Incisor Removal Due to Decay

I know there are often threads on here about incisor removal due to constant clipping being required and the overall feeling is it's better to have them out.

Poppy has decayed incisors, they don't overgrow but get pussy. They were treated with depocillin but she had a reaction to that. She now has baytril which for the last couple of times has worked with a weeks course but then when stopped about a month or so later it comes back.

Would you have them out? She has lower incisor root damage so I know an abcess is also inevitable at some point. The reason I am in a dilemma is because she currently has conscious dentals for her molars (about twice a year), apparently this is a lot harder without the incisors.

I think when her teeth get pussy again (we finished baytril a week ago), I'll have to make the decision, any advice is greatly appreciated.

Oh, and she doesn't get stressed by going to the vets to be looked at regularly, so that's not really a factor to be looked at!!

I think it would depend on what the vet thinks. If they are badly decayed then it might be that they are too fragile to remove successfully. We have a bunny here who's front teeth break all the time as they are really soft so we can't get them taken out :?

I have not really talked about it in-depth with the vet but the last couple of times I've been he's mentioned it's something I need to consider so I assume he believes they would be ok to remove (although I'm sure you can never be certain). It's just such a hard decision to make, putting a happy bunny through an op that could easily go one way or the other, but leaving it wil likely lead to further problems later on (and maybe sooner rather than later).

I think you need to get on top of the infection. Removal would help, but only with the right antibiotic treatment...and in the worst case scenario could leave Poppy with an even worse infection to deal with than before.

Have you tried alternative antibiotics? If penicillin is as no-go then what about zithromax? You could do a c&s test to see what antibiotic the bacteria is sensitive to (although the lab tests would have to take into account that baytril and penicillin are ruled out)

abbymarysmokey said:

I think you need to get on top of the infection. Removal would help, but only with the right antibiotic treatment...and in the worst case scenario could leave Poppy with an even worse infection to deal with than before.

Have you tried alternative antibiotics? If penicillin is as no-go then what about zithromax? You could do a c&s test to see what antibiotic the bacteria is sensitive to (although the lab tests would have to take into account that baytril and penicillin are ruled out)

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Oh I see, so removing the incisors wouldn't help clear the infection? It is under control when on the baytril but once off it again the infection returns after a little while. You can feel in her neck how deformed the incisor roots are (it's the bottom ones) so I kind of assumed taking them out would help prevent abcesses, that's what the the vet seemed to suggest anyway.

The problem with the penicillin was she had an injection site reaction and had to have surgery to remove quite a large lump so not sure if it was the depocillin itself or continuous injections which caused the problem, is zithromax injected? In these situations is it possible to clear the infection completely so it never comes back or is it normally more a matter of control?

Sorry for all the questions!!

Janey said:

Oh I see, so removing the incisors wouldn't help clear the infection? It is under control when on the baytril but once off it again the infection returns after a little while. You can feel in her neck how deformed the incisor roots are (it's the bottom ones) so I kind of assumed taking them out would help prevent abcesses, that's what the the vet seemed to suggest anyway.

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Taking them out would help in the long term, but Poppy will be very vulnerable straight after surgery due to the presence of the 'holes' in her gums, which could become full of food and bacteria. My vets cover all rabbits who have had incisors removed with depocillin for a while after surgery...obv this isn't possible in Poppy's case.

Janey said:

The problem with the penicillin was she had an injection site reaction and had to have surgery to remove quite a large lump so not sure if it was the depocillin itself or continuous injections which caused the problem, is zithromax injected? In these situations is it possible to clear the infection completely so it never comes back or is it normally more a matter of control?

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Zithromax is given orally (it comes as powder that you mix with water and syringe into their mouth).

I've had a number of rabbits with tooth infections, and sometimes it can be cured, and sometimes not. It depends on a number of thing...whether the infection has gone deep into the bone, the type of bacteria, the choice of antibiotic, etc.

X-rays would tell you whether the infection is in the bone.

Oh I see, so many things to consider. When I need to next go to the vets think I will discuss determining how deep the infection is and then going from there. As you you've suggested, I'm very wary of the aftercare and how tricky it may be, especially as depocillin is a no go-it seemed to work wonders for a while and then she suddenly had this rection. I will mention the possibility Zithromax aswell, it's nice to know there may be another option.

Thanks so much for helping me, I'm glad I have some things to run-by the vet next time I need to go (fingers crossed it won't be for a while but I won't hold my breath)!!