Are teeth problems normally a lifetime condition?

Izzy has spurs on her back teeth which the vet doesn't want to remove until the 16th November because she says they are too small to remove and could damage the teeth if removed now. Once these are removed, she will have normal teeth, and if she continues eating hay the problems won't return, will they?
My Mum wants to take Izzy back to the rescue because she doesn't want me to have a rabbit which will have an ongoing health problem

A bunny I sponsor needed a dental when he first came into dental, but with a better diet he has been fine since.

Some dental problems are recurrent though, but I think this tends to be where the teeth are badly misaligned, or in breeds like nethies where the teeth get a bit squashed because of the face shape.

I think she didn't have very much hay before I got her, but she's always had hay when she's been here, and I've seen her eat some most days but I think her teeth are making it difficult for her to eat it. I'm hoping that once the spurs on her back teeth are removed she'll be ok.

It's really hard to say My Blossom needed a denal because of spurs when I got her but never needed another after. Mischief on the other hand needs them every 3-6 months. You'll need to ask your vet. Hope the spurs wont return once they've been removed. x

Mischief and Tinker's Mum said:

It's really hard to say My Blossom needed a denal because of spurs when I got her but never needed another after. Mischief on the other hand needs them every 3-6 months. You'll need to ask your vet. Hope the spurs wont return once they've been removed. x

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Thank you I'm so sorry about Mischief and his teeth problems, I know how difficult it must be

What Susie said :lol:

Also, with the right diet, even dental bunnies with recurring problems can have the time extended between their dentals, but you do have to be strict.

Some bunnies with teeth that 'should' be fine after the first dental aren't though. My Barney is one of those, he doesnt seem to have any problems with how his teeth/jaw are laid out. But he gets spurs on one side. He had to have two dentals close together recently. I've been giving him a wider variety of hay (I was just giving him his 2 favourites) and I am hoping that the different grasses together will give him a more even wear. It has now been 6 weeks since he had his last dental and *touchwood* he still seems fine. Annabelle also had a small spur last time I got her checked, but she hasnt needed it treating yet. They have a good diet as well, its just one of those things, there are a few tips and reasons why this may happen in this thread of mine: http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?304399-Why-non-dental-buns-turn-into-dental-buns

But some buns have one dental and then never need another.

Bear in mind that if you did give Izzy back to the rescue your other bun would have to go too, its not fair to split them up.

nessar said:

What Susie said :lol:

Also, with the right diet, even dental bunnies with recurring problems can have the time extended between their dentals, but you do have to be strict.

Some bunnies with teeth that 'should' be fine after the first dental aren't though. My Barney is one of those, he doesnt seem to have any problems with how his teeth/jaw are laid out. But he gets spurs on one side. He had to have two dentals close together recently. I've been giving him a wider variety of hay (I was just giving him his 2 favourites) and I am hoping that the different grasses together will give him a more even wear. It has now been 6 weeks since he had his last dental and *touchwood* he still seems fine. Annabelle also had a small spur last time I got her checked, but she hasnt needed it treating yet. They have a good diet as well, its just one of those things, there are a few tips and reasons why this may happen in this thread of mine: http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?304399-Why-non-dental-buns-turn-into-dental-buns

But some buns have one dental and then never need another.

Bear in mind that if you did give Izzy back to the rescue your other bun would have to go too, its not fair to split them up.

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I've told this to Mum and said there is no way I am giving them up. I don't want to give Izzy away, but I definetly won't give Archie back to the rescue, he is so friendly towards me and always makes me happier when I'm feeling sad, I'd rather give away one of my arms then my rabbits :lol: I use my own money for any vet treatment anyway so I don't think she should have a problem with it. I don't think she really meant it, but even if she did, I'm not giving them away.

Alicia said:

I've told this to Mum and said there is no way I am giving them up. I don't want to give Izzy away, but I definetly won't give Archie back to the rescue, he is so friendly towards me and always makes me happier when I'm feeling sad, I'd rather give away one of my arms then my rabbits :lol: I use my own money for any vet treatment anyway so I don't think she should have a problem with it. I don't think she really meant it, but even if she did, I'm not giving them away.

