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Rasping Teeth Down- How often is this required please?

Ambience

Warren Veteran
I have two buns that need to have there teeth rasped down under anesthetic. I'm just wondering how often i need to take him back and have it done.

How much does this usually cost everyone ?
Thanks xx
 
It depends on the rabbit and the severity of the problems.

We have Waffle who needs it done every 4 weeks, and costs £80-£120 each time.
 
It also depends on how your vet does it. If your vet smooths off any sharp bits but leaves the teeth the normal length, they may need doing more frequently. My vet used to burr Santa's down to just above the gum line, this means that it takes much more pressure off the roots, takes longer to grow back and gives more chance that they grow back evenly. But it takes longer so may cost more. I used to pay about £90 to get Santa's done and on average they needed doing about every 6 months.
 
As has already been said, how often depends on what's actually going on in the mouth.
Cost varies alot, but did you not get an itemised bill for the neuter and dental Patch had done this week? How is he BTW? :)
 
Thankyou will take him back in four weeks for a check up then- i think that would be best just to be sure. God i'm not sure how he is going to endure general that often though. He is abit of a fighter though bless him.

Thankyou for all the information on this. I do pay less than that, but interesting to know it will be an ongoing thing so i can factor that into my cashflow monthly.

Bless him, do these kind of buns have constanly runny eyes with dental problems?

xx
 
As has already been said, how often depends on what's actually going on in the mouth.
Cost varies alot, but did you not get an itemised bill for the neuter and dental Patch had done this week? How is he BTW? :)

Yes i did. I just wondered what everyone else pays. Probably going to cost me more when i move. Not sure if i should stick with the same vets and do an hour travelling- mind you not sure that would be fair on the buns, especially when i can go 3 mins down the road. I'm moving at the back end of october- i'll have to call the local vet there and check out there pricing too.

He is doing well thankyou. Eating like no tommorow, pooing, peeing, not eating hay though, just pellets and spring greens. He has left his corn on the cob too which i got for a treat, not sure if that is too much for his teeth. He's drinking and doesn't seem in pain, but his eyes look awful- he is on maxitrol 3 times daily and 2 lots of 0.4ml baytril a day. He has been very perky though, ears up happy bobbing around. Doesn't seem subdued or lethargic at all. He appreciated me giving baytril on his feet rather than in his mouth , near his teeth. I can't imagine how sensitive his mouth must be now. I'm really reluctant to give his baytril the usual way. I will as soon as i can. For now i'm just making sure he gets the required amount doing it like this.

They didn't do the xrays- i'll ask them next time i take him in. If it's going to be a regular thing, im sure it would be best to know exactly what is going on. I wonder if they would give me any pain killers also. I did ask but they said he wouldn't need any and had had some before he had been given back to me. They are really good at my vets in terms of handling everything, so i don't doubt they are doing the best by him xx
 
It also depends on how your vet does it. If your vet smooths off any sharp bits but leaves the teeth the normal length, they may need doing more frequently. My vet used to burr Santa's down to just above the gum line, this means that it takes much more pressure off the roots, takes longer to grow back and gives more chance that they grow back evenly. But it takes longer so may cost more. I used to pay about £90 to get Santa's done and on average they needed doing about every 6 months.

If it was a tooth root problem, what would be the proceedure- would it be the same thing- i.e burring down of the teeth each month.

How do buns handle the monthly or 6 monthly anesthetics they have to have?
£90 every 6 months is good- not so good for every month :) My vets are great with price though, they really do try and help me. Probably because i'm doing something with them most weeks, whether it's neutering, vacinnating, teeth etc x
 
It depends on the rabbit and the severity of the problems.

We have Waffle who needs it done every 4 weeks, and costs £80-£120 each time.

i guess it depends on where you are based also. They said my other bun blaze has spurs, but didnt' suggest doing anything. Any reason why that would be? Surely he would require some kind of treatment for that even if it wasn't severe. I.e a concious dental? Thankyou xx
 
Alas the answer to most of your questions is "it depends". Santa always coped very well with anaesthesia and regularly surprised the vets by being up and crashing around in a temper very quickly afterwards, even when she was nearly 7 years old.

The only thing you can really do with tooth roots is to keep the pressure off them by burring the teeth down to just above the gumline on a regular basis. How regular really depends on the exact nature and extent of the problem, where the roots are growing, whether they are causing pain or blocking nasal cavities/tear ducts etc. In severe cases they can grow into the eye sockets or brain and the prognosis in those cases is poor.

If an x-ray shows that incisor roots are the cause of the problem (depending on face shape, they may well be), then it may be possible to remove them, but it is not normally possible to remove molars unless they are already loose. They are so long and deep that removing them would probably result in a broken jaw. Even removing them may not solve the problem if it is long-standing as scar tissue may well remain in the area around the original irritation.
 
Alas the answer to most of your questions is "it depends". Santa always coped very well with anaesthesia and regularly surprised the vets by being up and crashing around in a temper very quickly afterwards, even when she was nearly 7 years old.

The only thing you can really do with tooth roots is to keep the pressure off them by burring the teeth down to just above the gumline on a regular basis. How regular really depends on the exact nature and extent of the problem, where the roots are growing, whether they are causing pain or blocking nasal cavities/tear ducts etc. In severe cases they can grow into the eye sockets or brain and the prognosis in those cases is poor.

