that is set on a low setting or a hair dryer that has a cool setting with cooler airflow.
Why Is My Chinchilla Drooling?
The teeth of chinchillas are unique and abnormalities are common. As they continue to grow, they can misalign.
Slobbers or chinchillas that drool could be having problems:
- eating
- digesting
- staying dry
Dental problems are one example of drooling problems with chinchillas but malocclusion (malo) is when the upper and lower teeth are positioned unevenly.
Why Do Chinchillas Have Malo?
The most noticeable sign of malo is the presence of misaligned front teeth (incisors). A chinchilla might show unusually colored and occluded incisors. This causes the animal to feed awkwardly and its incisors to grow out of control.
Is It Bad for Chinchillas to Get Wet?
Yes. It is important for your chinchillas to not be getting themselves wet with water or drool. Wet foods will also create excess moisture under their chins.
Each follicle on your chinchilla contains 80 hairs. If your chinchilla gets wet, they may:
- quickly lose body heat
- get easily cold
- become susceptible to illness
Chinchilla Tooth Spur
The drooling you see on your chinchilla might be brought on by a tooth spur or anything stuck in their teeth. If it’s a tooth spur, they may only need to file it down and perhaps file a few of the other teeth to make them line up properly once again.
Sadly, it doesn’t sound nice to have a tooth spur for chinchilla. Antibiotics may also be used to treat painful mouth sores brought on by tooth spurs that have the potential to become infected.
- While they chew on hay and wood all day, getting anything trapped in their teeth is also very unusual. It is not unreasonable to assume that they may have had a splinter or piece of hay lodged.
- Overgrown molars can also curve over and trap the tongue on top of them, which is another potential problem.
- You cannot feel the roots that extend into their cranium from above. Runny eyes are the most typical additional indication of their teeth entering the skull.
- Also, without an x-ray or at the very least a scope, you can only view the front teeth. The molars, as opposed to the incisors, are often where issues arise.
Wet Chinchillas
It is incredibly challenging for chinchillas to keep their body temperature consistent because of the water that has been embedded in their fur.
When a chinchilla gets wet, the thick hair performs a great job of retaining the moisture. As a result, it takes a very long time for the fur to dry, and if the moisture is left there for an extended period of time, fungus may start to grow and infect the skin.
You’re allowing mold and mildew to grow in their fur, which is only the beginning of the issues that might arise.
The most frequent ones are pee or liquid feces. However even in those cases, we advise using a slightly moist towel and gently wiping the area to avoid getting their fur overly wet.
Conclusion
One of our initial worries is that there could be some dental illnesses present in chinchillas when we notice dampness around the mouth, chest, and perhaps even the feet.
As their teeth are always developing, chinchillas must consume a lot of fiber, primarily hay, to wear down their teeth.
Their teeth grow unnaturally, causing points and spurs to emerge, as a result of inadequate fiber intake or hereditary predisposition to dental problems.
Drooling occurs as a result of them being uncomfortable and capable of cutting up the tongue and cheeks.
Thank you for visiting PocketPetCentral.com for the best information to help you enjoy the life of your pocket pet companion in a fun, safe & healthy way.
