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dental questions

susie bun

susie bun

Wise Old Thumper
It's possible Spenser might be going for a full dental examination very soon. He has an appointment with his vet tomorrow morning, but will not be admitted straight away as the examination will need a referral to the main practice. As soon as I decide to try and go ahead with this Spenser is in fine form, has eaten almost all his morning pellets and is bouncing about in a manner most unlike him at this time of day. :roll: If he does go in for this, how long is it likely to take and what questions should I ask.
 
Sorry I can't really help other than say when my little Pixie was in for a dental on Friday she was home the same day and although still a bit sleepy she was fine that evening and eating too. She didn't touch any pellets for 2 days as her mouth must have been pretty sore. She did enjoy a very soft apple and some thinly sliced cabbage :D
 
Archie had a dental a couple of weeks ago. He appeared to be fine and eating right up until he went in but had lost quite a lot of weight, which was hard to notice with his winter coat. It was only a day surgery he was a little sleepy when he got back but we have had a few eating issues since he came home so making sure he was topped up with pain relief has been crucial as he was obviously quite sore.
 
Barney is having his front teeth trimmed today. I am not sure what exactly qualifies as a 'dental' is this any work done on a bunnies teeth?

Sorry to hijack your thread but I am not sure what to expact tonight and how he will be feeling.
 
He should be done all on one day.Dropped off early in the morning, picked up whenever he is awake enough (with mine it varies, sometimes mid morning, sometimes late evening, will also depend on what else they have going on during the day and if there are any emergencies, etc).

I would suggest sending him with his food and water bowls (or bottle) and also his favourite foods too.

Depending how they administer the GA, he may or may not come home dopey. Mine now do it IV (intravenous- i.e. into a vein) as opposed to IM (itramuscular- i.e. into the muscle) and mine come home normal and often have eaten at the vets too.

I would ask for Metacam. Even if they don't do or find anything, having your mouth open that far can make the jaw ache.

Ask for what they find. Also, if I were you, I would ask for them to do x-rays too.

I would suggest he is inside that night, and also has a snugglesafe, even if he looks and acts normal.
 
Thanks for replies. I just don't know if I can do this to him. He doesn't seem in pain, and his mouth.jaw show know obvious signs of a problem. Occasionally he has a slightly weepy eye, so it's roots I'm wondering about. Can anything be done about root trouble or would it just be a case of giving pain relief regularly?
 
susie bun said:
Thanks for replies. I just don't know if I can do this to him. He doesn't seem in pain, and his mouth.jaw show know obvious signs of a problem. Occasionally he has a slightly weepy eye, so it's roots I'm wondering about. Can anything be done about root trouble or would it just be a case of giving pain relief regularly?
Click to expand...

What is it you think you are going to do to him? As in, what is it you're worried about?

For roots, if you can keep the teeth in the mouth in good shape, then often the root problem ca be minimised.
 
Sky-O said:
What is it you think you are going to do to him? As in, what is it you're worried about?

For roots, if you can keep the teeth in the mouth in good shape, then often the root problem ca be minimised.
Click to expand...

I'm just worried about the GA needed. I'm told they are especialy careful with small animals, but all the same he is my first pet and, as a fussy eater, perhaps higher risk for post GA stasis. That's reassuring about the roots - his teetch are pretty good as far as can be seen, and his hay-eating is slowly but surely improving. I'm pretty sure the vet will try to talk me out of a full examination.
 
susie bun said:
I'm just worried about the GA needed. I'm told they are especialy careful with small animals, but all the same he is my first pet and, as a fussy eater, perhaps higher risk for post GA stasis. That's reassuring about the roots - his teetch are pretty good as far as can be seen, and his hay-eating is slowly but surely improving. I'm pretty sure the vet will try to talk me out of a full examination.
Click to expand...

I guess you have to weigh it up. You're obviously worried and concerned about him (rightly so, in my eyes) and so you want to do whats best for him. Currently he is in relatively good condition so has the best chance possible. If you leave it, and it turns out he is suffering and then can't eat and gets ill, then everything will be riskier and the recovery will be much harder.

