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  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

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URGENT advice needed - should he be PTS!!

K

keileyoneill

Young Bun
My little Gizmo (aged 2.5) is having terrible problems with his teeth and I need some urgent advice and thoughts. He first had to have his molars trimmed right down about 10 months ago we later found out has lots of cuts into his cheeks and this was caused because his teeth do not grow aligned and actually grow towards his cheeks which makes this problem worse. He had to have the procedure done again last September and today he has gone back to the vets as the problem has occurred again after only 3 months making it 3 times in 10 months - he eats lots of hay and green leafs but this does not help.
The vet has booked him in to have the dental on Monday but has suggested it might be kinder to put him to sleep! :( He was salivating so much that the vet could not see into his mouth properly today and thinks that this problem will only get worse with age and he will almost definitley have to have a dental done every 2-3 months which obviously is stressful & painful for Gizmo but also costly.
I am totally against putting animals to sleep unless necessary especially if it is only due to money but what is the kindest thing to do for Gizmo? Our vet is very good and I know he is thinking of our costs when it could cost us £400 a year but at the same time he would not suggest Gizmo being PTS just for that reason. WHAT SHOULD I DO in Gizmos best interests??!! :?
 
First thoughts are no absolutely not. There are a few people on here whose bunnies' teeth need trimming regularly. However, you know your bunny best, and you know if he's happy in himself or not.
Second thought, does the vet clip or burr the teeth to trim them? This may have an effect on the way Gizmo recovers and how often it needs doing.
I'm sure someone will come along soon who can offer more advice/ personal experiences.
 
As all of his molars do not grow aligned the vet said he could not remove them because you can not just remove 1 molar you have to remove the adjacent one aswell and bunnies can not live or eat properly without molars and so it causes more problems - he said it would be a strong possibility if it was his incisors.
Last time he had it done the vet said he been really brutal and he actually found it quite distressing how brutal he had to be to get his teeth down as far as possible.
Gizmo is normally a very happy, lively and comical bunny but we know as soon as his teeth start to hurt as he goes off his pellets, is lethargic, has red sad eyes and dribbles terribly so we usually get the problem sorted within a couple of days.
My husband has dismissed putting him to sleep straight away and although i dont want to do it I have a niggling doubt in the back of my mind. We dont know how long do his teeth cause him discomfort before it gets bad and he shows his usual symptoms? Could it be more than 1 week every 3 months that he is pain!
 
I posted this in the 'Dentals' thread

It sounds as though Gizmo has a problem with his tooth ROOTS aswell as his teeth. Once this happens, ie the roots grow incorrectly, the condition cannot be cured BUT it can be managed. This will involve regular Dentals. I know there are some Vets who feel able to do the Dental without a GA. My PERSONAL UNQUALIFIED opinion is that unless the Bunny is EXCEPTIONALLY calm I think it far too stressful for them to be awake during the dental.
Obviously repeated GA's carry risks. But your Vet can take extra precautions like giving Gizmo fluid therapy after the GA to support his Kidneys.
I have had numerous 'dental Bunnies'. Some who hardly have any teeth left due to advanced dental disease. I would only consider the PTS option if the individual Bunny had no quality of life in between each treatment or if severe osteomyelitis (bone infection secondary to infected tooth roots) caused the Bun pain not controlled by longterm antibiotics and analgesia.

Janex
 
Only you can decide how much quality of life he has, but I would certainly want to consider all the options first...I am sure there are people who have had rabbits with teeth removed...try pming Jaypot or Jack's-Jane :wink:
 
I would def make sure you have considered all options before having him PTS - if his quality of life is good between dentals and they are 3 months apart at the mo then I wouldn't PTS personally.

My bunny Princess has only 1 molar on each lower jaw but copes very well. She had a dental about 8 months ago - vet isn't sure if she needs another one yet as she seems to be doing well, I personally think one will be on its way soon but I am happy to do this as often as needs be if the bunny has good quality of life most of the time.
She also has malocclusion of her incisor teeth - we got every 4-5 weeks to have them burred. Although this is a bit stressful, she copes well with the burring and it doesn't take long but my vet said if the time between burrings shortens she will remove them - on her last trip about a week ago she said that we are managing them quite well and there is no loss of appetite and her weight remains steady.

Only you know your bunny though and if you feel you can't put him through all this then you will make the right decision.

Good luck, it's hard work (emotionally and physically) having bunnies with poorly teeth, but a good vet can usually manage the problem whilst there is good quality of life.

Nicola
 
I personally wouldn't put to sleep, I think I would be tempted to try a different vet as well for a second opinion. Maybe phone a local rabbit rescue and find out which vet they use as they're more likely to have lots of experience with bunny dentistry!

I have had a few bunnies with teeth problems and would be horrified if one suggested PTS :shock:
 
Yes the vet did mention a root problem as he could feel the swelling and protuding to his cheeks - to be honest I didnt take it all in to today so my posts are probably not very accurate to what the vet said!!
Thanks for all your thoughts, you have confirmed what I knew deep down - he should not be put to sleep. Apart from 1 week of discomfort and stress every 3-5 months he is a happy healthy bunny and so his life will go on until the day comes that I think he is unhappy, in too much pain or the problem becomes unmanageable.
Thanks, Keiley
 
I can completely symphatise with your situation. One of my bunnies goes off her food very regularly and molar spikes/sharp teeth have been found each time. It seems to be becoming more regular now and she seems to be managing only 4 weeks in between dentals. Sadly all of my buns are related and all seem to be having the same problem. :cry:

I have decided that I am keeping a very close eye on their quality of life in between. I have found they take much longer to get over a burring procedure, better when teeth are clipped. Two of my bunnies have taken AGES to get over their dental and then needed another 2 weeks after recovering (6 weeks after getting it done in the first place).

