Frequent dental issue

[InspectorMorse]

Tooth extraction is not possible yet as her teeth are still very strong and hasn't become wobbly. I am mainly focusing on her quality of life right now . Rest is up to god : ) . She can undergo surgeries I believe . The pain is my main fear

With regards to pain management, it’s a question of risks v benefits. Yes, being on long term analgesia comes with risks. But with conditions that involve chronic pain there is no other options than to accept those risks to give the Rabbit a reasonable quality of life. There is no point in withholding a drug to avoid the risk of side effects when it would mean the Rabbit was in constant pain. Of course I am NOT implying you would ever do that, just trying to explain why sometimes we have to make choices and accept the risks that those choices come with

Over the last 26 years I have cared for numerous Rabbits who have had various health problems meaning they needed to be on longterm medication, including pain killers. Sometimes for years. So try not to look at.what might happen and just focus on what is happening now

 

[Jemi]

Also can you give me suggestions about dried leaves . Huchi loves dried apple ones . I can give her some other leaves to keep up her chewing

 

[InspectorMorse]

Also can you give me suggestions about dried leaves . Huchi loves dried apple ones . I can give her some other leaves to keep up her chewing

Not sure what you have access to over there. But apple tree leaves and twigs are good to give her. Here in the UK many people like to feed their Rabbits wild forage. I don’t know if this would be an option for you, this information is UK focused, but you might find some things you could feed to your Rabbit.

Everything You Have Always Wanted to Know about… Foraging for Rabbits

Click here to find out all you need to know about foraging for your pet rabbits, including what is and isn't safe.

rabbitwelfare.co.uk

Just make sure whatever you forage to feed hasn’t been sprayed with any pesticides or contaminated by the excrement of other animals. Best to thoroughly rinse any wild forage before feeding it.

All that being said, with tooth root elongation sometimes the Rabbit just cannot chew anything hard or fibrous. So it would be necessary to feed soft foods that they can eat, even though this wont help the teeth. It will, however, minimise the risk of gut slow down/gut stasis.

Going forward it will be a case of trial and error, offering her foods that should help with dental attrition but if she cannot manage to chew them then you will need to feed her softened food instead.

For her, quality of life is the here and now. She won’t be worrying about how she will cope tomorrow, next week, next month. As long be she is comfortable and able to eat something now she will be a happy girl. Animals live in the moment, it’s us care givers who have to do the worrying about what their future might hold. It’s hard and emotionally draining. But so worth it as our Rabbits rely on us 100%. Just seeing them content in the moment is what we need to try to focus on

 

[Jemi]

 

[Jemi]

Just wanted to show huchi to u all
She is a very beautiful girl

 

[InspectorMorse]

Just wanted to show huchi to u all
She is a very beautiful girl

She is very beautiful

 

[Jemi]

She is quite cheerful today doing binkies and flops . After her softened food she ate some coriander, dried rose leaves

 

[Jemi]

Also do elongated roots can turn into abscess
It will be much more painful to handle than burrings

 

[Shimmer]

Just keep an eye on her and deal with things as they happen. If she's eating, happy and pain free, you are doing your job.

 

[InspectorMorse]

Also do elongated roots can turn into abscess
It will be much more painful to handle than burrings

It is a possibility, but not inevitable. If an abscess develops then antibiotic treatment is needed and usually surgery too.

 

[Jemi]

Just keep an eye on her and deal with things as they happen. If she's eating, happy and pain free, you are doing your job.

I am trying hard : ) have my final exams coming soon but don't want to shift my focus from her at all . She hasn't got sick for 3 whole years . So it's tough for me to handle this phase . I know at any moment I will have to take her to a dental and that's what makes me sad . She is such a happy soul but can degrade within just a few days. I am just not ready to accept any accident as me and huchi have spent just few years and I was also planning so many things for her for upcoming years

 

[Jemi]

Will changing pellets affect huchi? I am thinking of shifting from Versele laga to science selective Timothy

 

[Omi]

Will changing pellets affect huchi? I am thinking of shifting from Versele laga to science selective Timothy

No it shouldn't do, as long as you do it very gradually, ie replacing a small amount with the new pellets to start with and then increasing slowly after that.

