# Checking teeth



## ktdid (Aug 7, 2012)

Is there a trick to be able to check inside of a hedgies mouth? He has been making a weird noise tonight that sounds like crunching and I'm afraid it might be something stuck in his mouth or a broken tooth. I want to get a look at Fitz's mouth, but I'm not sure how to go about getting him to let me or how to hold him to do so. I tried luring him to open it with a mealworm but that didnt work. :-/


----------



## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

You can hold them however is best for you - my preference is to hold them on their back in one hand, loosely gripping the scruff, and with the other hand (thumb and forefinger) I press against the corners of the mouth to get it open. You'll have to keep your fingers there to look inside. Sometimes they'll make a sort of chewing motion with trying to get their mouth free.


----------



## ktdid (Aug 7, 2012)

Well I scruffed him and did what you said and he opened it but before I got a good look he started crying. I've never heard him make any noise other than huffing and that just freaked me out.I put him down and tried to scruff him again and he bit my finger nail. Between that and being extra super huffy tonight too I think I'm gonna have to take him to the vet.

He seems to be eating well still and if it was a tooth problem wouldn't his eating be hindered?


----------



## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Sounds like a fear/defensive reaction. It's pretty normal. If a hedgehog hasn't had their mouth opened before, they're not going to be very happy about it. We make a point of doing that, and other things, regularly to all our hedgehogs so they're used to it.

A sore tooth or something like that typically goes along with difficulty eating hard food or apparent decreased appetite. It's not necessarily going to be the case every time, but mostly.

What are you seeing other than huffiness, if anything?


----------



## ktdid (Aug 7, 2012)

Well we are sitting here having our normal cuddle time and he keeps smacking his lips and there is a sort of crunching sound to it too... sounds like when he masturbates but I can see him and he isn't doing that... plus the crunching which kinda sounds like when you grind your teeth.I turned all the lights off to get him to calm down a little and now he is running around like nothing happened so I don't know if I should be worried or not. 

Edit: he is eating his kibble right now and doesnt seem to be having problems.


----------



## ekswhyzee (Jul 10, 2013)

My hedgie has been doing that too. I've noticed the past few days that he's had foam around his lips and he's smacking his lips a lot. He's still eating fine and acting like his normal self though. It's very odd.


----------



## Melanie G. (May 29, 2014)

My hedgehog Molly used to get food stuck on the roof of her mouth- it was fairly obvious as she would start gagging. I found using a Q-tip to gently pry their mouth open and keep in open helps.


----------

