Harvey & Parker

Harvey and Parker who have been with us for a couple of weeks now have been enjoying their holiday. Harvey has had to have some dental work done this week at our local vets due to the fact that he has a couple over-grown teeth which were causing him pain and therefore he could not eat properly. We fed him critical care until he went into the vets for his teeth to be burred. Below give an explanation of Clipping versus Burring and information about rabbit dental problems, which may be of interest to some rabbit owners. Harvey is 13 years old and to have a general anaesthetic for him would be very high risk and therefore his teeth were done whilst he was conscious as he is such a relaxed bunny.

Clipping versus burring

The use of clippers is not generally recommended as can cause inaccurate reshaping of the chisel shape and irregular sharp edges, which can cause discomfort and possible lacerations to the tongue. Clipping can also create micro fractures to the teeth, unnoticeable to the eye, that nay result in periodontal problems and pulp infection, leading to malocclusion or osteomyelitis. Excessive force to the tooth may also result in damage to the germinal tissues affecting future tooth growth. Burring allows accurate and humane reshaping of the incisors and will be tolerated by most animals without sedation. A general anaesthetic will be required for molar burring to gain adequate access and control reflex chewing. A mouth gag with hold open the area and ensure soft tissue is secured away from the sight. A tongue depressor should be placed behind the teeth to protect soft tissue during the process. An endotracheal tube is advisable to prevent debris from entering the back of the throat and trachea. Trimming and reshaping should not expose pulp cavity.

How do you tell if your Rabbit has dental problems?

Slobbers – salivation around the mouth, front limbs and chest
Matted coat, due to inability to groom
Innapetance and reduction of food intake
Weight loss and anorexia
Lack of caecotrophy
Nasolacrimal duct infection
Halitosis
Flystrike, as result of inability to clean
GI disturbance due to disruption of caecal flora or reduction in fibre intake.

And the causes of dental problems in rabbits are as follows:-

Congenital deformity, especially in dwarf (brachecephalic) breeds.
Dietary problems, such as calcium deficiency
Trauma
Fracture of mandibles affecting occlusion
Infections of root, jaw and pulp
Neoplasia affecting normal occlusion

Feeding your rabbit large amount of commercial rabbit food

We will keep you posted on Harvey and how is recovers, he is only eating small amounts of food himself at the moment as his gums and mouth are quite sore from where his teeth have ulcerated the areas.

Parker is absolutely fine and eating for England and is currently enjoying time out in a run in the garden, yes we have sun today, amazing...