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Those rabbit rescues that PTS bunnies that need dentals....

Jackaroonie

Mama Doe
What's your opinion on Rescues putting to sleep bunnies that have dental problems/need a dental but are otherwise healthy? I know of a rescue who obviously I am not naming the rescue but I was on their website the other day saw a lovely bunny , then said that the neutering run was in a few days. On the neutering run the bunnies get checked and if they need a dental or have dental problems get put to sleep. the other day I went to check the site and the bunny was no longer on there, nor was on the 'new home' page. :(

I mean if a bunny has severe dental disease then put to sleep to prevent future suffering would probably be the best option but what if the bun only needs 1 dental due to being on a poor diet? the bunny may only need a dental then on the right diet be absolutely fine, or could only need a couple of dentals in their life.

My Bella & Flopsy would be pts which makes me feel upset and ill thinking about it when they are otherwise pretty healthy, Flopsy has only had 2 dentals , last one 9 months ago so not a severe dental bun. Bella has had 3 in the past year and 4 in her life , she has other problems, both have root problems too but on metacam for life. I just could not have them put to sleep for that reason!

I do see both points , what about you?
 
What's your opinion on Rescues putting to sleep bunnies that have dental problems/need a dental but are otherwise healthy? I know of a rescue who obviously I am not naming the rescue but I was on their website the other day saw a lovely bunny , then said that the neutering run was in a few days. On the neutering run the bunnies get checked and if they need a dental or have dental problems get put to sleep. the other day I went to check the site and the bunny was no longer on there, nor was on the 'new home' page. :(

I mean if a bunny has severe dental disease then put to sleep to prevent future suffering would probably be the best option but what if the bun only needs 1 dental due to being on a poor diet? the bunny may only need a dental then on the right diet be absolutely fine, or could only need a couple of dentals in their life.

My Bella & Flopsy would be pts which makes me feel upset and ill thinking about it when they are otherwise pretty healthy, Flopsy has only had 2 dentals , last one 9 months ago so not a severe dental bun. Bella has had 3 in the past year and 4 in her life , she has other problems, both have root problems too but on metacam for life. I just could not have them put to sleep for that reason!

I do see both points , what about you?

I think they are thinking about it from a rehoming perspective. Dental problems would put a lot of people off because they are lifelong commitments and obviously are seen to require more financial commitment than one without dental problems.

It's a bit sad really :( :(
 
We have a true non PTS policy but sadly many don't even if they say they do:cry:
I know which rescue you mean and they have been discussed before on here. The owners answer was there are so many healthy rabbits needing space why keep the dental ones..and in a way can understand.
It isn't the rescue putting to sleep who is the main problem it is the people breeding bunnies knowing they have malocclusion and owners giving them up rather than taking them to a vet

and on here people always say rescues should not put to sleep dental bunnies, but then no one will take them on..believe me we have tried over the years to home dental buns and very few have ever been adopted

and to show we do not PTS we have Amy, who was handed in nearly 6 years ago, and Marley, came in Feb 08, with me..have been here years who were both dental bunnies, by the time their teeth were sorted they were permanents with me
Carol, one of our fosterers, still has Toby and Stanley who are the two remaining buns out of a family of four who were given in all with teeth probs who were handed in 3 1/2 years ago..they are some of our long term foster buns
 
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I can understand why in a way, as difficult as it is. Someone looking to rehome a rabbit may be put off about the idea of costly dental, and may not know if it's just one or two they need or if it is a regular thing.

When you look at animals one of the first things you think of is can you afford to give this animal a good and healthy life. So most people would go for a more 'secure' option a pick a rabbit that doesn't have any problems
 
We have a true non PTS policy but sadly many don't even if they say they do:cry:
I know which rescue you mean and they have been discussed before on here. The owners answer was there are so many healthy rabits needing space why keep the dental ones..and in a way can understand.
It isn't the rescue putting to sleep who is the main problem it is the people breeding bunnies knowing they have malocclusion and owners giving them up rather than taking them to a vet

and on here people always say rescues should not put to sleep dental bunnies, but then no one will take them on..believe me we have tried over the years to home dental buns and very few have ever been adopted

and to show we do not PTS we have Amy, who was handed in nearly 6 years ago, and Marley, came in Feb 08, with me..have been here years who were both dental bunnies, by the time their teeth were sorted they were permanents with me
Carol, one of our fosterers, still has Toby and Stanley who are the two remaining buns out of a family of four who were given in all with teeth probs who were handed in 3 1/2 years ago..they are some of our long term foster buns

I agree that dental bunnies would be difficult to rehome but there must be some people out there who are quite 'wealthy' and have a stable home to adopt some dental bunnies but obviously many people are not able to, but there is no guarantee that adopting a healthy bun wouldn't develop dental problems in the future. I see why some rescues pts dental bunnies but how can they claim to have a non pts policy?
 
