# Ga & Teeth Rasping Every 8 Weeks!!!



## Hellsbells (Jan 25, 2010)

Does anyone else's bunny have to so regularly for teeth rasping at the vets?? 
Buddy (4yr male) has a really good diet but was born with mis-aligned teeth and we have to have them rasped to prevent further problems. In the last 12 months he has been under general anestheic at least 6 times for rasping to remove the spurrs. 
The vets have said that they would prefer not to remove the 2 teeth top and bottom that are causing the most of the problems. As the teeth begin to cause upset to Buddy he refuses to eat the food that would encourage grinding of the teeth - a vicious cycle and one I would like to break - for Buddy'd sake more than my own. Any suggestions/advice?!?!


----------



## Kammie (Apr 4, 2009)

My Rosie has to have her teeth done every month or so. She's already had her front teeth taken out and copes really well with it, she still needs her molars filed every month - 6 weeks. I'm in two minds myself at the moment as to having all her teeth removed and having her on a liquid diet as she's five now and I don't want the anaesthetic to be the end of her. Charlie was the same he had his front teeth out but still had problems with his molars which resulted in a nasty infection that spread to his lungs and killed him. 

Which teeth are you talking about having removed? I know vets tend to avoid removing the molars as they are a bitch to remove, which could actually cause more harm than good with the risk of breaking the jaw bone. The front teeth on the other hand is fairly simple and easy to do, most good rabbit vets recomend front teeth being removed rather than rasping regularaly as the front teeth are more likely to split causing infection in the gum.


----------



## Hellsbells (Jan 25, 2010)

Partly glad to know Im know Buddy isnt alone  and partly gutted that Rosie has to endure the same! Sorry to hear about Charlie.

Its Buddys molars that cause the most problems, one on the bottom grows a big spur which scratches the inside of his cheek and makes his eye weepy and sore  one of the signs that it need looking at. His front teeth, although grow quite quickly dont cause as much distress unless he cant get his mouth open to eat a biscuit and then all hell breaks loose! 

As well as the points you raise about age and aesthetic with having the molars removed Im worried that a liquid diet could be too stressful of a change  he knows hes poorly when hes syringe fed. And also he might get lazy not having to get up and look for his food and work to eat it, and fat lazy rabbits are not cool!


----------



## Kammie (Apr 4, 2009)

I'm thinking of it mainly for Roise because she copes so well on liquid food when she's ill, I don't need to syringe it into her as she eats on her own. Rosie goes crazy for vegetable baby food, so for her a liquid diet is possible with mixing science recovery and baby food to give her enough fibre plus the veg she needs.

They're more likely to put of removing molars because they are so hard to remove, the top ones are right below the eye so one slip with the instrument and you have a blind rabbit, the bottom ones have the risk of breaking the jaw.


----------



## Hellsbells (Jan 25, 2010)

I might have another word with the vet then and see what he says - he doesnt want to remove them if possible but its the risk of the procedure every couple of months that worries me most. Its a real catch 22!

I wonder of they rasp at an angle to take the the spurs off to reshape the tooth?? I'll check . . . .


----------



## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

its always worth having a second opinion ask your local rabbit or animal rescue and see what vet they use for rabbtis


----------

