Teeth out or not? Advice needed please?

My lil' old girl Twink is five next month and she's always been a dental bun. However, for the last three months she's had to go for her front teeth clipped as they get REALLY REALLY LONG!. They are either clipped or most of the time burred. She doesn't appear to find them particularly stressful (other than the trip to the vets - which she hates) but the last couple of times, the vet has suggested having them out.

Has anyone any advice? I want what's best for her. Im not bothered about taking her every couple of weeks if this is waht's best for her. But im not sure how good it is for her to keep going back every three/four weeks to have them clipped.

has anyone any experience with this decision before? I really need some advice.

Thanks xx

I have two buns that have had their front teeth removed and they cope admirably. SS pellets ... no problem; grated carrot and sliced veg.. no problem; Kiki even manages hay but Spikes back teeth are misaligned so he can only manage Readigrass or the short hay cuttings that you find at the bottom of the bag.

Bear in mind that the teeth may grow back. It took 2 goes to get rid of Spikes and 4 to get rid of Kikis but it was the best option for them as their front teeth were so bad.

We had Alfie that had his incisors removed & he coped so well We've also now got Arthur - he couldn't care less that he's got no front teeth - he can manage is pellets fine, we just have to chop his veg & hay a bit smaller that we normally do for the other buns. To be honest I think removing them might be a better option than having them clipped every couple of weeks - but I suppose it depends on what your vet says.

luvabun said:

I have two buns that have had their front teeth removed and they cope admirably. SS pellets ... no problem; grated carrot and sliced veg.. no problem; Kiki even manages hay but Spikes back teeth are misaligned so he can only manage Readigrass or the short hay cuttings that you find at the bottom of the bag.

Bear in mind that the teeth may grow back. It took 2 goes to get rid of Spikes and 4 to get rid of Kikis but it was the best option for them as their front teeth were so bad.

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Thanks for the advice. Im just aware of her age more than anything. She has four to six monthly regular dentals on her molar spurs under general anesthetic. Im worried that if i leave her front teeth removal too long, it will be dangerous for her to have GA's in a couple of years

I just want what's best for her

BwfcAngel said:

Thanks for the advice. Im just aware of her age more than anything. She has four to six monthly regular dentals on her molar spurs under general anesthetic. Im worried that if i leave her front teeth removal too long, it will be dangerous for her to have GA's in a couple of years

I just want what's best for her

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I'd agree with you that it's best to go for a removal rather than periodic GA's especially taking into account her age.

Definitely have them removed. Squidgy had his removed about 6 years ago now and he manages fine without them.

My Ella has no bottom front teeth and only pegs for top ones that have to be done every so often - she has to have 6 weekly check ups for her back teeth still, but she manages fine eating - her bowl is always empty before all the other rabbits!

My bun Tila had his front teeth removed due to osteomyelitis - We found it due to his teeth needing to be trimmed every 3 weeks!!

He is now as happy as ever without his teeth - before they were taken out he was a bit 'off' for a while but now, he eats eeeeeverything and asks for more! The only difference is harder vegies are chopped smaller. The softer varieties I can still leave in fairly large cubes now that he has learned to eat again.

I think it depends how mis-aligned they are. My Dixie's incisors became misaligned when he had a tooth root infection, but the vet managed to get them straight again with careful clipping. He hardly ever needs them doing now, and can eat hay without any trouble

I've had 3 incisorless bunnies and as far as eating and everything went they managed fine, it was much easier for them than the regular incisoral trimming (done withiut GA in a couple of minutes but still a trauma for them). They were all eating again the same night as well so with sufficient pain relief they make a good recovery.

The downside is that 2 of the 3 had peg teeth grow back, Mack has had his taken out twice now and it has just grown through again :roll:. Unfortunately the rate for this regrowth occuring, especially in peg teeth, is pretty high.

It is also worth bearing in mind that any dental surgery carries a risk of infection which can lead to further complications. It isn't common but it does happen and stringent post-operative care is very important to minimise these risks.

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