I can definitely see both points of view. Obviously there are many dental buns that live happily for a long, long time with regular vet care and putting a rabbit to sleep with a manageable condition seems wrong.

The other side though is that the dental bun may have a long and happy life in the rescue with lots of care but that space they are occupying could be used by many rabbits over the years that the dental bun is there. Then there is the issue of trusting whoever a dental bun is rehomed to to continue the dentals and vet visits as necessary. Is it good that a bun is rehomed to then suffer for years because they have dental issue that are not cared for. I realise rescues have strict rehoming policies but sometimes there are problems down the line.

It is a hard, hard decision for rescues to make and one I am very happy I don't have to make.
 
I can definitely see both points of view. Obviously there are many dental buns that live happily for a long, long time with regular vet care and putting a rabbit to sleep with a manageable condition seems wrong.

The other side though is that the dental bun may have a long and happy life in the rescue with lots of care but that space they are occupying could be used by many rabbits over the years that the dental bun is there. Then there is the issue of trusting whoever a dental bun is rehomed to to continue the dentals and vet visits as necessary. Is it good that a bun is rehomed to then suffer for years because they have dental issue that are not cared for. I realise rescues have strict rehoming policies but sometimes there are problems down the line.

It is a hard, hard decision for rescues to make and one I am very happy I don't have to make.

I agree
 
I would never knowingly adopt a rabbit with dental issues after what I've been through, emotionally, with my two. If I was a rescue I would not ever want to rehome rabbits who had these problems. One, because I don't think many people could give them the care they need, and two I don't think people realise how much hard work it is, never mind the money aspect.

The issue then is that you end up being a sanctuary for dental rabbits until the right owner comes along. The decision could be do you want to take the time to look after and rehome that one rabbit or rehome many more healthy ones. There is no right decision.
 
It's very hard to form an opinion on this. I'd say money is a huge problem and like has been said, they are far harder to adopt. I can understand *why* it happens but I tend to think if the rabbits are going to live a good quality of life if the problems are treated then why should they be euthanised to make way for others :? For me if cost is the problem, then perhaps they should take in less rabbits and concentrate on providing the best care for the ones they have, rather than taking on too many meaning some are PTS when they really don't have to be. I know personally I couldn't do it. With running the Gerbil Rescue I do have a few permanent residents due to health problems, behaviour problems etc but I'd never consider putting them down because no one will take them. It might mean I can take in less "adoptable" ones but to me every animal deserves the same quality of care. I do realise the pressures rescues may be under however and that it's far more expensive to run a rabbit rescue than a gerbil one.
 
In addition to some of the excellent points made already I would just like to add a couple:

1. Some buns who appear 'dental' with jagged teeth may well improve enormously once they are on good diets - and I would worry that some of the rescues that do not specialise in buns might not realise this.

2. Even buns who definitely have real malocclusion dental issues may get better over years - one of mine has improved enormously rather ironically due to his teeth gradually stopping growing and falling out.

3. rather more worryingly some vets have a habit of classing any bun with off/on eating problems and slightly dodgy teeth as a 'dental bun' and may even offer to pts - when in fact they are not really dental buns at all and have other issues (often resolvable) that have led to non eating that in turn has led to teeth getting sharp which in turn . . . etc etc. Non-rabbity vets seeing sharp teeth have leapt to conclusions .

I have had several buns over the years that come into category 1., and currently have one of each in category 2 and 3. Each were in the pts category when I took them on.

In addition - there ARE prospective adopters who will take on dental buns (or buns with other issues).
 
it does raise the issue of a true pts policy

and rescues which say they never put down a healthy animal

versus ones that are putting down animals with fixable issues

perhaps if they were honest people would not leave them with sanctuaries thinking they were going to be re homed.
 