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If she presses the issue, without sounding too patronising, you could explain that by getting you to give up Izzy she will be setting the example that animals are disposable and can just be replaced when they are no longer convenient. And that in turn teaches you can just pass the problem onto someone else when life gets difficult. The right thing to do would be to accept responsibility and deal with the problem, which you want to do.

My Dad is the same, he is always telling me to give Barney up or get him put down and 'get a new one' because of his teeth and snuffles. He is right, I cant really afford it, but I find the money somehow and will continue to do so for as long as I can, which hopefully will be forever

My Mum really likes the rabbits so I don't think she'd make me give them back to the rescue. I think she's just shocked at the difference in rabbit care from when she had rabbits. She used to have rabbits about 20 years ago, and they were always kept in a little hutch and they didn't have vaccinations or anything, so I think she's just not used to how much owning a rabbit has changed since then. I'll always make sure I have the money to pay for Izzy's vet bills, and my Dad has said that if I ever need any help with vet bills he'd help me.

Aww god bless you sweetie. Some buns do have recurring dental problems even with the right diet but not always My Cheeky is 3 and has had 2 dental ops and from her last examination might need one in the next few months although fingers crossed it may be longer. She gets lots of the long stalky hay that is supposed to be better for dental buns. My vet is quite good at getting buns home asap so reducing stress and costs but it's worth putting money aside each month (or week) to cover dental costs if they occur again. You sound like a very caring responsible person

Thank you Sorry to be nosey but does anyone know roughly how much it costs to have spurs burred down? I forgot to ask the vet about the cost when I took Izzy to the vets last time

Alicia said:

Thank you Sorry to be nosey but does anyone know roughly how much it costs to have spurs burred down? I forgot to ask the vet about the cost when I took Izzy to the vets last time

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It really varies on your vet, off the top of my head for me it is around:
£6 consulation
£25 anesthetic
£10 spurs burred
£10 gut stimulant
£10 metacam injection
£8 5 days worth of metacam
rough prices of course

so around £70 in all.

Although I tend to just get a big bottle of metacam that lasts a few dentals.

nessar said:

It really varies on your vet, off the top of my head for me it is around:
£6 consulation
£25 anesthetic
£10 spurs burred
£10 gut stimulant
£10 metacam injection
£8 5 days worth of metacam
rough prices of course

so around £70 in all.

Although I tend to just get a big bottle of metacam that lasts a few dentals.

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I think mine cost about the same last time (Cant find the exact bill) But it does all depend on what part of the country you are in sometimes and how good the vet is. For example cheeky's first dental at Companion Care cost me over £300 because they kept her in for 3 nights as they said she wasn't eating. Little minx nibbled little gem lettuce as soon as I brought her home!!! :roll: On her 2nd dental she was only in 1 night so this reduced the cost greatly and she did eat when she came home.

Oh Alicia, you have my sympathy! I'm in the same boat - got a rescue bun recently, bonded it to my girl and have just found out that his dental problems are way worse than I was told when I adopted him. :-(
He's going to cost me a fortune, but he's worth it, as I'm sure Izzy is to you. The idea of returning him (or her, in your case) is just too awful to contemplate, isn't it?
Fingers crossed that Izzy's problems aren't as bad as you fear.

Be strong.

ps. Stuffy goes for his dental on monday first thing and I've been quoted £100. He has an abcess too. :-(

I'm not going to cover ground already covered so well in this thread, but I think you need to be completely sure of your vet before letting him/her lose on Izzy's teeth, because if he does a bad/poor job then it may make her more likely to have ongoing problems.

In a situation with small visible spurs but obvious symptoms such as slow eating and weightloss, I would have expected my vet to send me home with Metacam and tell me to dose her for a few days and see if things change and if they do, to book a dental and if they don't, to bring her back for further investigation. He wouldn't leave her without pain relief because it's barbaric to leave a bunny potentially in pain for X amount of weeks. Also, because you can't see fully into the mouth with an examination like this, she may have bigger spurs he can't see which may be causing problems. My vet would err on the side of caution. My vet would also never clip, but always burr. Clipping risks further problems with the teeth, sadly.