Teeth - advice please - urgent

Hi
I am new to this forum but desperate for some help and advice on my very special bun.

I took my bun (Homer) to the vet 3 weeks ago as he would not eat one morning and looked very tired (the day before there were no signs of illness and he was running around like a spring lamb and eating as normal). I took him for an emergency appt that mornign and was told they thought it was his teeth and kept him in to file them down. I asked for an X-ray to be taken if they had to knock him out but they did not do it. The vet told me that his teeth were misaligned but they had done them and he would be OK for a few months. Homer was eating OK (ish), I knew he had to get used to the new feel but about 3 weeks later I noticed he was in discomfort. I took him back and was advised that he should have his teeth looked at again.

He was admitted by a different vet who is an expert in exotics and he has told us that he thinks Homey may have Osteomyelitis and has given him Baytril for 7 days and wants to see him again next week. He also told us that his teeth were very uneven (even though these were supposed to have been done 3 weeks previously) and I had insisted on X-rays which showed that the back teeth were growing into the jaw, therefore he will need his teeth done approx every 6 weeks to keep this in control. His front ones are perfect.

Can anyone tell me more about this condition as it appears to be very limited as to what I can find on the net. What are my options, what should I ask the vet when I see him again this week.

Could it have been caused by the previous vet not doing his teeth correctly. The day before his initial vist to the vet, Homer was fine and running around like a spring lamb and jumping on my back when I was kneeling on the floor to stroke my other bun (Katy).

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

Pringle needs his teeth done regularly normally every 6weeks - 2months. His teeth grow squint and into his cheek etc. Which cuases discomfort. Pringle has been to the vet a few times now to get his teeth done but they can grow 2mm a week so they really need a good hay / grass to keep tem grinding them down, does Homer get access to grass and hay?. He may well need them done again, but hopefuly if you feed him a good diet this will be longer periods of time inbetween xx

Homer has access to grass (at least 3-4 hours a day, at least 12 hours of a weekend), however he has always refused to eat hay and I have tried everything I have been advised and thought up myself to encourage him as he did have a bad gut problem early this year which is why we tried so hard to get him onto hay. Our other rabbit will eat it OK. I don't mind him getting his teeth clipped as necessary but it is the other condition (abcess I think it is) that is creating me so much worry.

Abcesses can be quite bad especially if its in the buns mouth as it can be difficult to clear up properly. Pringle doesnt eat hay either ive tried him on loads, about 14 and he only likes the orchard grass. Have to tried the hay samples of the hay experts? http://www.thehayexperts.com/ they have different hays/grasses that you could try him on or http://www.dustfreehay.co.uk is meant to be good for hay to. Is their no other vet in your area that is more rabbit savvy that could help you out more? x

Thanks, I have tried all sort of different hay/grass and tempting him via balls, mixing it with greens/veg, leaving it everywhere but to no avail unfortunately.

This particular vet I have seen last is the most experienced one I have seen so far (I have always been happy with my usual one but she is off at the moment and recommended that Homer saw this guy who is in the same practice). Can anyone recommend a good vet for bunnies in the North West (UK) in case I need a second opinion?

Hello

Osteomyelitis is infection in the bone. Sadly this is seen in Buns with advanced Dental Disease. It *usually* presents with an abscess along the jawline or a snotty nose/gunky eyes (where the tooth roots have overgrown into the nasal passages/ nasolacrimal duct of the eye)

It is unlikely that the Osteomyelitis was caused by the first Dental and it is also perfectly possible for Homer's teeth to have grown unevenly over a 3 week period.

Dental disease is either inherited, ie a genetic fault eg Malocclusion or aquired where-by a diet lacking in hay/grass from a young age means the teeth dont wear down as they should and spurs form.

Osteomyelitis in the jaw is seldom curable It can be controlled with longterm antibiotics. Anti-inflammatories are also necessary as osteomyelitis is painful.

Here are some links which you may find helpful

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=472&S=5&SourceID=43

http://exoticpets.about.com/od/rabbitshealth/f/rabbitsosteo.htm

http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/rwf/articles/dental_disease.htm

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/jawabscess.html

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html

http://www.vet.uga.edu/mis/exotics/mammals/oral.php

My Vet feels that Osteomyelitis needs a more heavy duty antibiotic than Baytril and she prescribes Penicillin INJECTIONS.

http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/rwf/articles/penicillin.htm

If your Vet prescribes these then I would advise you ask the Vet about prescribing Questran (Cholestyramine) too. Questran can help bind up the 'bad' gut bacteria that can multiply when a Bun is on Penicillin. This prevents the 'bad' bacteria being absorbed.

http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/questran.html

Good luck to you and Homer

Janex

My Biscuit has a problem where the roots of her back teeth are growing into her tear ducts and she has to have her tear ducts flushed out every few months and has eye drops twice a day, every day. Her eyes are ALWAYS gunky and she usually has a snotty nose on her right side (never the left :?) It took our vets a year to diagnose that it was her teeth. Before then, they said it was an infection. But she's a fine and dandy bunny. Never known one happier and she'll always happily lick you if you go see her!

It's just a shame bunnys have to live with stuff like this.

Thanks for all your advice - I have now collated a list of questions to bombard the vet with. I have also been in touch with Vicky (Fred's Story on one of the links) and she has given me some good advice and some questions to ask. I will keep you updated.

Update on Homer-good news

I have just returned from the vet and is very pleased with Homer's progress. Apparently he did not have an abcess which caused this osteomyelitis it is that his teeth have been growing though his jaw. He showed me this on the Xray taken last week.

The vet thought that last week Homey may of had a small cyst and as a precaution prescribed him the Baytril and it looks like it has cleared it up.

Homer will have to go for check ups/filing etc every 4 weeks and he says that he can do this without a GA.

Apart from this he is fine and needs to eat as much grass (he won't eat hay") as possible to encourage the natural wearing down of the teeth.

I am so relieved.