Cookie is a 8 1/2 Dutch, typical skitty bun and terrified of the vets. I have never had any issues with Cookie's teeth since I had him as a babby until recently. He has always been a big hay muncher, he gets plenty of different types of hay from Vitakraft, some treats and SS pellets. Both my buns have a water bowl as I find they drink more than from a bottle. Suppose I have been lucky with him in not having many issues over the years except with the odd poorly tummy and I have learned over the years to watch my bun's behaviour very very closely as things can go so wrong in hours with them.
Just over 2 weeks ago I noticed, when he was feeding on his pellets, he was moving them around his mouth a bit so obviously the alarm bells rang for me to keep a real close eye on him. He was eating everything else as usual but one particular evening when it had cooled down I put both buns on the lawn as usual and noticed that Cookie seemed disinterested in moving about and pretty much just sat there. Didn't think too much at the time as the weather has been so hot. As usual I tempted him with a treat just to make sure he was OK and he ate it but then I noticed that he wouldn't eat any hay and when he did he took a couple of nibbles and just dropped it.
Off to the vet I went the next day and she said she could see some spurs on his right side but as I am normally quick off the mark with my buns, I caught it in time and they hadn't cut into his tongue. He was also constantly at the water bowl and I couldn't believe finding the bowl nearly empty the following morning which never happens, and also cleaning his face more than normal
He had dental on the 13th and his teeth were smoothed and filed down and also gave him additional fluid before and after his op and pain relief etc. That evening he seemed to be quite perky but still not eating his hay (which Bella my other bun did when she had dental a couple of years ago). To my horror he sort of weed himself on the spot a couple of times which he has never done. Cookie is a very clean and tidy boy and always goes to his litter corner. I just put it down to the heat of the day, his op and also the extra fluid he was carrying. His body language and behaviour also told me that it wasn't just dental so I took him back again on the 15th with a wee sample which I craftily obtained to check his sugar levels etc and also for a blood test to check his kidneys. My vet told me there was a tiny bit of blood in his water which told her he had a little cystitis which would have explained his behaviour the day before. Apart from that everything was hunky dory as far as his kidneys etc. After an antibiotic injection it seemed to clear his cystitis
BUT, he was still having problems on the eating front. Still no hay but eating pellets and other stuff. I peeled some carrots with my potato peeler and gave him some of the shavings and he seemed to have problems chewing them. He seemed to be able to tackle harder foods ok but anything on the thin side he struggled with. I keep trying different things to see what he manages better
By the way throughout all this his poos were and still are small.
I still wasn't happy so rang my vet and Cookie went back for pain relief on Monday to see if that made a difference in him eating his hay again as my vet assured me after checking his mouth again that his teeth were OK (and I do trust my vet, she is wonderful with all my pets) and she knows I always go fully armed with information and suggestions.
She said if the pain relief made no difference then he would have to go back for another look. Within an hour or so of getting him home on Monday he was chasing Bella around the run feeling frisky so at that moment I felt happy that things would get quickly back to normal but unfortunately not the case as he still wasn't touching his hay or chewing properly. He constantly moves his jaw around like a pensioner with new dentures (sorry...that's the best way I can describe it).
Back he went on Wednesday for another quick look around and file. I also had my vet take an xray in case there were any underlying problems. She assured me she found nothing else on the second visit around his mouth and the xray revealed nothing.
As of today, he is still refusing his hay and not particularly bothered about grass when he is on the lawn. He seems to now have problems in chewing "thin" food like grass blades and the dandelion leaves I tempted him this morning with I had to break up into small pieces as he didn't seem to be able to chew them properly. It seems now after his second dental, from way he chews, his teeth are now blunt!!!!!!
I rushed off to garden centre this morning and spent over £20 on bagged organic dried leaves/herbs (boredom breaker naturals range) etc as he isn't eating enough and I am worried about weight loss. I have been trying alsorts of different things with him, both hard and soft to see what he can and can't manage properly and I feed him bits at a time as he nearly choked on a pellet once which put the fear of God into me.
His pellets he seems to manage fine along with the treat sticks you can buy (also from the natural range) with sunflowers and seeds etc but he still isn't right. I picked some lush soft grass for him this morning and he won't eat that now. He wants to eat and races over when I say the magic word "treaties" but still struggles with some things. I can't keep giving him pellets. From watching him closely he spents much longer in chewing his food. I have also been giving him some recovery plus food with water on a saucer which he took too straight away last week but soon went off it so I soaked a couple of pellets in with it so at least he could have that overnight.
