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Long Shot- Anyone Subscribe to The Veterinary Record ?

Jack's-Jane

Wise Old Thumper
I am trying to locate an article about Exposure to EC in Rabbits with Dental Disease. It was in the June 2010 edition.

Can anyone help and save me £24 by having to buy the article online .... :oops:
 
Original Article:

Veterinary Record 2010;166:443 doi:10.1136/vr.c1919
News & Reports
ANIMAL WELFARE
‘Dramatic’ rise in dental procedures on rabbits
THE PDSA is reporting a ‘dramatic increase’ in the number of dental procedures it is having to perform on rabbits. Over the past five years, the number of rabbits seen by the charity has increased by 16 per cent, but there has been a 230 per cent increase in the number of dental procedures performed.

In 2009, PDSA vets carried out more than 1100 dental procedures, compared with 335 in 2004. The ratio of rabbits undergoing dental treatment rose from approximately one in 17 five years ago to one in six in 2009. Many of the problems treated could be attributed to a poor diet, the charity says.

‘Despite being the UK’s third most popular pet, with over a million currently kept, the welfare needs of domestic rabbits are widely misunderstood by their owners,’ says Sean Wensley, the PDSA’s senior veterinary surgeon. ‘Hundreds of thousands of rabbits face an unhappy, lonely existence in cramped accommodation, while being fed an inappropriate diet and suffering from a range of painful diseases. We should re-evaluate the ways in which we have traditionally kept pet rabbits and start providing them with what we know they need to lead healthy and happy lives.’

Letter in Response:
Veterinary Record 2010;166:730 doi:10.1136/vr.c2549
Letter
RABBIT HEALTH
Exposure to Encephalitozoon cuniculi in rabbits with dental disease
William Lewis1
+ Author Affiliations

1Wylie Veterinary Centre, 196 Hall Lane, Upminster, Essex RM14 1TD
e-mail: bill@wylievets.com
IN response to the news item on the rise of dental procedures on rabbits (VR, April 10, 2010, vol 166, p 443), we regularly see young rabbits of about six months of age that have normal teeth but suddenly develop an incisor malocclusion, which is sometimes very rapid in onset and quite marked. Many of these rabbits have very high titres to Encephalitozoon cuniculi. I have also seen a number of older rabbits (four to six years of age) that suddenly develop molar malocclusion. Many of these also have high E cuniculi titres.

I recently saw four rabbits belonging to the same owner in a two-week period. All required trimming of maloccluded molars. All were fed a pellet and grass/hay diet. When blood tested, they all had very high E cuniculi titres. They had never previously had any dental problems.

In discussion with someone who ran a rabbit rescue centre for 19 years, her opinion was that diets were less important in dental disease than often suggested in textbooks and by vet specialists. Her rabbits were always fed a muesli diet together with hay and grass, and had minimal dental problems.

I have also seen E cuniculi result in facial paralysis and dry eye. I now test for E cuniculi in every case of dental disease in rabbits, particularly the unexpected cases in older rabbits that have never previously had dental disease and that have had no changes in their diet or husbandry.

I am curious as to whether other practitioners have noted a similar trend.
 
My vet wrote this letter so is bound to have the article, can ask him for it, I'm sure he'd be happy to answer questions, he bangs on about EC/ dental link a lot
http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/166/23/730.1.extract

Could you grill him about it a bit next time you see him :oops:

I am very curious to know how 'active' EC could present as malocclusion :?

Could the high titre be because the onset of Dental problems lowered the Immune System allowing a latent EC to become 'active'. So active EC being the result of rather than the cause of the Dental problems :?
 
This is interesting, as Twinkle didnt ever have a dental problem until her first dental end of last year at age about 4.
 
Could you grill him about it a bit next time you see him :oops:

I am very curious to know how 'active' EC could present as malocclusion :?

Could the high titre be because the onset of Dental problems lowered the Immune System allowing a latent EC to become 'active'. So active EC being the result of rather than the cause of the Dental problems :?

Yeah we've actually talked about it a lot as Gus's insisor problems came on late with no apparent cause, when tested for EC he has the highest titre results he'd ever seen.
I have asked him about the mechanism but can't remember... Will be seeing him Friday hopefully. He is convinced there is a link..
 
Could you grill him about it a bit next time you see him :oops:

I am very curious to know how 'active' EC could present as malocclusion :?

Could the high titre be because the onset of Dental problems lowered the Immune System allowing a latent EC to become 'active'. So active EC being the result of rather than the cause of the Dental problems :?

That would be my thought!
 
Yeah it does seem logical, but he has seen several groups of rabbits develop dental problems around 4/5 years old at the same time, with no other apparent changes in diet/routine

But if said Rabbits were raised on the same diets in the same environments and were (maybe) related then that isn't surprising really :?

Gah, another thing to add to the EC puzzle !!
 
I have a five year old rabbit who needed a dental for the first time in June 2010 and again in early December 2010. When I asked the vet what could have caused the need for dentals he said it could be e.c. related (same vet as Louise). Since Christmas she has developed hind limb weakness.
 
I have a five year old rabbit who needed a dental for the first time in June 2010 and again in early December 2010. When I asked the vet what could have caused the need for dentals he said it could be e.c. related (same vet as Louise). Since Christmas she has developed hind limb weakness.

Hello :wave: If you ever see a short girl with frizzy hair, with a large pink carrier say hello :)

It still raises the question of which came first, EC or dental issues, although with Gus there is no problem health wise so I don't think his front teeth being misaligned would have cause EC to become active, touch wood he has no other symptoms.
 
I think EC and it's effects will remain a mystery for some time yet :?

Does my head in trying to make sense of it !!
 
I think Richard Saunders was doing some research this year and hoping to publish in time for RWA conference, although I think it is concentrating on the most effective way to treat rather than effects etc
 
Hi Louise, will look out for you at vets, got to go tonight so hopefully won't need to go again by Friday! Also live in Grays just hope M25 isn't playing up.

Let's hope that in the near future more questions can be answered about e.c.
 
Also live in Grays just hope M25 isn't playing up.

Yeah I always dread getting caught in traffic on the way to/from the vets :roll:

You don't happen to live by the train line do you? On the train home I always see this garden with a big hutch and run area and wonder if the owner is on here :lol:
 
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