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Struggling with frequent dentals

sierra*323

Mama Doe
Hi all,

I don't post often but hope you don't mind me venting some frustration with like minded people!

My rescue bun Tango (1 of 4) needs his teeth burred every 3-4 months and it's getting stressful. He's always been a bit prone to stasis, but is coming up to 7 years old now and has only needed dentals for the last year or so. He gets spurs facing his tongue but only one one side, suggesting he's eating enough hay but favouring one side more than the other. He is the only lop of the 4 which I think perhaps isn't a coincidence.

I have a brilliant vet who I'm confident is rabbit savvy, and despite the vet trips causing a bit of tension at home I know I'll carry on giving Tango everything he needs despite the cost because I love him to pieces and he's my responsibility.

But aaaarrgghh I wish spurs were covered by the insurance! Thanks for reading if you got this far :)
 
Hi all,

I don't post often but hope you don't mind me venting some frustration with like minded people!

My rescue bun Tango (1 of 4) needs his teeth burred every 3-4 months and it's getting stressful. He's always been a bit prone to stasis, but is coming up to 7 years old now and has only needed dentals for the last year or so. He gets spurs facing his tongue but only one one side, suggesting he's eating enough hay but favouring one side more than the other. He is the only lop of the 4 which I think perhaps isn't a coincidence.

I have a brilliant vet who I'm confident is rabbit savvy, and despite the vet trips causing a bit of tension at home I know I'll carry on giving Tango everything he needs despite the cost because I love him to pieces and he's my responsibility.

But aaaarrgghh I wish spurs were covered by the insurance! Thanks for reading if you got this far :)

I'm sorry that Tango has ongoing Dental problems. At least you have confidence in your Vet, that is always a plus. But of course the recurring stress for Tango and for you is not great and I empathise.
 
Hi all,

I don't post often but hope you don't mind me venting some frustration with like minded people!

My rescue bun Tango (1 of 4) needs his teeth burred every 3-4 months and it's getting stressful. He's always been a bit prone to stasis, but is coming up to 7 years old now and has only needed dentals for the last year or so. He gets spurs facing his tongue but only one one side, suggesting he's eating enough hay but favouring one side more than the other. He is the only lop of the 4 which I think perhaps isn't a coincidence.

I have a brilliant vet who I'm confident is rabbit savvy, and despite the vet trips causing a bit of tension at home I know I'll carry on giving Tango everything he needs despite the cost because I love him to pieces and he's my responsibility.

But aaaarrgghh I wish spurs were covered by the insurance! Thanks for reading if you got this far :)



Awww sierra, I understand this! many people contact me privately with just this issue. Sometimes their rabbits are needing dentals as frequently as every two weeks and in some cases the GA needed is enough to cause further debilitating health problems.

The answer for me with rabbits in this position, and I've had some who could never have a GA, was to go down the 'conscious dental' route, where the rabbit is burrito'd and held securely by a nurse. People think that their rabbit will be far too wriggly for this procedure, and that it's cruel, but it's not done in the same way as when a GA is applied, so there's no comparison really :)

Feelings run high when I mention conscious dentals and I've had vitriolic personal attacks :lol: That's made some people very reluctant to discuss dental issues in pubic, but I am always available for private consultation ;)

The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund acknowledge the need for conscious dentals and I have witnessed many over the last 25 years. 2 very skilled vets (and one vet will freely admit she does not have the confidence, for which I respect her) perform the task within a couple of minutes or so and of course there's no recovery time. My rabbits are all eating straight away they get home and the cost is just that of a standard consult.

But yes, I agree with you, I wish spurs were covered by insurance!

How much are you paying for your dentals?
 
I was having the same problem with my Phoebe. She was needing a GA and dental spurs treated every 6 weeks. (She always got them on the Right side, pointing to her cheek).

We've since removed all pellets from the diet so she's a hay, veg and forage only bu and we've not had to do a dental for almost 6 months. Her check up last month showed tiny spurs, but nothing needing treatment.

I'm with MM. Some buns are suited to conscious but there are risks. I've taken part in some conscious dentals for rabbits who were needed them every 3 to 4 weeks and they coped well. Others needed to have a GA. It's all preference and putting the bunny's welfare and needs first.

(Our dental treatment was an average of £130 each time)

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Spurs can be covered by insurance with the right insurers. Petplan pay out of Erin's and Pets at Home pay out for Benji and Lola. Erin's are about 3 months apart too and she is 9.5 years old.
 
Spurs can be covered by insurance with the right insurers. Petplan pay out of Erin's and Pets at Home pay out for Benji and Lola. Erin's are about 3 months apart too and she is 9.5 years old.
Really?? Tango is with Pets at Home. What do your vets put it down as on the form? It's about £170 a go, the excess is £75 plus 10% but it would still be a help...

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Really?? Tango is with Pets at Home. What do your vets put it down as on the form? It's about £170 a go, the excess is £75 plus 10% but it would still be a help...