Watching him closely this morning I think he might need more pain med so I currently waiting the vet to call back so I can take him up so see if that makes a difference as I think he is showing signs of discomfort; he tends to go a little squinty eyed and sitting a little hunched up.
I am at my wit's end here, I feel I have tried everything and just don't know what to do. The last 4 weeks have been hell as my elderly cat is renal and I had just managed to stabilise him and then problems with Cookie. I can't eat or sleep properly. I have researched until I can research no more but I am still 1000% sure it's teeth. He seems to move his mouth around a lot just as we do when we are clearing our mouths of food particles.
I really really need some bun owner advice as to what I should be doing.
To summarise:-
1. His kidneys and bloods are OK
2. xrays revealed nothing
3. Drinking normally
4. Small poos
5. Can eat pellets and treats but struggles with flat things
6. Won't touch hay
As bunnies don't like change (especially Cookie) could he in fact be trying to adjust to a different chewing sensation in his mouth as it appears that way to me?
Can their teeth be filed down too much?
Anyone else been in exactly the same position?
I can't take him again for dental, the stress will kill him.
Just spoken with my vet who has left me out to collect some pain medication that I can syringe onto his food which I had last month when he hurt his foot. On speaking with her and informing her of the wide variety of things I have tried (both soft and hard) she says he could be adjusting as maybe one side is not as even as the other as regards grinding his food. He seems to manage his pellets as normal, he still enjoys his bitesize shredded wheat although will take longer to chew it. He still loves his mixed bird seed (I throw a small amount in the run some days as it keeps them busy searching for food). He has had small pieces of cabbage leaves, broccoli, slithers of carrots and apple.
With the mix of both hard, soft, small, flat foods I have offered him and watching him when he eats, he does seem to show problems on the grinding so maybe my vet is right in that if one side is not quite as even as the other, he is adjusting to it?
Is there anything else I should be doing or try to help my beautiful boy. I am making myself ill with all this worry. Thanks everyone for any advice or questions you may have.......sorry for the long winded saga but I thought better to give everyone as much info as possible
Just over 2 weeks ago I noticed, when he was feeding on his pellets, he was moving them around his mouth a bit so obviously the alarm bells rang for me to keep a real close eye on him. He was eating everything else as usual but one particular evening when it had cooled down I put both buns on the lawn as usual and noticed that Cookie seemed disinterested in moving about and pretty much just sat there. Didn't think too much at the time as the weather has been so hot. As usual I tempted him with a treat just to make sure he was OK and he ate it but then I noticed that he wouldn't eat any hay and when he did he took a couple of nibbles and just dropped it.
Off to the vet I went the next day and she said she could see some spurs on his right side but as I am normally quick off the mark with my buns, I caught it in time and they hadn't cut into his tongue. He was also constantly at the water bowl and I couldn't believe finding the bowl nearly empty the following morning which never happens, and also cleaning his face more than normal
He had dental on the 13th and his teeth were smoothed and filed down and also gave him additional fluid before and after his op and pain relief etc. That evening he seemed to be quite perky but still not eating his hay (which Bella my other bun did when she had dental a couple of years ago). To my horror he sort of weed himself on the spot a couple of times which he has never done. Cookie is a very clean and tidy boy and always goes to his litter corner. I just put it down to the heat of the day, his op and also the extra fluid he was carrying. His body language and behaviour also told me that it wasn't just dental so I took him back again on the 15th with a wee sample which I craftily obtained to check his sugar levels etc and also for a blood test to check his kidneys. My vet told me there was a tiny bit of blood in his water which told her he had a little cystitis which would have explained his behaviour the day before. Apart from that everything was hunky dory as far as his kidneys etc. After an antibiotic injection it seemed to clear his cystitis
BUT, he was still having problems on the eating front. Still no hay but eating pellets and other stuff. I peeled some carrots with my potato peeler and gave him some of the shavings and he seemed to have problems chewing them. He seemed to be able to tackle harder foods ok but anything on the thin side he struggled with. I keep trying different things to see what he manages better
By the way throughout all this his poos were and still are small.
