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Grinding/crunching AFTER dental!?

ElsasMummy

Warren Scout
Elsa had a GA dental yesterday at around 12. My usual vet didn't do it and I'm concerned about how rabbit experienced the vet was. They found spikes which they burred but no ulcers. No Metacam was injected after as she had no ulcers (I asked for it.) Anyway she's generally recovered well and is eating/pooping as normal BUT is crunching/grinding her teeth (with squinty eyes= pain :( ) louder than ever today. Is this normal this soon after a dental or should I be concerned that the vet made her teeth worse?!

Advices from experienced dental bun owners much appreciated!
 
The burring of the crowns during a Dental can jangle the root nerves and make things very tender for a few days. Also, having the jaw clamped open for the procedure can lead to muscle spasms/pain for a day or so too. So IME Metacam is necessary even in the absence of soft tissue damage/ulceration.

I would call the Vet and explain what is going on and ask again for 2-3 days supply of Metacam The fact that Elsa is eating and pooing is good news and hopefully in a couple of days any nerve/muscle disturbance will settle down :)
 
Thanks so much for your reply on a Saturday morning! That's really reassured me. (my mum picked Elsa up, I asked her to make sure she got a Metacam jab and wasn't happy when the new vet said no ulcers=no metacam!) Elsa is on oral Metacam longterm for the abscesses. I know it's not ideal but I give it to her on food as I really struggle to syringe it (and I'm normally not at home) she has had some on her food today so hopefully it's taken the edge off. I do worry about her!
 
Thanks so much for your reply on a Saturday morning! That's really reassured me. (my mum picked Elsa up, I asked her to make sure she got a Metacam jab and wasn't happy when the new vet said no ulcers=no metacam!) Elsa is on oral Metacam longterm for the abscesses. I know it's not ideal but I give it to her on food as I really struggle to syringe it (and I'm normally not at home) she has had some on her food today so hopefully it's taken the edge off. I do worry about her!


Ah, right. Well she wont need injected Metacam if she is already on daily oral Metacam.

Rabbits do appear to tolerate oral Metacam better than other species with regards to any potential risk of GI tract ulceration. Maybe because a Rabbit's stomach is naturally a lot more acidic so there must be some sort of built in protection protecting the stomach lining :? But giving the Metacam with food is always a good idea.

I have learned from recent experience of my own Dental problems that jangling about of tooth root nerves can cause pain for a few days after treatment. Also, when the crowns of the molars have been burred they will 'feel' different so that can prompt the tooth grinding. Not necessarily because it is painful, just that the teeth feel 'wrong'. Then the grinding sets off nerve pain in the jangled roots so then the squinty eyes start and more tooth grinding......

Hope that makes sense !! :?
 
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I reiterate what's been said. Sometimes the mouth/tongue has been cut by the teeth and that can be sore as well as bumps caused from the work itself. Grinding can happen for a number of reasons. The rabbit is 'feeling' his/her way round her mouth-it feels different. Also, if a tooth/teeth has been ground down this literally can affect the way bunny opens their mouth. If they couldn't close their mouth properly due to overgrown teeth, the dental will remedy this and bun has to get used to their mouth closing differently.


On occassion, it's not impossible for a rough edge to cause anxiety to the bun. If we had a rough bit of tooth we'd be feeling it too. Remember that in a mouth a little different thing feels massive.

I am sure bunny will calm down in a day or two. They're all different. Some bounce back and you'd never know they'd had treatment, others are more fragile. Keep an eye on bun, ensure that eating and toiletting is working sufficiently and if nothing improves by say Monday, you can always pop bun back for a check up. I'm sure all will be well though-fingers crossed.
 
Thanks for your replies, I'm so glad I can come on here and have experienced owners give advice and share experiences. She is still grinding and squinting but has certainly had no GI disturbances. Poops all normal and has eaten lots of soaked pellets and greens (she doesn't eat hay but that's another story!) she's hopping about the garden as usual so I hope she perks up after a few days like last time :)
 
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