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rabbits with recurrent teeth problems

8 replies

giraffesCANdriveAcar · 21/04/2010 14:03

I have a house rabbit, he is lovely. But he has recurrent teeth problems, he will stop eating and when I take him to the vet he needs an op, then meds and then syringe feeding for a few days. I feed him lots of hay etc to chew on to wear down his teeth but it doesn't help.

I don't really want to type this but I guess I am saying how fair is this on him? I know rabbits don't show they are in pain for a long time. I don't want to keep putting him through operations, syringe feeding every year, less than a year since last one - which is more frequent than time before.

OP posts:
Joolyjoolyjoo · 21/04/2010 14:17

Sorry to hear about your bunny . It depends really on how well he copes with the dental work/ syringing etc, how old he is, and how serious his teeth problems are.

It's not an uncommon problem in rabbits, sadly. Their teeth continue to grow throughout their life, so if they don't meet precisely they will grow unevenly, so they can end up with painful spikes to the outside and/ or inside of their mouths, which is what causes them to stop eating. To access the teeth, they need a general anaesthetic, so that the teeth can be burred down safely. Often after the dental work, they are still sore for a day or two (although your vet would usually give him painkillers over this period). Some of these guys eventually develop deformities of the jawbone (osteomyelitis) due to the problems with their teeth, and this is unfortunately pretty irreversible.

The main consideration obviously has to be your bunny's quality of life. If he copes reasonably well with the GA/ dental, and comes back to eating in a few days, without dramatic weight loss, or gut motility problems, then there is no problem with repeating the dentals. I have known rabbits who needed intervention every few months. If, however, he is finding it harder and harder to recover, is losing weight and generally unhappy a lot of the time, then euthanasia is a realistic option.

Doing nothing isn't really an option, as when their teeth ARE overgrown they experience a lot of pain, due to the teeth spikes slicing into their tongue and cheeks (I have seen some truly horrible sights ). Rabbits in pain are usually fairly easy to spot- they huddle, often in a corner, don't move much, don't eat, and sometimes make a horrible grinding noise with their teeth. It may be worth airing your concerns with your own vet, as he/ she will have seen your rabbit's teeth and witnessed his recovery period, so could probably make a better guess as to whether or not he is benefitting from the dentals than I can. Don't be frightened to question his treatment- most vets are more than happy to explain the why's and wherefores AND to listen to client's concerns- you DO know your own pet better than anyone. Good luck.

Bananaketchup · 21/04/2010 20:39

Not sure if this is similar to your bunny but when I was a teen we had a rabbit with wonky teeth, and he used to go to the vet every fortnight and the nurse would file the bits down without GA and bob was his uncle. We just had a standing appointment with the nurse and it kept on top of the problem. He was a very happy and healthy bunny and lived to be at least 12 (he'd had several families before us so could have been older).

Nurse appointments at our vet are free by the way, I guess not an option if you have to pay every time - although poss cheaper than paying for surgery, antibiotics etc? Maybe our rabbit's problems were near the front and easy to get to while he was awake, I'm not sure as this was a year or twenty ago. Not sure if this is practical for you but might be worth discussing with your vet?

The vet always used to remark how very healthy our bunny was and he had a very happy life doing this right up to when he died of old age so I don't think it can have caused him huge trauma. We used to grate up his veggies so he could eat them easily and he also had a taste for banana flavoured baby food and toast! Hope it works out for you.

FernieB · 22/04/2010 07:46

Sorry to hear about your rabbit's problems. What kind of bunny is he? I did hear (somewhere) that certain kinds of bunny are more prone to tooth problems as the way they have been bred over the years has left them with slightly flatter faces and they therefore have less room in their mouths for their teeth. (This may be rubbish of course).

If your bunny is happy and healthy otherwise and recovers quickly, then there should be no problem, but if he is moping about and unhappy, I'd talk to the vet. Good luck with him.

giraffesCANdriveAcar · 22/04/2010 12:20

Had vets at half ten - bunnys been put to sleep Choice was op again and repeated, increasingly frequent ops or put to sleep. As they are in pain for a while before they start to show signs I feel too bad for him. I dont want to have a pet that I am causing to be in pain. Vet said was 50/50 at this stage, but further down line she usually advised to put down. Putting him through more ops, then the syringe feeding after, checku ups etc. All of which just makes him frightened of me for a while. For it all to start again - doesnt seem fair on him. Stayed with him while they did it. Haven't cried yet, all seems a bit surreal. I think I did the right thing by him, must be horrid constantly having huge spike things in to your gum and being scared to show pain.

OP posts:
Joolyjoolyjoo · 22/04/2010 13:48

Sorry to hear about your bunny It is a real shame for them when they have these teeth problems. Hope you're feeling ok

OhFuck · 22/04/2010 15:18

So sorry giraffes

Bananaketchup · 22/04/2010 18:17

Oh really sorry, it's horrible isn't it? Even though you know you've done the right thing. Sending virtual chocs and wine.

giraffesCANdriveAcar · 23/04/2010 07:14

thanks

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