We just returned from a trip to the vet, because I'd seen signs that Dragon might be having pain in his teeth or jaw. Dragon did not appreciate having his teeth examined but Dr. Johnson was very patient and gentle with him. She sat on the floor with him, gave him chicken, and used minimal restraint. She found some inflammation in his gumline around his front teeth, but nothing major. The plan of action now is:
- reduce the amount of time he spends chewing, to rest his jaw (he spends a LOT of time chewing on a pig hoof, so his jaw muscles might be sore)
- I bought a gel which I will apply to his gumline once a day, which should help quell the inflammation
- continue giving him chicken feet 1-2 times a week to keep his teeth clean
- monitor and note any changes
I'm glad that there's nothing really wrong, but on the other hand it would have been nice if we had a clearer reason for his odd behavior. Also I feel really bad that I'll have to limit his chewing, but I saw that one coming. On a side note, Dragon has gained a pound since his last check-up in spring, from 7.11 to 8.13! Some of that might just be regular daily fluctuation, but I'm glad that I've managed to fill him out some. I think that his ideal weight is 8 pounds or just slightly over. It's hard to get him to eat enough to keep his weight up.
No comments:
Post a Comment