I still wasn't happy so rang my vet and Cookie went back for pain relief on Monday to see if that made a difference in him eating his hay again as my vet assured me after checking his mouth again that his teeth were OK (and I do trust my vet, she is wonderful with all my pets) and she knows I always go fully armed with information and suggestions.
She said if the pain relief made no difference then he would have to go back for another look. Within an hour or so of getting him home on Monday he was chasing Bella around the run feeling frisky so at that moment I felt happy that things would get quickly back to normal but unfortunately not the case as he still wasn't touching his hay or chewing properly. He constantly moves his jaw around like a pensioner with new dentures (sorry...that's the best way I can describe it).
Back he went on Wednesday for another quick look around and file. I also had my vet take an xray in case there were any underlying problems. She assured me she found nothing else on the second visit around his mouth and the xray revealed nothing.
As of today, he is still refusing his hay and not particularly bothered about grass when he is on the lawn. He seems to now have problems in chewing "thin" food like grass blades and the dandelion leaves I tempted him this morning with I had to break up into small pieces as he didn't seem to be able to chew them properly. It seems now after his second dental, from way he chews, his teeth are now blunt!!!!!!
I rushed off to garden centre this morning and spent over £20 on bagged organic dried leaves/herbs (boredom breaker naturals range) etc as he isn't eating enough and I am worried about weight loss. I have been trying alsorts of different things with him, both hard and soft to see what he can and can't manage properly and I feed him bits at a time as he nearly choked on a pellet once which put the fear of God into me.
His pellets he seems to manage fine along with the treat sticks you can buy (also from the natural range) with sunflowers and seeds etc but he still isn't right. I picked some lush soft grass for him this morning and he won't eat that now. He wants to eat and races over when I say the magic word "treaties" but still struggles with some things. I can't keep giving him pellets. From watching him closely he spents much longer in chewing his food. I have also been giving him some recovery plus food with water on a saucer which he took too straight away last week but soon went off it so I soaked a couple of pellets in with it so at least he could have that overnight.
Watching him closely this morning I think he might need more pain med so I currently waiting the vet to call back so I can take him up so see if that makes a difference as I think he is showing signs of discomfort; he tends to go a little squinty eyed and sitting a little hunched up.
I am at my wit's end here, I feel I have tried everything and just don't know what to do. The last 4 weeks have been hell as my elderly cat is renal and I had just managed to stabilise him and then problems with Cookie. I can't eat or sleep properly. I have researched until I can research no more but I am still 1000% sure it's teeth. He seems to move his mouth around a lot just as we do when we are clearing our mouths of food particles.
I really really need some bun owner advice as to what I should be doing.
To summarise:-
1. His kidneys and bloods are OK
2. xrays revealed nothing
3. Drinking normally
4. Small poos
5. Can eat pellets and treats but struggles with flat things
6. Won't touch hay
As bunnies don't like change (especially Cookie) could he in fact be trying to adjust to a different chewing sensation in his mouth as it appears that way to me?
Can their teeth be filed down too much?
Anyone else been in exactly the same position?
I can't take him again for dental, the stress will kill him.
Just spoken with my vet who has left me out to collect some pain medication that I can syringe onto his food which I had last month when he hurt his foot. On speaking with her and informing her of the wide variety of things I have tried (both soft and hard) she says he could be adjusting as maybe one side is not as even as the other as regards grinding his food. He seems to manage his pellets as normal, he still enjoys his bitesize shredded wheat although will take longer to chew it. He still loves his mixed bird seed (I throw a small amount in the run some days as it keeps them busy searching for food). He has had small pieces of cabbage leaves, broccoli, slithers of carrots and apple.
With the mix of both hard, soft, small, flat foods I have offered him and watching him when he eats, he does seem to show problems on the grinding so maybe my vet is right in that if one side is not quite as even as the other, he is adjusting to it?
Is there anything else I should be doing or try to help my beautiful boy. I am making myself ill with all this worry. Thanks everyone for any advice or questions you may have.......sorry for the long winded saga but I thought better to give everyone as much info as possible
it's such a worry when they're not right, especially when we don't know why. Before you mentioned the x ray I was going to suggest a possible tooth root problem, but the X-ray was fine :? What about his ears? Sometimes ear pain can affect the way they eat. That's the only thing I can think of, I hope someone else can help you more. I hope Cookie will be ok xxx
