buster xxx

looks like buster is going to need a dental this week... first time in a year! malocclusion of his molars. off to the vets tomorrow so i will keep everyone updated, i really hate it when he goes because he is put out under GA... he is still eating but leaving a lot of food, i've mushed some food up for him this evening to help him out. he is drinking which is good news, ive caught it early xxx

Dental Problems in Rabbits: Common, Yet Rarely Diagnosed!
by Dana Krempels, Ph.D.

Even if your rabbit has perfectly aligned incisors (front teeth), it is wise for you to allow your rabbit-experienced veterinarian to do regular dental checkups as part of your bunny's wellness exam. Undetected dental problems in rabbits are a major cause of more serious illnesses which develop due to the pain and stress of sore teeth and jaw.

Rabbits are hypsodonts, meaning that their teeth grow continually, throughout life. In a normal rabbit, the teeth are aligned so that the wear against each other as the rabbit chews. This maintains even, relatively flat surfaces (with some sharp edges on top) on the molars and relatively short, chisel-shaped incisors. The incisors are used only for cutting the food into manageable pieces that can then be prehended by the lips and tongue. It is the molars that do the grinding of food into the fine bits that are then swallowed and sent on for further processing in the GI tract.

Dental malocclusion in rabbits is not uncommon, especially in the short-faced breeds which have been produced via generation upon generation of inbreeding. Unfortunately, there are no chew toys or hard foods that will solve this problem, since it is primarily the wearing of the teeth (incisors *and* molars) against each other during chewing that keeps them at their normal length and shape.

If the teeth do not line up correctly, incisors quickly overgrow and can become unmanageable "tusks" which either snaggle up out of the mouth or curl back into the mouth, making eating nearly impossible. Although some veterinarians will be willing to regularly trim the teeth, this is stressful for the rabbit. Also, clipping the teeth rather than filing or grinding them down can be dangerous, since micro-fractures of the tooth from clipping can travel below the gumline, inviting bacterial infection that can ultimately be life-threatening.

We have found that the best way to treat maloccluded incisors is to have them completely and permanently removed. This is a surgical procedure that must be done very carefully and patiently by your rabbit-experienced veterinarian, to ensure complete root removal. The rabbit will probably need to be on pain medication for a day or two after surgery (Banamine (flunixin) is excellent for rabbits), but once the patient has recovered, the only adjustment the rabbit "parent" needs to make is to cut up fresh food into bite-sized pieces. Pellets and hay can be handled as before, without problems.

Many rabbits who have maloccluded incisors, and even a great number who have perfectly occluded incisors still develop molar spurs. These are sharp points on the edges of the molars that result from uneven wear. These points can abrade the tongue and cheek, causing pain and irritation enough to stop the rabbit from eating. Left unattended, this stress can trigger a potentially life-threatening condition called ileus).

In some very extreme cases, we have seen molar spurs that have actually grown *into* the tongue or cheek, causing extreme pain. In one incidence, a molar spur had grown *over* the tongue, forming a "bridge" that prevented the rabbit from moving his tongue!

Molar spurs can be filed down by your veterinarian, who may use anything from a Dremel tool to a blunt-tipped diamond nail file. The rabbit is usually put under light anesthesia (e.g., isofluane gas), and the procedure rarely takes longer than a few minutes.

As a bunny ages, she sometimes gradually suffers bone loss, just as an elderly human does. When this happens, the molars may become just the slightest bit looser in their sockets, inviting uneven wear and other problems, sometimes extending to the roots. In some cases, molar roots in older rabbits can begin to extend farther into the maxilla (upper jaw) or mandible (lower jaw) than normal, and may impinge on the tear ducts, causing runny eyes. In other cases, "overgrown" molar roots may even puncture the sinuses or the eye orbit, allowing intrusion of mouth bacteria into areas meant to remain sterile. This, of course, could be the beginning of an abscess. If you have an elderly bunny with any signs of molar root problems, you are wise to allow your veterinarian do take a series of head radiographs to detect developing problems before they become serious.

If your bunny is showing any signs such as

Drooling
Runny eyes
Eagerly going to food, but then acting unwilling to actually take it into the mouth
Gradual (or sudden) change in dietary habits (e.g., refusing to eat pellets, but happy to eat hay--or the other way around!)
Unusual eating habits, such as a willingness to eat only one or two food items, and rejecting other types.

then it's time to get him/her to a veterinarian who is very familiar with rabbit dental problems for an incisor and molar exam. If your bunny is one of those with dental problems you didn't know about, you'll be amazed at the relief he'll will get once his/her teeth are properly filed and in the right shape. Make a dental check up a regular part of your bunny's well-bun exam!

Interesting Josie...thank you xx

Thanks for this Josie - will be keeping a careful eye on Pudding xx

what do they do, just cut the teeth down regularly?
poor buster....we agonize over tooth ache...can you imagine a bunny who cant do anything about it!

Awww .. I hope he is ok Josie really interesting read .x

buster has just come home with me from the vets - he is booked in for his dental tomorrow morning. not nice but has to be done xxx

Poor Buster Bunny - Pudding sends him a bunny kiss xx

buster is home
the nurse was telling me he is strong - was fighting the anaesthetic! he pulled his drip out too
he's just got in and messed up his tidy bed i made for him - seems quite alert, things are looking good, fingers crossed xxx

Glad it's all over and done with for him Josie .x

well, just got to get him to eat solids, he's probs sore atm so it wont be tonight, but once he's on them he's out of the woods xxx

Bless him - glad he is home safe and sound x

buster isnt eating.. he is interested but doesnt take the food... will be syringe feeding until i see him eat, plus leaving some softened nuggets and veg out to tempt him... there are a few poops but they are small and not enough to warrant leaving him to his own devices xxx

poor buster, hope he gets better soon....cant be comfortable.

i expect his jaw is sore from having it clamped open, plus his teeth must feel strange as they are different shapes now. he didnt have any sores from the overgrown tooth so i think it should subside quite quickly. he hates being syringe fed cos it goes down his chin and he has to keep cleaning himself. he has banana and cucumber and boiled carrot in his bowl and softened nuggets but hasnt actually picked any up yet. got to give him his abx too xxx

goes to show what problems inbreeding can cause xxx

Bless him - hope he picks up soon Josie xx

thanks helen, it's going to be a lot of work but i know he can pull through... i thought he just might do it on his own last night but he hasn't xxx

Pudding sends her love to Buster xx

awww big kiss from buster to pudding - he's just eaten half a slice of banana - little wins make big differences xxx

Bless Buster - that is a start xx