And now Pixel's not eating - U/D: Spurs on teeth - Another U/D #27

~ILoveMyBunny~ said:

Just phoned - he's recovering well The line was bad but I think they said he's been eating already, which surprised me as he won't touch food when he's nervous so glad he's feeling happy enough to eat. I thought they might have trouble getting him to eat!
We're picking him up at 15:00

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so pleased to hear that all went well

Brilliant news

He's home
He hasn't actually eaten yet but I'm not really surprised, he's a very timid boy and won't eat when in a strange place. Hopefully he'll eat soon but for now I'm letting him rest. He was quite bright when we picked him up and even sat with paws up on the side of his carrier watching the journey home, but he's flopped now and looks exhausted so I'm just going to leave him alone for a bit. The heat's not helping much either, think he's a bit hot.
Interestingly the nurse said his teeth weren't too bad which is making me wonder if that did cause his upset the other day or not. But hey, it's done now so he should be a bit more comfortable and the neuter's done too which is a bonus. Nurse thinks maybe give it a week to ten days then bring him back in for the vaccination so we'll do that, give him time to recover a bit.
So glad to have him home

Edit:
....... Bunnies........
Pixel's doing well in himself but I've not seen him eat since the coriander earlier. However Mishka appears to be jealous of the attention and has developed a problem of her own - her right eye looks awful. It's weeping badly and the third eyelid looks inflammed. I'm 99% sure it's a blocked tearduct as she's had this before. I've given her some eyedrops (my vet is brilliant and gave me a large bottle as she knows my buns have trouble :roll just in case as I did extract what I think was a tiny bit of litter from her eye earlier today but I strongly suspect it's going to be a blocked tearduct. Hooray, it looks like I'm taking them both up tomorrow.
Bunnies.:roll:

How are things with your two this morning? Sending vibes for them both.

~ILoveMyBunny~ said:

He's home
He hasn't actually eaten yet but I'm not really surprised, he's a very timid boy and won't eat when in a strange place. Hopefully he'll eat soon but for now I'm letting him rest. He was quite bright when we picked him up and even sat with paws up on the side of his carrier watching the journey home, but he's flopped now and looks exhausted so I'm just going to leave him alone for a bit. The heat's not helping much either, think he's a bit hot.
Interestingly the nurse said his teeth weren't too bad which is making me wonder if that did cause his upset the other day or not. But hey, it's done now so he should be a bit more comfortable and the neuter's done too which is a bonus. Nurse thinks maybe give it a week to ten days then bring him back in for the vaccination so we'll do that, give him time to recover a bit.
So glad to have him home

Edit:
....... Bunnies........
Pixel's doing well in himself but I've not seen him eat since the coriander earlier. However Mishka appears to be jealous of the attention and has developed a problem of her own - her right eye looks awful. It's weeping badly and the third eyelid looks inflammed. I'm 99% sure it's a blocked tearduct as she's had this before. I've given her some eyedrops (my vet is brilliant and gave me a large bottle as she knows my buns have trouble :roll just in case as I did extract what I think was a tiny bit of litter from her eye earlier today but I strongly suspect it's going to be a blocked tearduct. Hooray, it looks like I'm taking them both up tomorrow.
Bunnies.:roll:

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I am glad he's come home

So sorry to hear about Mishka. Never rains but it pours ... Good luck back at the vets xx

Thanks for asking Pixel's doing very well, he's been eating and he's fairly bright. A bit quiet obviously but overall doing very well. Leaving quite a few droppings too. Fought me with the metacam and fibreplex this morning :roll: he's been cleaning himself and moving around a bit. Came running over this morning when I rustled the food bag - that's always the best indicator
Not sure what to do with Mishka at the moment - the eyedrops took the redness and inflammation right down but it's still looking teary. They've definitely done something but whether or not she needs them flushing or the eyedrops alone would be enough I don't know. I'm not sure whether to take her in today or whether to see how she goes until tomorrow. Edit: I decided to take her in just in case - she's booked in this afternoon with Pixel for his post op
Both Mishka and Pinot in particular are suffering in the heat though. Pinot's got a thick coat and I think he's a bit too hot so we've got him in a cooler room with some frozen meat free popcorn chicken against his side (that's got to be the weirdest thing I've ever said) and seeing how he goes at the moment.
Oh boy do they like to worry you..

