Is it possible to have overgrown roots but not have any pain?

[grney12345]

Just asking opinions because I'm not sure where to go next- for most of this year my bun has had a weepy eye which has recently progressed to the other one starting to water too and his nose.
They listened to his lungs and didn't hear anything bad but he does snort sometimes when he's breathing. The discharge from his one eye never gets worse than just white gunk. Sometimes it looks totally normal because he's either groomed himself or my other bun has groomed him.
He did had a bad eye infection almost 2 years ago which took 2 rounds of antibiotics to clear up so I was wondering if it was scarring, but now his other one is watering.

They recommended I find a different vet because they don't do rabbit dentals and that I get a CT scan. They can x-ray him but would still have to refer me elsewhere for treatment.

The thing that's confusing me is that he loves to chew and isn't giving any signs of being in pain. Every day I cut a bit off the apple tree for him and he'll sit there chewing on it. He also prefers hay to grass and always eats his pellets. Is it possible to have overgrown roots but not be in any pain?

My vet was also pretty sure that they would want to take his teeth out but I thought they need to be in pain before they would consider it.

My choices are either:
1. Get x-rays at my current vet and risk wasting time and money in the long run
2. Go to a different vet a lot further away that does do dentals and risk wasting time and money there instead

Thanks in advance for any advice

 

[Shimmer]

White gunk would indicate an infection. I would be inclined to try antibiotics to see if it clears again. Your vet could take a swab to send for C&S so you know which are the most appropriate ones.

There’s also an option of flushing out the tear ducts, depending on the likely cause. That may need sedation, in which case you could get xrays done at the same time, and a good look at the teeth with an otoscope.

Xrays can always be sent to a rabbit dental specialist for a second opinion if needed. They may also just rule out any dental involvement.

 

[grney12345]

Thanks, they did try a flush but couldn't clear it, but the same thing happened when he had an infection in the past.
They seem pretty adamant it's not infected because the discharge is pure white and there's no inflammation.

She advised I basically go to the other vet asking for a second opinion to avoid referral fees, but surely they'd want to take me through all of the same diagnostic stages and I'd waste money on that?

 

[Shimmer]

It sounds like your vet really isn’t rabbit savvy and they know their limits here. There’s probably no point in pushing them further.

Are there any closer vets with rabbit experience? RWAF has a list of rabbit savvy vets, or someone on here may have a recommendation if you give the rough area you are in.

 

[grney12345]

My normal vet is the only vet in the area on the rabbit friendly list and the nearest after them is over an hour away. The annoying thing though is the one with the rabbit qualifications is a veterinary nurse who I've only ever seen once.

 

[Shimmer]

You could try ringing the recommended vet and talking through various options. They may charge for a phone consultation, but may help you make a decision. You could also do a short video or some photos of the current eye issues to put it into context for the vet. Having a full referral would make all the previous vet notes available to them, so is worth thinking about as well. You can ask what the charges are for this before you commit to anything.