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Teeth spurs

Alison Marie

Wise Old Thumper
Can anything be done for them long term? Poor Jasper needs another dental and it has been 7 weeks since his last one. We do our best to get him to eat as much hay as possible but are there any alternatives to dentals? I suspect the answer is no but wanted to see what others had to say :)
 
Can anything be done for them long term? Poor Jasper needs another dental and it has been 7 weeks since his last one. We do our best to get him to eat as much hay as possible but are there any alternatives to dentals? I suspect the answer is no but wanted to see what others had to say :)


You know, the honest answer is 'it depends' ... Some teeth can be sorted out by a dental. In the 'olden days' they used to grind the crowns of the teeth down in the hope that it would encourage teeth to grow back straight.

If you think about it, if teeth are crooked - even one tooth - they can't grind against one another and will only regrow as crooked after being rasped or burred down.

Eating a lot of hay/grass/readigrass will certainly create the best possible conditions for spurs to right themselves, so don't give up hope!
 
Thank you Mm :) I feel bad for the little guy, he is feeling very sorry for himself. I have given him metacam but I suspect he has a tongue laceration :( just wondered if there is a better way.
 
Thank you Mm :) I feel bad for the little guy, he is feeling very sorry for himself. I have given him metacam but I suspect he has a tongue laceration :( just wondered if there is a better way.


You're welcome x

Oh it's so difficult :(

If rabbits weren't bred to have such bad teeth then they and us wouldn't be suffering so much.

It's quite soon to be getting spurs, but if he's eating hay (and is able to eat it) then you're doing your absolutely best :)

I do often take my rabbits for 'conscious dentals' - usually when a GA would probably/certainly finish them off, and it works out really well for us.

I suppose the only other thing would be to get a set of X-rays and see whether another vet could perhaps improve on the alignment of the teeth after burring/rasping?
 
You're welcome x

Oh it's so difficult :(

If rabbits weren't bred to have such bad teeth then they and us wouldn't be suffering so much.

It's quite soon to be getting spurs, but if he's eating hay (and is able to eat it) then you're doing your absolutely best :)

I do often take my rabbits for 'conscious dentals' - usually when a GA would probably/certainly finish them off, and it works out really well for us.

I suppose the only other thing would be to get a set of X-rays and see whether another vet could perhaps improve on the alignment of the teeth after burring/rasping?
how do conscious dentals work? At the moment he goes under anaesthetic but I do worry as he gets older that they may be unable to do them anymore. He is only 5, so not exactly old just yet :D
 
Phoebe was having dentals every 6 weeks.
Our solution for her.... wean her off pellet feed and onto a balanced natural diet. She's thriving on it and hasn't had a dental for roughly 6 months now :)
(Daphne is also pellet free just for ease)

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
 
Phoebe was having dentals every 6 weeks.
Our solution for her.... wean her off pellet feed and onto a balanced natural diet. She's thriving on it and hasn't had a dental for roughly 6 months now :)
(Daphne is also pellet free just for ease)

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
What sort of things does she eat now?

Jasper is not the keenest of hay eaters but I try my best!
 
how do conscious dentals work? At the moment he goes under anaesthetic but I do worry as he gets older that they may be unable to do them anymore. He is only 5, so not exactly old just yet :D


PM me if you'd like more detail on conscious dentals. I do come in for a lot of flack for even *suggesting* I might put one of my rabbits through such a thing, so best I don't talk openly about the details :)
 
What sort of things does she eat now?

Jasper is not the keenest of hay eaters but I try my best!
So their normal diet:

Access 24/7 to three different types of hay minimum - Meadow, Timothy, oat. We also mix in readigrass when I get hold of them.

AM - Dark green leafy veg (Normally fresh greens & kale) about a handful.
Mid-AM - Some forage - Bindweed or brambles is the normal.
Early PM - More forage - normally some grass, dandelions, plantin, rose
Late PM - More forage - either dry package mix or fresh (Normally hawthorn, pear, apple, willow)

They both are staying a healthy weight and we have regular health checks with a vet. They are happy the diet is balanced enough and the girls do eat more hay on this diet. (We sometimes miss one or two of the fresh feeds but they always get the AM and late PM feed).

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
 
So their normal diet:

Access 24/7 to three different types of hay minimum - Meadow, Timothy, oat. We also mix in readigrass when I get hold of them.

AM - Dark green leafy veg (Normally fresh greens & kale) about a handful.
Mid-AM - Some forage - Bindweed or brambles is the normal.
Early PM - More forage - normally some grass, dandelions, plantin, rose
Late PM - More forage - either dry package mix or fresh (Normally hawthorn, pear, apple, willow)

They both are staying a healthy weight and we have regular health checks with a vet. They are happy the diet is balanced enough and the girls do eat more hay on this diet. (We sometimes miss one or two of the fresh feeds but they always get the AM and late PM feed).

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

Thank you :D my worry would be that he doesn't eat any of the hay and loses weight (although, it wouldn't hurt for him to lose a bit right now, he is maybe the upper side of healthy weight lol)
 
Thank you :D my worry would be that he doesn't eat any of the hay and loses weight (although, it wouldn't hurt for him to lose a bit right now, he is maybe the upper side of healthy weight lol)
The important thing if you decide to try it, is to gradually decrease his pellets so as to not shock his system.
Have your vet aware of the changes you'd be making and have regular health checked to ensure he keeps in good condition.

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
 
The important thing if you decide to try it, is to gradually decrease his pellets so as to not shock his system.
Have your vet aware of the changes you'd be making and have regular health checked to ensure he keeps in good condition.