Update: I know I'm repeating myself but... Bunnies. :roll:
Picked up Mishka to put her in her carrier for her appoinment and looked at her eye - almost completely cleared up. Had to call back the vet, apologise and cancel the appointment. Not embarassing at all.... Of course I'm glad she's better, but couldn't she have done that before I called the vet :roll: Think she must have been jealous of all the attention Pixel was getting Joking aside I'm glad she's okay, it looked awful last night.
Anyway Pixel went less smoothly - the nurse noticed that there was some slight discolouration and it looked a little abnormal underneath. He asked the vet to check and they've put some steroid cream on but he's got to be checked again tomorrow. Oh, and he's been licking it. Great.
He was actually one of the nurses assisting yesterday so I asked him about the teeth - apparently they were pretty bad, mostly the upper teeth. They were growing inwards towards the tongue. So hopefully he's more comfortable now. I just hope they don't regrow and can be managed, but since he already eats a load of hay I'm not counting on it

Update 2:
Just a quick final update in case anyone checks back in here, Pixel's recovering really well now and he's very much back to himself and eating a load of hay

Update:
I'm still a little worried something might be wrong. Pixel's still being very picky about food. Initially after his teeth and the neuter were done I put it down to being a bit drugged from the anaesthesia and then to being picky as he got a little spoilt with the food that he liked (I've seen a few of the others do that - when they're ill I just get them to eat whatever they'll eat just to get/keep them eating, then for a while afterwards they get a little spoilt only eating their favourite stuff :roll but I don't think it really is that. It's not that he isn't eating at all or I'd be really worried but he's being picky about what he eats and seems to be picking at what he's given rather than eating it in one go like everyone else.
He's favouring hay, which would normally be a wonderful thing but he seems reluctant to eat anything else which isn't quite like him. I picked and washed everyone some lovely fresh grass just now and everyone else finished theirs straigt away. He's still got his about half an hour later. He had a little then dropped it in favour of hay. He doens't take his fibafirst in the morning though has it sometime during the day. His absolute favourite treat is a very small amount of Natures Touch. Normally he goes mad for it though I only give him a little as I'm not sure it's really that good for them. I just bought it as a special treat while he was ill. I put a little in for him this morning and initally he ignored it.
I can't put my finger on it, he's certainly still eating. But he's picky. I'm not sure what to think.
He has an appointment with the vet on Tuesday for his vaccinations so I'll ask her about it then but I'm not sure if I should be worried or not? As I say, he's still eating. But something's slightly off and I can't put my finger on it other than to say he's being picky with his food.
In himself he's very bouncy and normal.
Edit: He's also maintaining his weight at 1.4kg, not losing weight.

~ILoveMyBunny~ said:

Update:
I'm still a little worried something might be wrong. Pixel's still being very picky about food. Initially after his teeth and the neuter were done I put it down to being a bit drugged from the anaesthesia and then to being picky as he got a little spoilt with the food that he liked (I've seen a few of the others do that - when they're ill I just get them to eat whatever they'll eat just to get/keep them eating, then for a while afterwards they get a little spoilt only eating their favourite stuff :roll but I don't think it really is that. It's not that he isn't eating at all or I'd be really worried but he's being picky about what he eats and seems to be picking at what he's given rather than eating it in one go like everyone else.
He's favouring hay, which would normally be a wonderful thing but he seems reluctant to eat anything else which isn't quite like him. I picked and washed everyone some lovely fresh grass just now and everyone else finished theirs straigt away. He's still got his about half an hour later. He had a little then dropped it in favour of hay. He doens't take his fibafirst in the morning though has it sometime during the day. His absolute favourite treat is a very small amount of Natures Touch. Normally he goes mad for it though I only give him a little as I'm not sure it's really that good for them. I just bought it as a special treat while he was ill. I put a little in for him this morning and initally he ignored it.
I can't put my finger on it, he's certainly still eating. But he's picky. I'm not sure what to think.
He has an appointment with the vet on Tuesday for his vaccinations so I'll ask her about it then but I'm not sure if I should be worried or not? As I say, he's still eating. But something's slightly off and I can't put my finger on it other than to say he's being picky with his food.
In himself he's very bouncy and normal.
Edit: He's also maintaining his weight at 1.4kg, not losing weight.

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Does he have any lumps along his mandible ? Did the Vet take any Xrays when the Dental was done ? I ask as in Nethies tooth root problems can be as problematic as problems with molar spurs etc.

Yes, that's what's been worrying me. I felt all around there yesterday as I was worried about the roots but couldnt' feel anything that felt abnormal. No x-rays done at this stage but I will ask tuesday if she thinks it could be the roots. I suspect she'll suggest x-rays next if she's worried about it.
He's a nethie cross (not sure what with) and doesn't have the flat face that's typical of a nethie. I was hoping that would mean he might have better teeth but I guess it could still be genetic
Wouldn't he be going for softer foods over hay though if it was giving him trouble? He's not showing any signs of pain or discomfort or any other symptoms.
Would he be looking extraction if it was roots?

