Things You'll Need
- Pet rat
- Wooden chew toys
- Small animal salt-licks
- Bits of cloth
- Small-animal nail trimmer
Instructions
Like your teeth, a rat's teeth can deteriorate from bacteria caused by sugary foods, so feed your rat as little sugar as possible.
Your rat's teeth are supposed to be orange-colored. If they're white, this indicates a nutritional deficiency. Ask a vet the best things to feed your pet rat.
It is not necessary to brush a rat's teeth because the rat will keep them clean through normal eating and gnawing activities.
Unlike human teeth, rat teeth never stop growing. A rat's incisors are quite long, and if they get too long they can grow into the rat's brain or could prevent him from eating properly. Fortunately, most rats keep their teeth the right length by grinding them (this is how they make that purring sound when they're happy) and by gnawing. Give your rat small wooden toys, a salt lick, or a bit of cloth to gnaw if he's taking out his urge to chew on his cage bars.
Sometimes a rat's teeth can become overgrown, and you will have to trim them. Have a friend hold the rat down, and trim the tips of his front teeth off with a nail trimmer for small animals. Rats do not have nerve endings in their teeth, so this will not hurt, but you will need assistance because the rat won't like this process at all.