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I don't know but I will try to find out. I have a claim in for Benji at the moment so hopefully I can find out easily.
 
Thank you. And thanks all for your replies [emoji4]
I'd never even considered a conscious dental, but I don't think Tango would cope. He's never been a people rabbit, took me a year to be allowed to give him a nose rub!

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Thank you. And thanks all for your replies [emoji4]
I'd never even considered a conscious dental, but I don't think Tango would cope. He's never been a people rabbit, took me a year to be allowed to give him a nose rub!

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That's what everyone says :)

My most aggressive female who wouldn't tolerate anyone had to have conscious dentals throughout her life :D
 
Spurs can be covered by insurance with the right insurers. Petplan pay out of Erin's and Pets at Home pay out for Benji and Lola. Erin's are about 3 months apart too and she is 9.5 years old.
Really?? Tango is with Pets at Home. What do your vets put it down as on the form? It's about £170 a go, the excess is £75 plus 10% but it would still be a help...

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Each insurer is different.

Now that the dental problem has been noted, moving insurance companies it would be classed as a pre-existing condition and wouldn't be covered.

Your current policy may not cover dental procedures, you'd have to check your small print.
Does Willow get stasis or inappitence with the dental spurs? If so this is what my vets will put the treatment under (normally inappitence) but I'm with Petplan and been insured with them from day 1 so I'm gaurenteed a pay out.

I used to work in vet practice and one of my jobs was the insurance forms and advice. If you want to send over the small print to my email I can have a quick read and see if I can find out for you.
Another way is to just ask your vets to put in a claim for anything in the last 12 months and see if it'll be paid that way.

(I did mean to write about the insurance side too but I forgot)

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Hmm. Small print does say no but is the same as BunnyBuddy who managed to claim which surprised me!
He's claimed for lack of appetite related costs due to teeth before, but I know the signs so well now that I just go straight to dental now when he shows them.

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That's significantly more than I pay for a dental but I realise that I'm lucky to have a rabbit savvy vet that's also affordable close to me.

Tricky when you trust your vet which is obviously worth a lot, but makes me wonder if you could enquire about any other good ones in the area and shop around.
 
Empathy for the trickiness of having a rabbit that needs regular dentals as well. It's horrible to put them through it apart from anything else isn't it?
 
The price includes a drip to keep his fluids up, which is an extra on top of the dental price. I could save £50 there but he's always quite slow to come round and I don't want to tempt fate by opting out of that. I think in future I may have to though [emoji852]

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Hmm. Small print does say no but is the same as BunnyBuddy who managed to claim which surprised me!
He's claimed for lack of appetite related costs due to teeth before, but I know the signs so well now that I just go straight to dental now when he shows them.

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I'll have a little dig into the small print and try to find a loop hole.

(Bunny Buddy may have different small print to you if the policy was taken out at a different time of year).

If you've tried to claim before, you can always call and ask why they won't cover it. It could be something such as previously noted before at a visit before any insurance was taken out. It could also be that they'll only accept them if the condition is put under gut stasis.

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Both my rabbits with p@h who have had dentals did have stasis prior to the dental. T&c says I have an allowance for dental treatment.
 
Really?? Tango is with Pets at Home. What do your vets put it down as on the form? It's about £170 a go, the excess is £75 plus 10% but it would still be a help...

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Yes that's quite a lot. Even for a dental under GA, I wouldn't expect to pay that. £50 for fluids is also a lot - I always feel it should be 'standard' as people can knock that off if they need to save money and it may not be in the rabbit's best interests.
 
My terms and conditions for P@H. There is a £350 allowance for dental treatment.

"Your policy covers the cost of treatment for a dental injury or illness providing your pet had a dental examination carried out by a vet in the 12 months before the injury happened or the illness was first noticed. See veterinary fees 'what is not covered' - point 13". The wording on Point 13 is exactly the same as that in quotes.

I can't see why they wouldn't pay as long as it's not deemed to be pre-existing and the necessary dental check has been carried out in the previous 12 months

Erin's treatment goes down as "Mouth and oral disorders" but it started with an abscess and the dental treatment is a result of the removal of the abscess and tooth.
 
My terms and conditions for P@H. There is a £350 allowance for dental treatment.

"Your policy covers the cost of treatment for a dental injury or illness providing your pet had a dental examination carried out by a vet in the 12 months before the injury happened or the illness was first noticed. See veterinary fees 'what is not covered' - point 13". The wording on Point 13 is exactly the same as that in quotes.

I can't see why they wouldn't pay as long as it's not deemed to be pre-existing and the necessary dental check has been carried out in the previous 12 months


Erin's treatment goes down as "Mouth and oral disorders" but it started with an abscess and the dental treatment is a result of the removal of the abscess and tooth.

I agree, if it states that in the T+C then they cant wriggle out of paying. Although as with most Insurance Companies they will probably try x
 
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