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Dental and abscess aftercare help please!

Kittycat

Young Bun
Hi everyone,

I don't post much here mainly because there is such a wealth of information already available that I can usually find what I need with a bit of research so thanks for that! :)

But today, i need help, badly.

I have 2 of my 4 buns in the vets recovering from dentals!


One of them is a dental rescue bun who I've only had for 6 weeks(Stuffy/Stuffing) and spent 4 of those bonding him to my rabbit. I knew about his problems when I took him on/fell in love with him at the rescue, so I knew this was always going to happen. Didnt know about abscesses then though. :-(

But over the weekend one of my other buns from the other bonded pair stopped eating which is just unheard of! Went to the vets both days over the weekend getting injections to get the gut moving (sorry, i forget the proper word...my head is mushed), but she was much worse this morning.

So after rushing my dental bun in for his booked dental, i rush her in for an emergency appt, and have the vet finally manage to get a look at her mouth without sedating her as they feared, and tell me that Lottie too has spurs and would need a dental today!:-( I just cant believe that my hay munching girl has spurs! Definitely didn't see that one coming.

So I came home to no bunnies at all, which is just wrong.:-(

However, after pulling myself together again, my question here is about what I do now to care for them tonight. What else do i need to do/know?

-They have metacam - i made sure of that the minute i noticed things weren't right.

-Im going to keep them all in the house overnight.

-Do i need critical care? Have read about it here, but never had to use it. will the vet give it, or do i need to ask?

-How often should i syringe feed if i use mashed up pellets?

-Do they move about much after a dental? Will they make it to a litter tray, or should i expect them to pee on the vet bed, and just chenge that? (thank god i bought a big square!)

Is there a guide/thread about caring for dental buns that would help? I've gleaned an awful lot from here but still worry that I'm going to miss something vital and let my buns down.

Thanks in advance for anything which may help. x
 
Most of my dental bunnies come back pretty good and awake and eat not too long after coming home. Hopefully yours will be the same.

They will need warmth, a bunny buffet of all their favourite foods (putting some boiling water on pellets and allowing them to cool can be useful too), somewhere to hide and their friend. You'll need to make sure they are eating, and pooing, so keeping an eye is key. Getting them eating and drinking ASAP is super important.

Syringe feeding can be necessary but I have never done it after a dental (actually, so far, not after anything actually). If your bunny is eating anything him/herself then normally you can avoid syringe feeding. You can use critical care, or make a pellet slurry from the pellets they normally eat, it's totally up to you.
 
Thanks Sky-O!

I have all my buns back! :)

And both are eating, Stuffy like a little pig, bless him and Lottie not quite as energetically, but at least she's trying.

I'm disappointed by the post op chat I got when I went to pick them up though. The nurse - the vet who'd operated had gone sadly - told me not to worry about getting them eating tonight! And that if they still weren't eating by tomorrow afternoon, to start syringe feeding then! Yikes! Was not impressed.

It does worry me that I had to ask all the questions and if I hadn't, i wouldn't have been told anything. I just don't understand that. :-(
 
I'm so glad that they both are recovering well :)

Hopefully they will keep improving :)

Do you have a good relationship with your vet? If you do, maybe mention the aftercare advice you got (or lack of it) and how you had to ask questions and that you worry about how a less vocal owner wouldn't get the right advice and their bunny might suffer, or something. Hopefully then your vet will sort it out :)
 
I'm so glad that they both are recovering well :)

Hopefully they will keep improving :)

Do you have a good relationship with your vet? If you do, maybe mention the aftercare advice you got (or lack of it) and how you had to ask questions and that you worry about how a less vocal owner wouldn't get the right advice and their bunny might suffer, or something. Hopefully then your vet will sort it out :)


Good question, Sky-O. Actually i have a good relationship with 2 of the vets, but there are about 5 of them and it seems pot luck who is around when I go in. But after this week, I'm even questioning how rabbit savvy the practice is.

I'm taking Stuffy back again this morning because his eye's been watering/running overnight. :( That's not right, not 5 days after a dental, is it? Am wondering if tooth roots are involved?:(

Am so worried. I have a feeling this bunny's going to break my heart. :(
 
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