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

Thanks :D I will do that
 
Phoebe was having dentals every 6 weeks.
Our solution for her.... wean her off pellet feed and onto a balanced natural diet. She's thriving on it and hasn't had a dental for roughly 6 months now :)
(Daphne is also pellet free just for ease)

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

DP has given good advice here, all my Rabbits are pellet free except for Elyse who is elderly and cannot maintain weight without some pellets in her diet. None of my Rabbits have dental problems- *touches wood*

This article is very informative

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Dental_diseases/Differential/Rabbit_dentistry.pdf

My friend and Vet has included an article in her blog, not sure if you have already seen it

https://www.twickenhamvets.com/rabbit-dental-problems-part-1-malocclusion-cheek-teeth/

Some people make claims that it is possible to get a complete view of the oral cavity without the need of a GA. My Vet thinks this is rubbish, you can see why from the images on the blog. Personally I would want any suspected Dental problem thoroughly evaluated and in the opinion of all Rabbit Savvy Vets this can only be done under GA.

This is the RWAF Policy Statement about Dental treatment without a GA :

Conscious dental treatment


We are often asked whether it is possible, or advantageous, to perform dental procedures on rabbits without anaesthesia or sedation. This is a complex question, as it depends entirely on the character of the rabbit, the nature of the dental problem, the equipment available and the expertise of the Veterinary Surgeon and Veterinary Nurses involved. Trimming of overlong incisors may be performed with powered dental equipment with gentle but firm physical restraint. Towel wrapping, the “bunny burrito” technique, may be very useful here. Sedation may be required in some rabbits.

Cheek (back) teeth treatment is more complicated, requiring visualisation of the teeth. Difficulty arises because they are hidden at the back of the mouth, in contrast to the easily visible incisors, as well as greatly limiting the safe use of effective dental equipment in this area.

Gags are occasionally recommended to keep the mouth open. These are widely used in anaesthetised rabbits to hold the mouth open and the head in position, but are not safe to use in a rabbit which is not adequately anaesthetised due to the risk of tooth or jaw fracture if the rabbit tries to close its mouth. Without this, visibility is limited, which makes it easy to miss significant dental problems, especially at the very back of the mouth, and increases the risk of damaging the soft tissues of the mouth when carrying out conscious dentistry.

Powered dental equipment rotates rapidly and may cause significant injuries to the tongue, cheek or gums if it comes into contact with them. It is therefore wise not to use where visibility is not sufficient to avoid the risk of damage. Furthermore there is the danger of conscious animals moving, causing power tools to slip and inflict injury on the mouth.

The choice of equipment for use in conscious dentistry is therefore limited to hand held i.e. non powered equipment. Whilst this is appropriate for small spurs on the inside edge of the lower teeth, it is much more difficult to use these elsewhere, should other teeth require attention. If the entire back tooth is leaning it, rather than just spurring, it is inappropriate to use hand equipment to clip the tooth, as this can fracture and loosen the tooth.

Files can be used in the mouth to avoid clipping. However, large blood vessels at the back of the mouth are vulnerable to being caught with the tip of a file, and potentially fatal haemorrhage may result.

The experience of the veterinary surgeon performing such a procedure, and the expertise of the veterinary nurse handling the rabbit strongly influence the safety and end result of any dental procedure. The decision on whether to carry out dental work and how to do so is the clinical responsibility of the veterinary surgeon, after a discussion of the relative risks and benefits with the owner of all techniques available. It is impossible here to categorically state what should and should not be done in each circumstance, but conscious dentistry should not simply be considered as a short cut alternative to dentistry under GA. Whatever method is employed, a full clinical examination of the rabbit, with particular reference to the mouth and associated structures, should be performed first (eg intra and extra-oral examination, and assessment of eyes and ears to look for associated pathology).

Our opinion at the RWAF is that incisor dental shortening can be carried out conscious in the majority of rabbits, (but that this should be done using appropriate tools, and not by clipping which can shatter or split teeth) but that cheek tooth dentistry is best carried out under a short, well maintained anaesthetic to allow full visualisation and assessment of dental disease. However, there may be circumstances where a limited amount of cheek tooth dentistry may be more safely performed conscious. A typical situation is the presence of a single or small number of dental spurs in an easily visualised position, in a calm rabbit, particularly when the animal is not considered a suitable candidate for an anaesthetic (eg through severe dehydration or malnutrition for the dental lesion present, or other underlying disease). This may perhaps be carried out to relieve pain in a seriously unwell rabbit in order to improve his or her fluid and nutritional status prior to a full dental under general anaesthetic. However, if conscious dentistry is considered the default option due to the risks of anaesthesia generally, it is worth reviewing practice anaesthetic protocols for rabbits.

The risks of the procedure must be balanced against the potential advantages in every case, and fully discussed with the veterinary surgeon.

Please note that this advice is not aimed at the equivalent situation in guinea pigs, whose dental pathology is different, usually involving whole teeth and a significantly increased risk of severely and permanently damaging the teeth involved.''
 
Thats interesting, thank you! Jasper is a lion head x nethie cross, so it's interesting to see that lion heads are prone to dental problems. Touch wood, buttons and Nibbles (who are lionlop x lop crosses) will avoid them.


Yes I know - it's a nuisance to be sure when they have dental issues!

I hope you get some help with the PM I sent you, and that you can find a way forward AM, and you can see why I sent it! :D xx
 
Thank you all ! Jasper has just gone in for his dental. I will speak to my vet about the suggestions later, particularly the diet :)
 
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