If an x-ray shows that incisor roots are the cause of the problem (depending on face shape, they may well be), then it may be possible to remove them, but it is not normally possible to remove molars unless they are already loose. They are so long and deep that removing them would probably result in a broken jaw. Even removing them may not solve the problem if it is long-standing as scar tissue may well remain in the area around the original irritation.

aww that sounds dreadful- part of me can see why some rescues put buns down with dental problems like this as it causes pain. I won't be doing that with any of mine with teeth problems. I don't believe in it, but it sure sounds severe for the bunnys to have to cope with. I will be doing everything to make them both as comfortable as possible. Is it best for dental buns being house buns, or does it make no difference. Both patch and blaze are outdoor buns at the moment xx
 
They said my other bun blaze has spurs, but didnt' suggest doing anything. Any reason why that would be? Surely he would require some kind of treatment for that even if it wasn't severe.

Again, alas, it depends...

If they are very minor then sometimes it is better to 'keep an eye' on them and see if a change in diet can correct the problem or at least prevent it from getting worse for a long period of time. So when Harry has gone for a myxo jab before now, the vet has said that there are a few slightly points starting, but I have just made a few dietary adjustments such as increasing grazing time on the lawn, and they have corrected themselves without surgery.

Sometimes it could simply be that the vet is being pragmatic and only seeking to treat once they actually cause a problem. It's potentially a risky strategy as it relies on the owner noticing early that there are habit changes suggesting the teeth need doing and if the bun crashes before that time, then you have to deal with a poorly bun and a GA. But they must see a lot of clients who simply wouldn't pay for a monthly GA if necessary so they try and be pragmatic and leave it for longer.

If a bun is going in for routine surgery such as a neuter I will always ask them to properly examine the teeth while the bun is under - that way they can do any hopefully minor corrective surgery at the same time and possibly avoid another GA at a later date.
 
aww that sounds dreadful- part of me can see why some rescues put buns down with dental problems like this as it causes pain. I won't be doing that with any of mine with teeth problems. I don't believe in it, but it sure sounds severe for the bunnys to have to cope with. I will be doing everything to make them both as comfortable as possible. Is it best for dental buns being house buns, or does it make no difference. Both patch and blaze are outdoor buns at the moment xx

I think there's a difference between PTS because the bun is unrehomable and owners won't want to pay for ongoing treatment, and PTS because a bun is in unresolvable pain. If a bun has such severe dental problems that it causes ongoing pain, then PTS may well be the best option - but in that instance it is a case of welfare and nothing else.

I don't think it makes any difference whether they are indoors or out, as long as their environment is generally clean, suitable and healthy with plenty of fresh air. Buns are all individuals and I think you just have to decide on a case-by-case basis depending on the exact nature and severity of the problem.
 
I'm pleased to hear he's doing ok. It must be very stressful for you to have several dental buns, especially when they also have ongoing eye problems. I definitely think it would be worth getting x-rays done of Patch's skull as his eyes havent improved since the dental.
Did he come home with any pain relief? If not, his mouth may still be sore, making him reluctant to eat hay.
 
Again, alas, it depends...

If they are very minor then sometimes it is better to 'keep an eye' on them and see if a change in diet can correct the problem or at least prevent it from getting worse for a long period of time. So when Harry has gone for a myxo jab before now, the vet has said that there are a few slightly points starting, but I have just made a few dietary adjustments such as increasing grazing time on the lawn, and they have corrected themselves without surgery.

Sometimes it could simply be that the vet is being pragmatic and only seeking to treat once they actually cause a problem. It's potentially a risky strategy as it relies on the owner noticing early that there are habit changes suggesting the teeth need doing and if the bun crashes before that time, then you have to deal with a poorly bun and a GA. But they must see a lot of clients who simply wouldn't pay for a monthly GA if necessary so they try and be pragmatic and leave it for longer.

If a bun is going in for routine surgery such as a neuter I will always ask them to properly examine the teeth while the bun is under - that way they can do any hopefully minor corrective surgery at the same time and possibly avoid another GA at a later date.

Thankyou that sounds like such an ideal way of doing it. I did miss out on the xrays this time. I told them to do the neuter and totally forgot about doing that side of it. Was abit nervous at the time that he wouldn't make it through the op. So glad he is on his feet now.

I'm taking him in for a post op on monday and i'll take blaze with for a check up on his teeth. They have had runny eyes for a year now. I think it was you who said it could be dental. Seems that you were right.

They still suspect pasturella for both buns however. I'll try rule this out next time with swabs.

It's a weekly thing just about these days taking the buns into the vets. I can't do everything all at once though, as it's not only impossible for me to manage timewise, but quite stressful for the buns.

On my to do list though :) xx
 
I'm pleased to hear he's doing ok. It must be very stressful for you to have several dental buns, especially when they also have ongoing eye problems. I definitely think it would be worth getting x-rays done of Patch's skull as his eyes havent improved since the dental.
Did he come home with any pain relief? If not, his mouth may still be sore, making him reluctant to eat hay.

No pain relief. He had some on leaving the vets said, but didn't advice any pain relief. He is eating pellets and veg fine, but is hay more difficult to eat than that. Perhaps some pain relief would be better. Hopefully the antibiotics are helping too. He is on eye and mouth ones at the moment. Poor baby, hate to think of him with a painful mouth- will go in monday and get him some.

Any advice on what to ask for- i've never had to give pain relief to any of my buns before. xx
 
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