It can't be time for another dental surely??

Hi,

Bella our bunny has been doing smaller and darker poos, her hay intake has decreased but she is still eating food like greens etc. and just now she had some pellets.

After spending last night rubbing her tummy and feeding her gripe water I took her to the vets. Christabel wasn't working (she was taking a well earned break) it was another vet from the Richmond branch who I had never met before.

He had a look at her teeth and said there are some sharp spurs, particularly on the lower left side. They are not cutting into her mouth yet but he thinks that this is the reason why she is not eating and pooing the same. He gave her metacam, baytril and metaclop and told me to syringe her biolapis and critical care if she stops eating.

She has been booked in for a dental on Monday...her last dental was on the 13th July!!!!! It will be a month exactly between dentals. I feel sick with worry-how can her body manage to cope with anaesthesia that is only a month apart?

She is really mad at me and is hiding under the bed

Oh Aimee, I am so sorry

Are her incisors ok cos they can *sometimes* cause problems with the molars.

Poor little bella...I hope Charlie is taking good care of his mummy. xxx

I know I cried on the hour long taxi journey back from the vets...he must've thought I was a right nutter!

Yeah her incisors are perfect- it's just her back teeth that are the problem.

Charlie is looking after her very well-they are both under the bed snuggled up on a throw

marleyandme said:

I know I cried on the hour long taxi journey back from the vets...he must've thought I was a right nutter!

Yeah her incisors are perfect- it's just her back teeth that are the problem.

Charlie is looking after her very well-they are both under the bed snuggled up on a throw

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I don't have much experience with Dental buns

There are some buns that have had their molars removed but I think that is a last resort for Bella. I am sure Jane will be along in a min to provide you with better advice

I don't know whether I would be tempted to feed them both a pellet free diet so that they are just on a variety of good quality hays ang grasses, fresh and dried hers and veg.

It was Tim who was working this morning.
He's a good Bunny Vet and I would trust his judgement

Buuny_Friend said:

I don't have much experience with Dental buns

There are some buns that have had their molars removed but I think that is a last resort for Bella. I am sure Jane will be along in a min to provide you with better advice

I don't know whether I would be tempted to feed them both a pellet free diet so that they are just on a variety of good quality hays ang grasses, fresh and dried hers and veg.

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Thanks

I have been thinking a lot about giving them a pellet free diet (I only give them a teaspoon of pellets a day anyway). I think I might keep Charlie on the pellets as he is still young but change Bella over. I am so worried about Monday- I really hope my little Bellasaurus pulls through!

Jack's-Jane said:

It was Tim who was working this morning.
He's a good Bunny Vet and I would trust his judgement

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Thanks, he was very nice and very gentle with Bella.

I asked him about her prognosis and he said it wasn't good-the spurs are growing back very quickly and I know there is a limit to how many dentals her body can cope with

marleyandme said:

Thanks, he was very nice and very gentle with Bella.

I asked him about her prognosis and he said it wasn't good-the spurs are growing back very quickly and I know there is a limit to how many dentals her body can cope with

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marleyandme said:

Thanks, he was very nice and very gentle with Bella.

I asked him about her prognosis and he said it wasn't good-the spurs are growing back very quickly and I know there is a limit to how many dentals her body can cope with

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How old is Bella ?

Maybe you could ask C to do skull radiographs to assess her tooth roots. That may give an indication as to why the spurs have developed so quickly.

Does Bella get to graze on grass ?

Jack's-Jane said:

How old is Bella ?

Maybe you could ask C to do skull radiographs to assess her tooth roots. That may give an indication as to why the spurs have developed so quickly.

Does Bella get to graze on grass ?

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I am not sure if Aimee has seen your reply Jane so hope she doesn't mind me answering on her behalf.

Bella is about a year old now and is a house bunny. x

Jack's-Jane said:

How old is Bella ?

Maybe you could ask C to do skull radiographs to assess her tooth roots. That may give an indication as to why the spurs have developed so quickly.

Does Bella get to graze on grass ?

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Thanks, I will ask about that on Monday. I never remember what to ask the vet when I get in there! They last time she went in for a dental they just clipped the spurs off as they weren't too bad apparently and were just sharp. This time they are going to burr them down to the gumline.

No she doesn't get to eat grass. I live in a flat in London without a garden (we can't afford a garden flat in this area at the mo). I tried planting grass in window pots from seed but it didn't really grow enough for them to have a big munch on it. We are trying to move further out of London so we can get them a bit of outdoor space.

I am just back from seeing the vet. She doesn't think that Bella's teeth need doing yet and thinks the small spurs are normal after a dental as the teeth start wearing against each other again. Bella has been eating and pooing like normal over the weekend. I am so relieved that we can put the dental off for a while so the GA's aren't too close together.

marleyandme said:

I am just back from seeing the vet. She doesn't think that Bella's teeth need doing yet and thinks the small spurs are normal after a dental as the teeth start wearing against each other again. Bella has been eating and pooing like normal over the weekend. I am so relieved that we can put the dental off for a while so the GA's aren't too close together.

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That's good news