Incisor burring or possible death: am I being cruel?

Thistle (little nethie dwarf about 7-8 years old) started having to have her teeth burred about a year ago after a jaw abscess left her with undershot lower jaw and incisors that don't meet.

Since then the frequency has increased until it is now every 2 weeks - this is just incisors - molars are ok.

My vet has mentioned several times that usually she would take the incisors out BUT the catch is that Thistle must have had a lung infection in the past before we got her (from rescue) and has very little lung tissue left . She also suffers intermittently with snuffles - with white discharge - which is held in check with abx.

She has actually had to be hurridly revived from another operation a couple of minutes in (for the abscess).

This week the vet suggested re-considering tooth removal but made it clear that it would be very high risk and quite possibly they would have to wake her without succeeding - or loose her.

I talked with the vet and the reason for suggesting it were:

1. the inconvenience (to me) and cost of fortnightly burring (This is not relevant as! I am at the vet practically every day anyway - and the £43 a fortnight is a drop in the ocean of our vets bills!!!).

2. That while she is being burred Thistle gets stressed. This is more relevant. It is true that she does not like it (who would!) though she does recover immedietaly and is eating by the time she is back in her carry box. She is not as bad as she used to be (she used to turn blue!) but there is stress and also she must be uncomfortable beforehand.

Am I being cruel by letting her get stressed every 2 weeks - and having discomfort in the 2 days leading up to it - (though I never let it get bad enough to stop her eating)

Is a fortnightly stress better or worse than possible/probable death?

parsnipbun said:

Thistle (little nethie dwarf about 7-8 years old) started having to have her teeth burred about a year ago after a jaw abscess left her with undershot lower jaw and incisors that don't meet.

Since then the frequency has increased until it is now every 2 weeks - this is just incisors - molars are ok.

My vet has mentioned several times that usually she would take the incisors out BUT the catch is that Thistle must have had a lung infection in the past before we got her (from rescue) and has very little lung tissue left . She also suffers intermittently with snuffles - with white discharge - which is held in check with abx.

She has actually had to be hurridly revived from another operation a couple of minutes in (for the abscess).

This week the vet suggested re-considering tooth removal but made it clear that it would be very high risk and quite possibly they would have to wake her without succeeding - or loose her.

I talked with the vet and the reason for suggesting it were:

1. the inconvenience (to me) and cost of fortnightly burring (This is not relevant as! I am at the vet practically every day anyway - and the £43 a fortnight is a drop in the ocean of our vets bills!!!).

2. That while she is being burred Thistle gets stressed. This is more relevant. It is true that she does not like it (who would!) though she does recover immedietaly and is eating by the time she is back in her carry box. She is not as bad as she used to be (she used to turn blue!) but there is stress and also she must be uncomfortable beforehand.

Am I being cruel by letting her get stressed every 2 weeks - and having discomfort in the 2 days leading up to it - (though I never let it get bad enough to stop her eating)

Is a fortnightly stress better or worse than possible/probable death?

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IMO better.
You are allowing her to live a full life, the stress compaired to that and the love she recieves is small.

See, this is a tough one,
I can kinda relate.

My Herbie was taken in at BARC with really overgrown teeth, so he had them removed. Then one of his bottom incisors started growing back in, along with his peg teeth. I was getting these burred, but it was getting to the stage that it would have to be every two weeks, so i thought that i would book him in for removal again.

£43 seems quite expensive, i was only getting charged £6 each time i was getting his done.

His seem to be away for the time being, but if one comes back in again then i am going to just get it burred all the time.

I think if Herbie had health problems that put him more at risk, then i would have just stuck with the burring.

personally i would rather try the op and let my beloved pet die on the table with no knowledge than go thro a vets visit every two weeks.

i guess it really depends on the bun, but had it been Pearl or even Alvin id not feel happy with the stress of a vets visit every two weeks. Pearl especially would of been PTS a lot sooner had the vets told me they needed to see her more regular than they did, maybe its me who cant cope with the stress but i hate taking them to the vets, it upsets them for a good 24 hours after wards so thats two days from the two weeks stolen by stress before i even have to worry about the pain.

im sure youll know what to do hun, she will tell you

2 weekly??? £43 ??????
My vet charges £9.71 every 4 weeks for my Lily Shane.
The love I feel for that bunny brings a lump to my throat.
If your girlie makes you feel like that, then every 2 weeks is worth it.

But why so costly if its not under GA?? Its a procedure.My vet does Lilys while I wait.No consultation necessary.
Lily has lots of problems.Her lungs for one (tissue goes right up into the kyphosis) and chronic snuffles treated with abx on particularly bad snotty noses.We also have discussed removal of teefs and speying but Ian says considering her conditions, we will need a chrystal ball to see about her chances of survival under a GA.She is also so tiny.....runt of the litter and lucky to be alive.
Like I say, if your bunny makes your heart burst, then dont fix what aint broken.

well they are an expensive vets (this is Cambridge) . . . Its £27 just for consultation. Though this mornings £43 did actually include two lots of meds for her gooeey nose - which I forgot to factor in. I didn't get a full print out so I guess its about £33 actually now i remember that.

Going every two weeks is no hassle for me - I go nearly every day with one thing or another .. .
(this week it was Monday for Blackberry having siezures, Kelme (the cat) went Tuesday with a kidney growth, Thistle today with her teeth, Bluebell's accupuncture tomorrow and then we will pop by Friday for Damson to have his post-surgical adhesions checked again, next Monday 4 in for VHD jabs, and then back with Kelme the next day and then . . . . . ).