~ILoveMyBunny~ said:

Yes, that's what's been worrying me. I felt all around there yesterday as I was worried about the roots but couldnt' feel anything that felt abnormal. No x-rays done at this stage but I will ask tuesday if she thinks it could be the roots. I suspect she'll suggest x-rays next if she's worried about it.
He's a nethie cross (not sure what with) and doesn't have the flat face that's typical of a nethie. I was hoping that would mean he might have better teeth but I guess it could still be genetic
Wouldn't he be going for softer foods over hay though if it was giving him trouble? He's not showing any signs of pain or discomfort or any other symptoms.
Would he be looking extraction if it was roots?

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I would not start thinking too far ahead, he may not have any tooth root problems at all. I only mentioned it as you said that the Vet felt that his teeth were quite bad.

Tooth root pain can mean that the Rabbit goes off pellets/selective feeds but will still eat hay. The same can apply if ear pain is an issue. But all this is hypothetical really and I'd wait to see what the Vet says after examining Pixel again.

Is his poo output normal ?

I guess I panic easily thing is the only thing that I can think of personally is the roots. But I'm not sure if it fits or not. Yes, output is normal. He's got plenty of energy too. He's currently in between binkying around the room and attacking the dustpan and broom :roll:

Not great pictures but gives you a better idea of his head shape:




He's probably about 7-8 months there - his ears are a bit smaller now as he grew into them :lol:

~ILoveMyBunny~ said:

Not great pictures but gives you a better idea of his head shape:

He's probably about 7-8 months there - his ears are a bit smaller now as he grew into them :lol:

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He's a cutie Is the top pic a recent one ?

No, they're both fairly old. My SD card reader on my computer's gone and I'm lazy so I don't have a lot of up to date pictures on here He looks pretty much the same as the top picture now though.
I think the vets and nurses all fell for him on his last visit :lol:

~ILoveMyBunny~ said:

No, they're both fairly old. My SD card reader on my computer's gone and I'm lazy so I don't have a lot of up to date pictures on here He looks pretty much the same as the top picture now though.
I think the vets and nurses all fell for him on his last visit :lol:

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It's easy to see why !

~ILoveMyBunny~ said:

Yes, that's what's been worrying me. I felt all around there yesterday as I was worried about the roots but couldnt' feel anything that felt abnormal. No x-rays done at this stage but I will ask tuesday if she thinks it could be the roots. I suspect she'll suggest x-rays next if she's worried about it.
He's a nethie cross (not sure what with) and doesn't have the flat face that's typical of a nethie. I was hoping that would mean he might have better teeth but I guess it could still be genetic
Wouldn't he be going for softer foods over hay though if it was giving him trouble? He's not showing any signs of pain or discomfort or any other symptoms.
Would he be looking extraction if it was roots?

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Just catching up with your thread, and sorry to hear you're still worried.

NO! He would not be looking at tooth extraction. Taking out molars is a big thing and not undertaken lightly. An X-ray would be good, when he next has sedation - discuss with your vet on Tuesday. My vet doesn't do X-rays of teeth but I wish it were done more routinely when they have a GA so we know exactly what the problem is. It may not be teeth at all!

MightyMax said:

Just catching up with your thread, and sorry to hear you're still worried.

NO! He would not be looking at tooth extraction. Taking out molars is a big thing and not undertaken lightly. An X-ray would be good, when he next has sedation - discuss with your vet on Tuesday. My vet doesn't do X-rays of teeth but I wish it were done more routinely when they have a GA so we know exactly what the problem is. It may not be teeth at all!

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Oh thank goodness! I was getting really worried about the idea as I didn't think there was much else that could be done for root problems! I'd hate for him to have to have that done but I wasn't sure if there was any other treatment for root problems. This is my first experience with dentals. I guess I panic and always look at the worst case scenario
I must admit I don't feel that it is teeth myself but can't think of what else it could be.
I'm hoping there won't be a next sedation! Though I do suspect the spurs may occur again despite any efforts to keep them at bay. Could be looking on the worst side again, though.
He's a very quiet bunny, I do wonder if there's a chance they could do an x-ray without sedation. If Lunar of all rabbits can do it I'm sure he can :roll:
As I say, I will see if my vet feels I should be worried or not on Tuesday but wish I could figure out what it could be. I can't put my finger on it but I know something's not right.
Maybe he is just being picky :?

