Can I trim rabbits teeth at home

[Flickpriehs]

I have a 4 year old lop eared rabbit and I have noticed that one of her bottom tooth has overgrown and is over the top teeth and I can’t get to a vet I was wondering if I can do it at home I was thinking of using a nail file instead of clippers as they might break her tooth she is still eating and acting normal or will the tooth grind down if I get her wooden blocks from the pet shop

 

[Graciee]

I have a 4 year old lop eared rabbit and I have noticed that one of her bottom tooth has overgrown and is over the top teeth and I can’t get to a vet I was wondering if I can do it at home I was thinking of using a nail file instead of clippers as they might break her tooth she is still eating and acting normal or will the tooth grind down if I get her wooden blocks from the pet shop

Please don't do that

You could slip, she could move, you could break the tooth.. So so risky - she really needs to see a vet - will you be able to get her to see one?

Sent from my LYA-L09 using Tapatalk

 

[Jack's-Jane]

I have a 4 year old lop eared rabbit and I have noticed that one of her bottom tooth has overgrown and is over the top teeth and I can’t get to a vet I was wondering if I can do it at home I was thinking of using a nail file instead of clippers as they might break her tooth she is still eating and acting normal or will the tooth grind down if I get her wooden blocks from the pet shop

Hello

Clipping the teeth yourself could do a lot of damage, including damage to the tooth enamel and causing infection and tooth root abscesses So please do not do it. A Vet will be able to check your Bunny's back teeth too. The best thing you can do to help your Bunny is to find a way to obtain Veterinary treatment for her.

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/dental-problems/

Are you in the UK ?

 

[bunny momma]

Even though I am ashamed to admit this, I am sharing this so you do not repeat my mistake.

About eighteen years ago, my spouse and I were given a bunny who had misaligned front teeth. Upon arriving home, her lower teeth were very long and extended out of her mouth and her top teeth were long too. We took her to the vet and the vet trimmed her teeth with appropriate equipment and skill. My vet was able to do this without anesthesia. After a few trimmings, only her top incisors required trimming.

My work schedule made it very difficult to get to the vets every 8 weeks so I got an electric tool that had the correct speed and the same dental burr the vet used in his tool and I decided to trim them at home. My spouse would have to hold Dancer while I held her mouth with one hand and trimmed her incisors. It was NOT as easy as it looked when the vet did it. I had to keep her tongue and lips out of the way with one hand while not twisting her neck, at the same time I was maneuvering the bit with the other; all while my spouse was keeping Dancer still. After several home trimmings, I used too much pressure and one of her upper teeth cracked off slightly closer to the gum than were I was cutting, exposing some pulp and a couple drops of blood. So, I then had to take her to an emergency vet. They cleaned up the break and she got pain meds. After that, I only had her teeth trimmed by the vet. Not only did it prevent another unfortunate mishap, it was also less stressful for Dancer, me and my spouse.

I do not recommend trimming/filing teeth at home, either manually or with any tools. Filing would also produce heat and could be uncomfortable and dangerous.

 

[Barn Yard Bunnies]

Would you file down your own tooth or pull out a broken one ?

 

[William]

No, this is very dangerous and not a risk worth taking. You want a rabbit savvy vet. It takes training, skill, experience and the right tools.

Not to mention, the rabbit's back teeth need checking as well so she needs a vet visit anyway.

When I was a little kid our vet recommended my parents clip teeth at home after some vet visits for trimming our rabbit's front teeth.

Looking back, I'm shocked. Terrible vet advice. It's just lucky nothing horrible happened while clipping her teeth.

 

[Shimmer]

As with everything, things that look easy with an expert doing them actually take a great deal of skill and experience, and the right tools.

Please don't try to clip or file the teeth yourself. It can cause a lot of damage and could result in a much more serious problem and more expense eg if the tooth root is damaged which may then need extraction under general anaesthetic, followed by further dental intervention as the remaining teeth no longer align and grind properly.

Rabbit teeth grow continually and there are ways of managing them so that future interventions can be reduced. Please use a vet - they have the expertise to deal with this properly and advise on what you can do to manage it together.