Personally, I've never, ever had a rabbit go into post GA stasis (bear in mind how many dentals and neuters and spays and other operations we've had here), but with Sky he did take 3 weeks to really 'come round' emotionally from his dental, but the whole fiasco was much more stressful than your basic and straight forward dental that Spenser is facing (it was more your emergency situation that I mentioned up there, plus a two hour 'dash' in the snow and an overnight stay, for a rabbit who has separation anxiety from me).
 
We have a lot of dental buns and when they go for their op's I usually do a feed for them to take (I call it their pack lunch :lol:) and they are usually in for the day and we pick them up about 5.00 -6.00. We then put them straight back in their indoor home when we arrive home with them as they are quite sleepy and let them have some peace and quiet and keep checking them.
 
To me it sounds like roots so you'd want a skull x-ray. :?
Personally I would leave it until it is a problem. But that's just me. I have a chinchilla with a wet eye which I have discussed with my vet. We agree it's a root problem but we see no need to go any further until it presents a problem to her. However is it becoming a problem for Spenser? You have to go with your gut feeling here. Can you discuss with your vet something like weighing him every week and if he hits a certain weight then doing the investigation. Make it a weight that's not too low so he wouldn't be at risk. And while he's still eating, albeit fussily, then hold off.

It's a hard decision. Lots of vibes for the fluffy little man.
 
Jenova said:
To me it sounds like roots so you'd want a skull x-ray. :?
Personally I would leave it until it is a problem. But that's just me. I have a chinchilla with a wet eye which I have discussed with my vet. We agree it's a root problem but we see no need to go any further until it presents a problem to her. However is it becoming a problem for Spenser? You have to go with your gut feeling here. Can you discuss with your vet something like weighing him every week and if he hits a certain weight then doing the investigation. Make it a weight that's not too low so he wouldn't be at risk. And while he's still eating, albeit fussily, then hold off.

It's a hard decision. Lots of vibes for the fluffy little man.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'm feeling so torn, but my gut feel is to trust the vet who has actually seen and examined Spenser. He certainly doesn't look or sound as if he has lost weight.
 
Oh bunnies are such a worry! I know nothing about dental issues, but noone can say that you're not doing your best for Spenser. Hopefully tomorrow will shed a bit more light on things. Ask loads of questions so you can give us all your newfound knowledge when you get back. I'll be having my Blackberry close so I dont miss anything!!! :wave:
 
Ian **sigh** looked after my Roland.He X rayed him and also took photos and showed me.Roland has Wave Mouth.Ian suspected Roland would need another dental 4 months or so later???? Wrong.
Rolands diet has improved so much **takes a bow** that its been a year and counting!!!!:wave::wave::wave:
 
Due to his varying eating habits I personally would go with the thorough teeth checkup. If it does turn out to be none tooth related, at least that is one thing you can rule out :D

Good luck!
 
What about booking him in for his neuter (if it is still your intention to get him neutered) and then get the skull x-ray at the same time?
 
*lily* said:
Due to his varying eating habits I personally would go with the thorough teeth checkup. If it does turn out to be none tooth related, at least that is one thing you can rule out :D

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Same here, also agree with sky-o that a neuter and skull x-ray would be the best option:)

ETA Just seen your post where you mention a runny eye, I would definitely be pushing for x-rays. If roots are the problem then the vet should burr back his molars to gum level to encourage the teeth to grow inside the mouth which slows the growth rate of the roots. He may also need low level metacam for chronic underlying pain.

If it is roots you really need to get them diagnosed as I have seen some truly horrific things from untreated tooth roots in bunnies which I wouldn;t wish on you or Spenser :(
 
Last edited:
We're back. He is going to have the x-rays done at the same time as his neuter, but I have to steel myself to make a date. The vet checked his tear-ducts and they are flushing fine. He saw his usual vet, who we both like, and he was a very good boy. I had to go back with a problem about the fibreplex, and Spenser was apparently tucking in to the remains of his morning greens while I was away, and also nomming hay. I am having a mug of tea with the bag left in and not feeling very strong at all.
 
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