Health
Tooth Problems.
Most good breeders have removed any animals in their breeding herd that have teeth problems. The most common problems are overgrowth, the rate of wear of the teeth should equal their rate of growth, where the chinchilla has not been provided with suitable toys or pumice stones to chew on to keep their teeth under control (see your vet, the teeth will need to be filed or cut to a more suitable length), and malocclusion where the teeth grow incorrectly through no fault of lack of chewable objects. The teeth wear unevenly causing overgrowth or uneven growth of the incisors, and spurs of tooth from the molars and premolars which may grow towards the tongue and the lips. As this condition progresses, eating becomes more uncomfortable, and only soft foods are selectively eaten, resulting in further tooth growth as the chin is no longer gnawing. Again see your vet to deal with this problem. They will probably be going to see the vet on a regular basis (every 6-8 weeks) to have the spurs filed. Hard foods should be provided between visits to the vet to aid in wearing the teeth.
Sure signs of malocclusion are drooling, and/or weepy eyes, and a chinchilla that continually rubs its mouth because of the pain.
It is not just the top of the tooth that can grow incorrectly, but the root as well. If the root of the tooth is the problem, you will feel lumps along the length of the jaw. If the upper tooth roots are the problem, the eyes will begin to weep as the roots grow towards the eye.
The prognosis is poor for very advanced cases, or in cases where the teeth wear unevenly, and the pain is associated with root overgrowth and impaction. These cases may be supported by feeding baby cereals. I would recommend having chins this badly affected put to sleep.
I have heard of one vet who will (when the teeth affected are the lower ones ) kill the roots of the affected teeth thereby preventing further growth. This is only possible when the lower teeth are involved, it is impossible to perform the procedure if the top teeth are affected. This procedure should only be used to help a pet chinchilla, not one used for breeding. The responsible breeder should do their best to remove the malocclusion trait, not continue it by using chinchillas that do maloclude in their breeding lines.
Malocclusion is in part hereditary, but diet and other oral conditions may also play an important part in it's development. The onset of clinical signs may be up to 2 years, often after individuals have been used for breeding, however, once symptoms are obvious the affected chins should not be used.