Any tips for slowing down dental spurs?

[samandsnuggles]

My 1.5 year old Dutch mix gets spurs on her molars. There doesn't seem to be a reason for it, she eats hay, and her teeth don't look misaligned, but here we are.

It only took 12 days since her latest dental to show signs of discomfort again. We're at 17 days now and I think she may need her teeth filling tomorrow. I'm so upset by how quickly this has happened, and would like some tips on slowing things down.

I had a bunny for years with dental disease, he couldn't eat hay AT ALL but still had a good couple months between each dental.

I decreased her pellets in the hope that she'd eat more hay, but I noticed she seems to eat more hay when pellets are available. (She came to me a couple of months ago, and wasn't given hay for a year or so before that, only low quality pellets.)

Since she's not wanting to eat hay now, I'm giving her unlimited pellets so her gut doesn't slow down.

Any thoughts on any of this? What helped your bunnies to go longer between dentals?

 

[JBun]

About the only thing that I know of that might help is orchard grass. It seems to be a more abrasive grass(silica content), so could help increase tooth wear. I do know of one rabbit carer that had a bun with dentals every 2 months. The rabbit was switched to orchard grass and was able to go a whole year before needing another molar trim. Of course this is dependent on the rabbit eating the hay well. But this would be what I would give a try.

silica in hay and how it applies to rabbits

 

[samandsnuggles]

About the only thing that I know of that might help is orchard grass. It seems to be a more abrasive grass(silica content), so could help increase tooth wear. I do know of one rabbit carer that had a bun with dentals every 2 months. The rabbit was switched to orchard grass and was able to go a whole year before needing another molar trim. Of course this is dependent on the rabbit eating the hay well. But this would be what I would give a try.

silica in hay and rabbits

That's really helpful, thank you. Do you know if orchard hay and orchard grass are the same thing?

 

[JBun]

Yes, they are. The term hay just signifies it's been dried. So 'orchard hay; refers to orchard grass that is dried. The term 'orchard grass' can refer to it being fresh grass or dried hay, but obviously if store bought it will be the dried hay.

 

[cwebster]

Have been researching this because our lionhead, Dutchess, has spurs and overgrown roots on xray. Here is one of the articles i found, suggesting time outside in the sun, vit D and calcium, etc.

https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/docum...-harcourtbrown-t-692/harcourt-brown-20578.pdf

 

[cwebster]

Dutchess loves fresly trimmed wild lawn grass. She began eating a little hay now that she is getting yard grass. Am going to push foods requiring back and forth chewing.

 

[TreasuredFriend]

Following. Our 10 y.o. mini rex has a mild lingual tooth point.

 

[cwebster]

samandsnuggle, Dutchess loves being in her outside hutch with a little handpicked lawn/grass, so she has sun and food. From what i am reading, it is best to have the vet just trim thespurs and not burr down all the teeth. Plus to address metabolic bone disease.