Dental Bun - Question

Hi All

I wonder if someone with experience in dental buns can help. As some of you know we need a partner for Bruno and we are actively searching for a doe between 3 and 5.

We have fallen in love with the photo of a little girl, who looks perfect. She had her myxi today and if all went well we could collect her tomorrow morning. Slight problem, upon vet investigation they have said she could have dental problems in the future.

Apparently she only has one front tooth and very tiny spurs on her back teeth.

I have no experience with a dental bun, so wondered what this involves? (I know they arent cheap) but at the moment she doesnt have problems and this is only a potential. I am loathed to not give her a home because she is problematic.

Any help would be appreciated!

I have had buns who I was advised by the vets to keep a close eye on, but I fed an almost hay only diet and wild foods. The next visit the vet said all was perfect!

Be aware and look out for issues, but don't let it put you off a perfect bunster.
I can't help with the one tooth issue though

Hi, I have two dental bunnies here and I have never, ever regretted adopting them. Giving a home to a bunny who might otherwise be overlooked feels lovely, and I love my bunnies to bits and they love me, I can't imagine not having them. But you do have to go into it with your eyes open to the potential financial costs and emotional burden of worrying about a dental bunny.

As far as I am aware, dental problems in bunnies can be very varied, and so it is something that would need a close eye on. People on RU can help you to know the kinds of signs to look for (things like dribbling, runny eyes, going off hay or pellets or veg, or stopping eating altogether, exhibiting signs of pain....I am sure I have missed some here). The fact that the bunny has spurs on the back teeth is something that will need to be monitored, and depending on the individual bunny and how quickly the spurs grow, and how this affects bunny in terms of being able to eat and whether bunny is in pain, you will need to be prepared to take the bunny to your vet for a dental check and then if necessary to have a GA (general anaesthetic) to treat the dental problems.

Diet is key to managing dental problems, in the sense that lots of good quality hay to grind the teeth down, limiting pellets so they don't fill up on that and eat lots of the hay, and woody sticks and chews can help with tooth wear, but genetics also play a part I believe, and if there is already an underlying problem, which it kind of sounds like there is, then I would say you need to be prepared for putting your bunny through GA dentals.

The regularity of needing dentals can really vary. My bunnies have slightly different issues to each other, one bunny needs to go about every 3 months, the other bunny much less frequently, maybe once a year, maybe twice, but then I know other people have to take their bunnies much more regularly, and then you start to have the emotional heartache of how much you and your bunny can go through.

Then there is also the financial cost. I cannot off the top of my head tell you how much a GA dental costs, but hopefully others will see this thread and be able to give estimates.

The thing is you just never know, the bunny could need one dental and then be fine, or it may be a regular thing. Only you can make the decision.

Thanks guys. O it's such a difficult decision! Like you say she might be overlooked or get a home where they don't look out for signs properly !!

:wave:

To begin with, front teeth are commonly removed if they are causing dental or alignment issues as bunnies can cope quite well without them. The bunny may still have front "peg teeth" which usually sit behind / under the front teeth and these are fine. Depending on the buns situation it may be advisable to remove the one remaining front tooth in case it doesn't wear down correctly or grow in the right direction due to the missing teeth. - but this can be addressed further down the line.

I've only got one dental bun, yet other buns I've had also had small spurs which have never needed treatment other than a good diet. Every bun is different.

I would advise an early check up with your vet followed by a good diet. Plenty of food which promotes the correct jaw movement in the rabbit - pellets make the bun move their jaw up and down which doesn't wear the teeth down. Natural forrages, grass, hay, herbs etc. move the jaw in a horizontal sliding motion which wears the teeth down correctly.
A follow up appointment with your vet a few months later will reveal whether the spurs have grown, shrunk or stayed the same, this will give you an idea of what you're dealing with.

:thumb:

Thanks so much for your time and help! We decided to home her. We couldn't bare her being overlooked. She deserves a home where she can be looked after an spent money on if need be!

She is so, so lucky

Sky-O said:

She is so, so lucky

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Second this! :thumb:

I'll be doing my research she has lots of chew toys already! bless her!

Great news

Fantastic! I would advise letting your vet see her asap, then you'll always have a base examination to compare her to in the future with any progress or standstill. This will allow you to see if there are any timescales or patterns that develop if she ever does need dentals. x