Huchi is a very beautiful rabbit. I have a NZW/Californian cross female and I'm very fond of her. I find her very calm and gentle.

I saw that you were asking advice a few threads ago regarding tree leaves? I feed my bunnies lots of tree leaves and also their sticks. I don't know which trees grow in Bangladesh, but we could advise here whether any, you can source, are OK for rabbits to eat. I saw you were feeding dried Rose leaves. Rose leaves, fresh or dried, are usually very popular, as are the flowers. Just make sure that the Roses haven't been treated with any pesticides etc. If she likes Apple leaves, then Pear leaves are also safe and usually popular. Are you able to obtain dried leaves/flowers online for rabbits?

 

[Jemi]

Thank you omi. I have a small garden of roses . I have always given dried leaves rose petal to huchi when she was well . After the dentals I was afraid to feed her those . But since she at least can chew dried leaves i can give them . I can manage mango leaves too

 

[Omi]

Thank you omi. I have a small garden of roses . I have always given dried leaves rose petal to huchi when she was well . After the dentals I was afraid to feed her those . But since she at least can chew dried leaves i can give them . I can manage mango leaves too

I would also feed fresh Rose leaves. It's super that you have them in your garden, as then you can be sure that they have not been treated. Do the Apple leaves also come from your garden? If so, she might enjoy some Apple sticks to nibble.

I have looked at a few websites regarding Mango leaves and they all confirm that they are OK to feed to rabbits. It was noted though that the leaves are quite tough, so to watch carefully to see if the rabbit can eat them.

So, if I were you, I would try the Mango leaves. As with any new food, just feed a very small amount to start with and see how she gets on. Also only feed one new food at any time, so you would know which food was the culprit if she had a unlikely, bad reaction.

 

[Jemi]

She is still doing good with her chew toys : ) nibbles on them for quite some times every morning . It's just the grass / hay that's problem for her

 

[Jemi]

Last night she was trying to eat . I picked up some grass and held it for her then she ate some : ) . You all have taken care of so many rabbits . Can they go on with herbs and pellets just . Moreover She doesn't take too much herb . Just a handful twice a day

 

[InspectorMorse]

Whilst it isnt ideal for a Rabbit to be on a diet of just pellets and a few herbs if the Rabbit has dental disease making it impossible for them to chew hay/grass they have to be fed what they can eat. I had a Rabbit with severe dental disease who could only eat pellets made into a mash with cooled boiled water. He did get some fecal dysbiosis at times, passing unformed cecotrophs and getting a mucky bum which he needed help to keep clean. But he was ‘well within himself’ and able to maintain his weight.He didn’t get one episode of gut stasis or bloat. He came to me at the age of about 8 and he’d probably had untreated dental problems for a long time prior to me adopting him. He lived to be just over 10 on his mushy pellet diet.

The Bunny I am referring to was called Major Tom

 

[Jemi]

huchi hasn't shown any sign of bloated tummy yet . I am feeding her lots of water . She is just so young to face these so early that's what's making me sad . I have cried literally every night after her 2nd dental . After the 1st one I was sure everything will go back to normal but now it's just one day at a time . My heart breaks if I see her pics or videos from last years

 

[Omi]

I would try not to be sad about her. Bunnies are very fragile creatures and very many are living a compromised life due to health issues and very many of those will be 'dental bunnies'. It really does sound to me that you are doing very well with managing her. It is very obvious that you care for her very much.

I would concentrate on trying to give her the best possible quality of life within the limits of what she is able to do. There are very many foods that you could experiment with, which will provide her with enjoyment and interest. Those foods are not going to help with her dental problems, but they will keep her happy, healthy and keep her digestion in good order. They will enrich the life she has.

It's great that she will eat some grass if you hold it for her. The grass will certainly help her teeth. Does she eat herbs other than coriander? I imagine you have basil and parsley in Bangladesh? Which vegetables do you give her?