Your hamster’s teeth need to remain healthy.
Due to their tiny size, it’s essential to feed your hamster the recommended amount of chews. However, some hamsters have yellow staining on their chewing surfaces.
This is caused by a build-up of algae in the chewing pads of their molars. You can remove this staining by washing your hamster’s teeth with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
So, should my hamster’s teeth be yellow? Hamsters should have yellow teeth – yes, really.
Hamsters’ teeth shouldn’t be white. If they’re white, that means they’re rotting or getting cavities.
Yellow teeth should indicate that your hamster is healthy and has a good diet. If your hamster doesn’t have yellow teeth, go to a veterinarian and find out why.
Should My Hamster’s Teeth Be Yellow?
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The Teeth of a Hamster Are Bright White
An adult hamster with unusually white or red-tinged front teeth may be suffering from a severe bacterial infection known as “stomatitis.
It’s also possible that your rodent has bitten down on something hard (like plastic) and chipped its tooth; if so, the veterinarian may be able to fill it in with dental cement or composite resin.
Dental caries are the cavities that most commonly afflict hamsters.
Too much sugars or carbsholes you see in hamsters’ teeth; these can be a sign of tooth decay, but hamsters have incisors that grow constantly so they simply don’t need to gnaw on anything.
Caries, if left untreated, can cause pain and even infection in the hamster’s mouth.
Examine your hamster for chipped or cracked teeth and for unusual swelling around the mouth, which may indicate an infection.
Tooth decay and gum disease are uncommon in pet rodents but can occur if the animal is overweight or if it doesn’t get sufficient exercise.
These conditions also can lead to other health problems such as diabetes, so it’s important to keep your furry friend at a healthy weight with regular physical activity and proper diet.
The Teeth of a Hamster are Orange.
You shouldn’t worry too much if your hamster’s teeth are orange or yellow in color, as they naturally have that color.
Your hamster’s teeth will have an amount a plaque on them – that’s normal – but the more plaque there is, the more it’ll stain the teeth.
That’s why some rodents’ teeth are darker than others’.
If it’s unhealthy for the hammy to have orange stained front teeth, then your vet may prescribe a special toothpaste for pets to help clean the teeth properly.
Something else is happening if your hamster has white teeth (and no plaque) and no other health problems.
There’s a chance that the food your hammy is eating isn’t right for them – or their teeth aren’t being cleaned regularly enough.
You might give your hamster a bowl full of sugar cubes – or even treats like carrot sticks – but this doesn’t provide enough of the vitamins and minerals they need to stay healthy.
Or, maybe they don’t get the chance to chew on anything other than their toys because you’re not giving them the right chew toys for them.
What Are The Reasons For Hamsters Having Yellow Teeth?
Hamsters have yellow teeth because their teeth are made of enamel, a substance that yellows with age or with exposure to certain chemicals or foods.
Hamsters can eat almost anything, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, and meat.
However, they’re also very fond of sweets, such as milk and sugar-based sweets.
This love of sweets leads to a lot of tooth decay. The yellow teeth of hamsters are actually a side effect of the tooth decay they experience.
How Do You Clean a Hamster’s Teeth?
Invest in a chew toy
Hamsters have small jaws that do not allow them to chew on hard objects such as wood or metal to clean their teeth.
However, a chew toy can solve this problem by satisfying their need to chew and scrub their teeth. A chew toy is made with a soft material such as plastic and rubber.
It mimics a hamster’s natural diet and allows hamsters to nibble on it to clean their teeth. It also gives them something to play with and gives them something to chew on when their teeth are worn down.
For all these reasons, a chew toy is essential for keeping hamsters healthy and clean.
Limit Store-based Treats
A hamster’s teeth are constantly growing and wearing down.
Therefore, it’s healthy for a hamster to chew on things regularly to keep their teeth healthy. But hamsters don’t need to eat junk food or store treats in order to keep their teeth healthy.
In fact, hamsters are more likely to develop dental problems if they eat a lot of unhealthy foods on a regular basis. Therefore, it’s best to limit treats to things that are safe for a hamster to eat.
Store treats such as raisins and nuts are safe for a hamster to eat in moderation.
However, store treats shouldn’t be given to hamsters on a regular basis because hamsters can develop health problems from eating too many sweets.
Give Different Options of Dry Foods
Hamsters have teeth just like humans do.
However, their teeth grow continuously and need to be trimmed regularly. This can be difficult because hamsters don’t like having their teeth brushed.
Luckily, you can clean hamsters’ teeth using dry foods. Hamsters like apple slices, carrot slices, and celery sticks.
If you want, you can chop any of these foods into bite-sized pieces to make it easier for your hamster to eat them. These foods will help clean hamsters’ teeth as they chew them.
Give Them Fresh Food
Hamsters need to eat crunchy foods like apples to clean their teeth.
However, most hamsters don’t like to eat crunchy foods. Instead, they prefer soft foods like bananas and grapes.
To make your hamster eat crunchy food, give them fresh food instead of dry pellets. Fresh food will last longer and give your hamster something fun to eat.
You can also soak dry pellets in water to make them softer and more appealing to your hamster. Finally, remember to clean your hamster’s teeth regularly.
If their teeth are dirty, it could affect their overall health and behavior.
What Are The Reasons For Hamsters Having Yellow Teeth?
Hamsters can eat almost anything.
However, their yellow teeth aren’t caused by their diet. Instead, yellow teeth in hamsters are caused by constant gnawing and grinding of their teeth.
Chewing is vital for hamsters because it helps them keep their teeth worn down to the proper length. However, constant chewing wears down their teeth and makes them look yellow.
Also Read: Why Does My Hamster Smell Like Pee?
Conclusion
Knowing the specifics of your beloved pet ‘s diet is not enough to keep your pet healthy.
No longer need you be afraid of giving your pet too many snacks as long as you remember that these are only occasional and not everyday meals.
It’s inherent to their physical appearance to have tooth discoloration, but regular cleaning by a veterinarian can help maintain the beauty of your hamster’s smile.
However, if your hamster has pearly white teeth throughout its entire life, then you probably have one very lucky little critter on your hands.
If you see anything like red spots or sores on your pets’ mouth, you should immediately take them to the vet and get him checked.
It would be helpful to get a quick picture of your pets’ mouth as this will greatly help the vet in diagnosing the problem and providing treatment for your pet faster.