Its just how Thistle feels about it . . though tbh she seems very little concerned by being put in basket and taken (its an 8 minute drive).



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parsnipbun said:

well they are an expensive vets (this is Cambridge) . . . Its £27 just for consultation. Though this mornings £43 did actually include two lots of meds for her gooeey nose - which I forgot to factor in. I didn't get a full print out so I guess its about £33 actually now i remember that.

Going every two weeks is no hassle for me - I go nearly every day with one thing or another .. .
(this week it was Monday for Blackberry having siezures, Kelme (the cat) went Tuesday with a kidney growth, Thistle today with her teeth, Bluebell's accupuncture tomorrow and then we will pop by Friday for Damson to have his post-surgical adhesions checked again, next Monday 4 in for VHD jabs, and then back with Kelme the next day and then . . . . . ).

Its just how Thistle feels about it . . though tbh she seems very little concerned by being put in basket and taken (its an 8 minute drive).



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Bless her little heart.
Im still choked by the expense.No need to charge a consultation for her.
Please give a noserub.xxxx

parsnipbun said:

Its just how Thistle feels about it . . though tbh she seems very little concerned by being put in basket and taken (its an 8 minute drive).



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well theres your answer if she aint fussed then you shouldnt worry until the day happens she starts to get upset by it :wave::wave::wave:

Pearl used to pant from the second she saw the going to vets carrier, so two weekly visits would of been out of the question, and Alvin hates being handled and goes very quiet for a few days after a visit so i have the worry of stasis. if i had an happy easy going bunny then i would rethink. all that matters is the buns and how happy they are

Wow this is a real toughy, probably why so many people have viewed but not many posted

The fact is that you know her better than anyone, even any vet, ever will. If you think the pain and stress is alot for her it might be worth opting for the op. If you think she can deal with it, and she is happy and pain free for most of the time maybe leave it for now and maybe opt for the op later on as a last resort?

Sorry I cant be of help. Either way you obviously have her best interests at heart which and you will make the right decision for her xxxxxxxx

We had the same problem with our rabbit Keegan many years ago, he caught his front incisor teeth in the pet carrier on the way to the vets and this caused malocclusion and the incisor teeth to grow out of line and so we had to have them regularly trimmed. When we got to every two weeks our vet explained about having his incisor teeth removed as the constant trimming can shatter the teeth and the stress of having it done so often. We chose to have Keegan's incisor teeth extracted for his sake as he was getting very stressed each time .

Tuckerbunnies said:

We had the same problem with our rabbit Keegan many years ago, he caught his front incisor teeth in the pet carrier on the way to the vets and this caused malocclusion and the incisor teeth to grow out of line and so we had to have them regularly trimmed. When we got to every two weeks our vet explained about having his incisor teeth removed as the constant trimming can shatter the teeth and the stress of having it done so often. We chose to have Keegan's incisor teeth extracted for his sake as he was getting very stressed each time .

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I am guessing that Keegan was normal risk for a GA? the problem here is her very high risk for GA (as having no lungs to speak of).

I'd be worried about infection setting in if the teeth were removed. A couple of my pasteurella buns get infections springing up at any possible opportunity, and it would feel a bit like tempting fate to me.

It is actually the vet nurses that burred Herbies teeth, and i never had to pay for a consultation.

I know money is not the main factor, but maybe you could discuss if you could sneak her in when going with others and not have to pay full whack.

parsnipbun said:

I am guessing that Keegan was normal risk for a GA? the problem here is her very high risk for GA (as having no lungs to speak of).

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Yes he was normal risk but he use to take a couple of days to come round he just wasn't good at all with GA which is another reason why we opted for teeth extraction.
I can see the worry you have with Thistle being as he is and if it were me I am sure I would be exactly the same.

abbymarysmokey said:

I'd be worried about infection setting in if the teeth were removed. A couple of my pasteurella buns get infections springing up at any possible opportunity, and it would feel a bit like tempting fate to me.

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Thats a good point - she has had jaw abcesses in the past (though actually caused by a weed seed).

Kermit said:

It is actually the vet nurses that burred Herbies teeth, and i never had to pay for a consultation.

I know money is not the main factor, but maybe you could discuss if you could sneak her in when going with others and not have to pay full whack.

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Nurses can't do Thistle in case she starts to turn blue - she really doesn't have any lungs and they have to give her oxygen just before/during burring. Only the specialist vet does Thistle.

Eddie has his incisors burred around every 3 weeks. The vets cannot remove them as he is such a high GA risk. While his lungs are OK his nasal passages are severely compromised by tooth roots so his breathing can be very stressed.

I have never thought of it as being cruel, but rather the opposite, that we are doing everything we need to, to keep him comfortable and generally happy

As I run a rescue I do tend to view much loved pets comfortable and safe in their forever homes as different to orphans who, to me, do not have the same quality of life.

I get the feeling Thistle has a wonderful quality of lifeis adored and knows she is safe in a special home.

Personally, I would not risk the GA, you say she does not seem bothered by it, a short journey, and I guess you are there with her.

I think she is one lucky little bun:lol:

(And, do you have space for 80 more!!!:lol::lol

Alice