~ILoveMyBunny~ said:

Oh thank goodness! I was getting really worried about the idea as I didn't think there was much else that could be done for root problems! I'd hate for him to have to have that done but I wasn't sure if there was any other treatment for root problems. This is my first experience with dentals. I guess I panic and always look at the worst case scenario
I must admit I don't feel that it is teeth myself but can't think of what else it could be.
I'm hoping there won't be a next sedation! Though I do suspect the spurs may occur again despite any efforts to keep them at bay. Could be looking on the worst side again, though.
He's a very quiet bunny, I do wonder if there's a chance they could do an x-ray without sedation. If Lunar of all rabbits can do it I'm sure he can :roll:
As I say, I will see if my vet feels I should be worried or not on Tuesday but wish I could figure out what it could be. I can't put my finger on it but I know something's not right.
Maybe he is just being picky :?

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I'm sorry,, but where is all this coming from re tooth root problems? Has your vet told you this? Even if a rabbit *does* have tooth root problems (and loads do) then it's not at all a recipe for disaster. Some could say it may predict a future abscess, but there's really no telling!

I have looked after, fostered and nursed hundreds of rabbits. Lumpy jawlines and the lot - abscesses, molars removed, no incisors... Absolutely none of those factors were a predictor of future health. And that included Nethies! So please don't let anyone and anything scare you into worrying unnecessarily. Wait until a vet has the facts, and then calmly discuss the way forward together.

He's eating hay - hurrah! Let's focus on the positives. Now if he's eating, I would wait and discuss it with the vet on Tuesday (unless you feel there's an emergency sooner). Tell him/her all your concerns and ask her opinion. If your vet isn't savvy, or you need a second opinion, then go ahead and get that done.

Make notes and be sure to give the vet the complete picture and maybe after you've consolidated all the evidence, a reason will become clear.

Hope that helps ? xx

It's just my paranoid speculation at this point. Honestly, I'm not convinced it has anything to do with his teeth at the moment. I'm just trying to figure out why he's being so picky with foods that he always loved. When the whole thing started and he was found to have spurs I assumed that was the problem but the fact that now they've been sorted and he's still being picky is making me wonder if the spurs were the cause or a contributor.
You're absolutely right, and I'm really pleased he's eating so much hay. I'm really lucky, all my buns have all been great hay eaters. Pixel's no different, he's always loved his hay. But he loves other foods too like dried herbs, treats etc and the fact that he's being picky about them is alerting me something might not be right. I'm not immediately worried about him or believe me, he'd have been up the vet this morning (my vet is open on a Sunday until 3pm) or an emergency vet tonight. It's just that kind of 'I know my bunny and something is off here' feeling, if that makes sense? It seems odd that he's ignoring a lot of his favourites - even fresh grass - in favour of plain, simple meadow hay.
Maybe he's just going through a picky phase and that's all there is to it. I'm probably just being over protective and paranoid as usual :roll:
Glad to know that tooth roots aren't necessarily all doom as I'd previously thought, though! I will keep that in mind should any have tooth problems in the future.
My vet is very rabbit savvy, I trust her judgement. That's why he's going in Tuesday instead of tomorrow, I always try to get appointments with her (she's known as the rabbit supervet here :lol

~ILoveMyBunny~ said:

It's just my paranoid speculation at this point. Honestly, I'm not convinced it has anything to do with his teeth at the moment. I'm just trying to figure out why he's being so picky with foods that he always loved. When the whole thing started and he was found to have spurs I assumed that was the problem but the fact that now they've been sorted and he's still being picky is making me wonder if the spurs were the cause or a contributor.
You're absolutely right, and I'm really pleased he's eating so much hay. I'm really lucky, all my buns have all been great hay eaters. Pixel's no different, he's always loved his hay. But he loves other foods too like dried herbs, treats etc and the fact that he's being picky about them is alerting me something might not be right. I'm not immediately worried about him or believe me, he'd have been up the vet this morning (my vet is open on a Sunday until 3pm) or an emergency vet tonight. It's just that kind of 'I know my bunny and something is off here' feeling, if that makes sense? It seems odd that he's ignoring a lot of his favourites - even fresh grass - in favour of plain, simple meadow hay.
Maybe he's just going through a picky phase and that's all there is to it. I'm probably just being over protective and paranoid as usual :roll:
Glad to know that tooth roots aren't necessarily all doom as I'd previously thought, though! I will keep that in mind should any have tooth problems in the future.
My vet is very rabbit savvy, I trust her judgement. That's why he's going in Tuesday instead of tomorrow, I always try to get appointments with her (she's known as the rabbit supervet here :lol

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This all sounds balanced and great to hear about your vet

Regarding the hay - there are two ways of looking at it.

1. Your bunny knows best what he needs right now

2. There's something going on and I don't know what it is.

I think watch and wait and seek advice where/when you can. Difficult I know, and I know your feeling of 'I know my bunny and something is off here'. Oh yes, I know that too well! I hope a spark of light will emerge, but in the meantime, please don't be panicked and certainly not by anything said on a Forum like this