In my opinion, we know our animals best and all have difficult decisions to make. I think you will know the signs that your bunny is not living a good life and can help him IF that is needed. I have had a good think about my bunnies' situation and have decided (sort of) that if the dentals are required very very regularly and the quality of life in between (most importantly) diminishes even more then I will see that they do not suffer any more. On the other hand, I am trying to keep positive and hopeful that 2007 will bring about more joy for my bunnies.

Let us know how your bunny gets on

Fiona x
 
keileyoneill said:
He was salivating so much that the vet could not see into his mouth properly today and thinks that this problem will only get worse with age and he will almost definitley have to have a dental done every 2-3 months which obviously is stressful & painful for Gizmo but also costly. :?
Click to expand...

I completely understand what you are going through. When I got Tilly I went through a very stressful and very expensive process of diagnosing her dental problems, I was told she might need to have dentals every month and at that point I considered whether it would be better to have her pts than the trauma and discomfort of taking her for dentals every month (not to mention the expense).

However, generally she was happy and healthy, apart from her eye (crushed tear duct due to overgrown tooth roots) which is manageable, but caused a lot of problems at the start as it was infected. I had long discussions with my vet over what would be best and kindest. We decided that since her quality of life was still good, we would continue with the dental treatment and see how it went. She is now doing really well and only needs a dental about once every 3-4 months, but she had monthly dentals at the start.

The difference with your situation is that your bunny is already in a lot of pain and discomfort from his teeth. It sounds to me like you would need to take him at least once a month in order to manage this condition as a preventative treatment, rather than reacting to the pain he is in (ie once he has already stopped eating). However, only you can say whether his quality of life is poor enough and he is in enough discomfort and pain to justify him being pts. I would also say your vet will not have advised this on a whim, and that he/she is acting in Gizmo's best interests as well as yours.

Having said that, if you can have the dentals done frequently enough to ensure he is not in pain then he might be ok for some months more. It is however true that you could burr the teeth every month and still sooner or later the teeth will get the better of it and the rabbit will deteriorate beyond help. The question is, is Gizmo already at this point or can you do more for him? I would speak to your vet again about this - don't let him pressure you but discuss the options available as this might help you make a decision. ht
 
We have a similar problem with Willow. We rescued him back in November. His bottom back molar grows inwards so it doesn't wear down and a spike forms. He has a dental every month at the moment and the day after he's a bit grumpy but I just give him some Metacam which helps. On the whole he leads a happy life and i would never consider pts until I was certain there was nothing more to do.

Only you can decide what is best for your bun and know the state of his quality of life. I agree that a second vet opinion might be useful.
 
bunny-mad said:
I completely understand what you are going through. When I got Tilly I went through a very stressful and very expensive process of diagnosing her dental problems, I was told she might need to have dentals every month and at that point I considered whether it would be better to have her pts than the trauma and discomfort of taking her for dentals every month (not to mention the expense).

However, generally she was happy and healthy, apart from her eye (crushed tear duct due to overgrown tooth roots) which is manageable, but caused a lot of problems at the start as it was infected. I had long discussions with my vet over what would be best and kindest. We decided that since her quality of life was still good, we would continue with the dental treatment and see how it went. She is now doing really well and only needs a dental about once every 3-4 months, but she had monthly dentals at the start.

The difference with your situation is that your bunny is already in a lot of pain and discomfort from his teeth. It sounds to me like you would need to take him at least once a month in order to manage this condition as a preventative treatment, rather than reacting to the pain he is in (ie once he has already stopped eating). However, only you can say whether his quality of life is poor enough and he is in enough discomfort and pain to justify him being pts. I would also say your vet will not have advised this on a whim, and that he/she is acting in Gizmo's best interests as well as yours.

Having said that, if you can have the dentals done frequently enough to ensure he is not in pain then he might be ok for some months more. It is however true that you could burr the teeth every month and still sooner or later the teeth will get the better of it and the rabbit will deteriorate beyond help. The question is, is Gizmo already at this point or can you do more for him? I would speak to your vet again about this - don't let him pressure you but discuss the options available as this might help you make a decision. ht
Click to expand...

:thumb: Brilliant post. I am glad that this thread started.

Fiona x
 
Perhaps you could shop around for other vets in your area, obviously you need one with rabbit experience but prices do vary alot. At my local vet I'd expect to pay about £40 for a dental inc. aneasthetic.

It sounds like you need to schedual dentals at slightly more frequent intervals so you catch it just before it starts causing problems instead of responding once it has. If they are usually three months apart a check up at two months should be a good way to determine a date for the dental.

Saving money weekly/monthly is a good way to spread vet costs.

Tam
 
There is no reason at all to PTS on a rabbit just because of a regular molar problem, it is very popular among some rabbits that their molar grow irregularly. And like other members said, it's a cheap process, your vet is robbing you blind, get another vet, call around, it's a simple process to begin with.
 
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