Rabbit Dental Problem

[vietanh]

Hi, I'm Viet Anh – new hear. I'm from Vietnam. I have a rabbit over 4 years old who is having problems with teeth. Hope the rabbit-loving community can take the time to read and give advice on this case.

My rabbit was picked up on September 10, 2018, when she was more than 2 months old. She is very active and cheerful, obedient. However, she rarely eats timothy grass even though I have tried many ways (hanging grass, mixing with favorite food, starving,...). She got wet chin around the end of September this year, yellow/green wet chin hair. After two exams, the doctor concluded that she had an overgrown lower left molar and advised that the tooth should be sharpened, using anesthetic. After consulting with experts and experienced people, I decided to have her perform this surgery. However, I am very worried. In addition to looking into the relevant literature, the doctor also said that there are risks in anesthesia. Not only that, Vietnam is not a country with good veterinary, especially for exotic pets.

I love her so much, she's like my sister so I want to give her the best I can and I want her to live with me as long as possible. Hopefully anyone who has had a rabbit with a similar experience (anesthesia at 4 years old, anesthesia for dental treatment,...) can give me experience and advice? Can your rabbit make it through? What should I do to give her the best care? Thank you very much.

 

[InspectorMorse]

Whilst Rabbit anaesthesia is higher risk than for larger animals it is not at all unusual for Rabbits to come through numerous Dental treatments under GA. Obviously it is best to have a Vet experienced in the treatment of Rabbits, but it sounds like access to such Vets is limited in Vietnam.

There are a lot of different types of Dental problems that Rabbits can have and what treatment is needed and how often will obviously vary too.

All Rabbits should be on a diet based on 80%-90% hay with minimal pelleted feed. This insures optimum dental attrition and a healthy GI tract function. However, if a Rabbit already has established Dental disease they might struggle to eat enough hay to maintain a healthy weight. Diet needs to be tailored to fit the specific Rabbit’s needs,but trying to maximise hay and fresh grass intake is always essential.

These links might be useful to read

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

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

https://todaysveterinarynurse.com/dentistry/rabbit-dentistry/

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-care-advice/rabbit-diet/

 

[bunny momma]

IM gave you excellent advice, so allow me to send you some comforting thoughts by telling you my 8 year old Raven has had numerous dentals and survived, though he usually needs some syringe feeds and pain meds for a short time after surgery to keep his gi system moving.

 

[vietanh]

Thank you for your informative advice!

 

[vietanh]

Thank you
If you don't mind, may I ask for a 4 years old bun, what test(s) is(are) needed before the procedure?

 

[InspectorMorse]

Thank you
If you don't mind, may I ask for a 4 years old bun, what test(s) is(are) needed before the procedure?

4 isn’t ‘old’ for a Rabbit but you could request a full blood profile prior to the GA in order to check major organ function

Is your Rabbit spayed ? If not then one additional risk would be if she has already developed Uterine Adenocarcinoma, a very common occurrence in unspayed Does. 80% of unspayed Does aged 5+ have been found to have uterine tumours. Uterine Adenocarcinoma will spread to the lungs and liver. If you were able to access a good Rabbit Vet then I would strongly advise that you discuss all of this prior to any procedure involving a GA.

 

[vietanh]

Thank you for the advice!