I can see both sides, i did take on a dental bun from just before they were going to a rescue to be pts. She was very hard work having dentals every 6 - 8 weeks but she was so worth it. She had abscesses running along the top and bottom of the jaw but she wouldn't give up. She was on metacam for a year before the decision was made to pts and that was because no more dentals could be done and she wasn't herself. In the end she cost me the best part of £2000 and i didn't have money to spare but she made life brighter and was the best bunny friend i could have wished for. I still miss her so much.:(
 
Scarlet is a dental bun and we weren't made aware of that. The RSPCA had done 3 dentals and treated an abcess but hadn't declared it, they did her teeth again after we had reserved her which was a week before we picked her up. Had she been "advertised" as a "dental bun" I can't honestly say whether we would have picked her, had they told us when we collected her we would have still taken her. We only found out when I read her notes when we got home. We love her, we can't really afford it but we manage and I feel lucky every day that the RSPCA didn't PTS her and that she is now in a home where her teeth are managed properly, probably for the first time in her life.
 
I had a rabbit with severe dental problems (from age 18 months), his condition was managed and he lived a happy life for just over 7 years. Emotionally it was hard and it was expensive (I am certainly not wealthy!), but I wouldn't hesitate to do it all again and take on another dental bunny.

I can see both sides of this and I do understand that each dental bun is taking up a rescue space with less/no chance of being rehomed, but having seen what a happy life Herbie had, despite his problems, it makes me sad when I think that some bunnies, some of which I have no doubt would not be as bad as Herbie was, are being denied that chance. :(
 
I think there is a lot of leeway with the definition of a 'healthy animal'.
Many rescues will PTS animals that have problematic health or behavioural problems.
I can understand it at one level- you may end up as a sanctuary rather than rehoming, the costs can be high to maintain them and there is a concern about rehoming and the animals not being properly cared for and looking after needs that would actually become a welfare issue.
I could not do it, I have to fight every step of the way to give an animal any chance of a life I can- but that is why we became a sanctuary in the end.
 
It makes me sad and I can see their POV but I wouldn't be able to do it I don't think. Over the past few years I have specifically rescued rabbits with dental trouble and most improve after a few months of good hay etc. I guess this is different for me because I have access to a good rescue centre nearby (Mayhew) who does dentals for me for £20-30 and they treat a lot of rabbits so I trust them :love: So in that respect I am lucky and so will generally always aim to rehome a dental bun as I know I can afford multiple dental procedures at that price
 
no i just do not think its acceptable.

there needs to be advertising of each sanctuaries definition of healthy and which animals they are killing and what for so that people understand the true situation.

it is calming to here

no healthy animal is put to sleep

it is not calming to here this comes with a silent clause such as if a cat wees or a dog has fearful behaviour or if an operation costs too much etc...
 
no i just do not think its acceptable.

there needs to be advertising of each sanctuaries definition of healthy and which animals they are killing and what for so that people understand the true situation.

it is calming to here

no healthy animal is put to sleep

it is not calming to here this comes with a silent clause such as if a cat wees or a dog has fearful behaviour or if an operation costs too much etc...

What is often stated is 'no healthy animal is put to sleep.'

Technically a dental rabbit, an epileptic dog or a hyperthyroid old cat is not 'healthy' but it would not encourage donations if rescues said they PTS animals who have health issues.
I'm not saying I agree with the wording, but it happens.
 
just to add, I know some people will take on dental bunnies, but those people are few and far between and in the past we have ended up with a number of permanent dental bunnies, or rabbits with other issues be that behavouiral or health..( at present we have, aswell as the dentals, Honey-bee who looks to have cancer. We are keeping a close eye on her and she will stay with us as long as she is not seen to be suffering )
Once an animal comes to us, i have held it, named it, groomed and fed it, I cannot look into it's face and think " you have to die to make room for one I haven't met yet" I just cannot do it
But some rescues can, and they decide to help a larger number to find homes, it is worth it.

and to those criticising that decision, how many dental rabbits have you willingly adopted? and please get in touch when you want another rabbit as I'm sure there will be rescues with dentals needing a home. and if you cannot afford it..well perhaps rescues can't either. Rescues pick up the mess created by others...blame the source not the person trying to help.

I do not personally support the pts of treatable animals but I do understand why some do.
 
and to those criticising that decision, how many dental rabbits have you willingly adopted? and please get in touch when you want another rabbit as I'm sure there will be rescues with dentals needing a home. and if you cannot afford it..well perhaps rescues can't either. Rescues pick up the mess created by others...blame the source not the person trying to help.

I do not personally support the pts of treatable animals but I do understand why some do.

Excellent post, Jill!
 
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