Teary eyes and toothache

[Darojati]

Hello All,

in 2023 we discovered that Pochi has been suffering overgrown teeth/molar and molar spurs, which is the root cause of her continuous tears. Since then, we do quarterly vet visit to get her blood check and xray, before her teeth trimming (with anesthesia).

Last week we just went to Vet and identified molar spurs, super sharp, and 1 hole on her inner left cheek

So the doctor trimmed all the teeth to make them even, and gave some medication for the inflammation in her mouth.. i'm just so sad that she needs to go through this.

Does anyone have any experience with molar spurs / overgrown back teeth? How do you manage ongoingly so that the bun is experiencing less pain? What kind of medication to be given and for how long and how frequent? What else do i need to anticipate and thus need to intervene to manage any further risks?

Hope to receive tips as we navigate this challenge.

Thank you

@JBun @RabbitO

 

[JBun]

Your rabbit may not be eating sufficient roughage to keep the teeth worn down properly, or there may be a nutrient imbalance.

Does your rabbit eat very much hay each day (eg pile the size of her body, half, etc)? What variety of hay is it? What kind of pellets do you feed, what's the production date on the bag, and how much do you feed each day? Any other veg and treats, and how much per day?

 

[Darojati]

Your rabbit may not be eating sufficient roughage to keep the teeth worn down properly, or there may be a nutrient imbalance.

Does your rabbit eat very much hay each day (eg pile the size of her body, half, etc)? What variety of hay is it? What kind of pellets do you feed, what's the production date on the bag, and how much do you feed each day? Any other veg and treats, and how much per day?

Hi @JBun


Yes it's the root cause.


Pochi is picky eater.. she likes soft timothy hay and alfalfa hay (we give not much to increase her appetite).


Does your rabbit eat very much hay each day (eg pile the size of her body, half, etc)? -> i'd say 1/4 of her body


What variety of hay is it? -> timothy hay, alfalfa hay, and we now introduce orchard hay


What kind of pellets do you feed, what's the production date on the bag, and how much do you feed each day? -> we give versele laga cuni adult, it says expire Feb 2025 (photo below), we give a bowl ready to eat for 3 buns at home.


Any other veg and treats, and how much per day? -> fresh veggie in the morning and evening.. i'd say 2 handful portion for 3 buns.

 

[JBun]

Do you have access to any good quality orchard grass hay? It's a more abrasive grass hay, which may help with increased wear on the teeth. I read of one rabbit owner that switched to this, and her rabbit that needed molar trims every 8 weeks, was able to go a whole year before her rabbit needed it done again.

 

[Darojati]

Do you have access to any good quality orchard grass hay? It's a more abrasive grass hay, which may help with increased wear on the teeth. I read of one rabbit owner that switched to this, and her rabbit that needed molar trims every 8 weeks, was able to go a whole year before her rabbit needed it done again.

Good point.. I just ordered orchard hay (they have various brands).

I'll try to ensure more orchard hay consumption to trim the teeth naturally. Hope it works for this picky eater.

Thank you.

 

[Darojati]

Hi @JBun

I was wondering what remedy there are to help ease toothache and inflammation..

we have got meloxicam from Vet for 0.5ml/ day to help remedy the inflammation inside the mouth (sore cheek, sore tongue) all due to the sharp teeth. And this should be consumed on certain period, can't be too long. Is this enough?

And let's say we have finished meloxicam, is there other alternative pain relief that i can give to my bun?

We still monitor the bun's facial expression, the tears, as well as her appetite at the same.

 

[JBun]

Meloxicam is the standard anti inflammatory used for mild to moderate pain in rabbits, as it works the best with the least amount of possible negative effects. But other pain meds can be used, like baby aspirin in certain circumstances, or certain narcotics for severe pain.

The dosage of meloxicam depends on how much your rabbit weighs? Also, twice daily dosing is usually better for rabbits, as rabbits metabolize the medication faster than other animals, so will start to experience pain again before 24 hours is over. Dosing every 12 hours is what's generally recommended for rabbits.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16521861/

The usual recommended dosage is 0.3-0.6mg/kg, twice daily, or around 1mg/kg per day, but up to 1.5mg/kg can be used short term (5 days), provided kidney and liver function is good. An adequate dose is essential, or the meloxicam is likely to be ineffective and your rabbit will still show signs of being in pain.
And your rabbit may need it for longer than a few days, if you are still seeing signs that your rabbit is still experiencing pain from the mouth sores and dental procedure. If you don't have enough meloxicam for as long as your rabbit needs it, I'd suggest phoning your vet and requesting to pick up some more of it.

https://www.vgr1.com/metacam/

https://www.veterinary-practice.com/article/meloxicam-as-analgesic-for-rabbits

An example of dosage. My 1.7kg elderly rabbit was on 0.5ml (of the 1.5mg/ml suspension) twice daily, long term for her arthritis.

 

[Darojati]

Meloxicam is the standard anti inflammatory used for mild to moderate pain in rabbits, as it works the best with the least amount of possible negative effects. But other pain meds can be used, like baby aspirin in certain circumstances, or certain narcotics for severe pain.

The dosage of meloxicam depends on how much your rabbit weighs? Also, twice daily dosing is usually better for rabbits, as rabbits metabolize the medication faster than other animals, so will start to experience pain again before 24 hours is over. Dosing every 12 hours is what's generally recommended for rabbits.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16521861/

The usual recommended dosage is 0.3-0.6mg/kg, twice daily, or around 1mg/kg per day, but up to 1.5mg/kg can be used short term (5 days), provided kidney and liver function is good. An adequate dose is essential, or the meloxicam is likely to be ineffective and your rabbit will still show signs of being in pain.
And your rabbit may need it for longer than a few days, if you are still seeing signs that your rabbit is still experiencing pain from the mouth sores and dental procedure. If you don't have enough meloxicam for as long as your rabbit needs it, I'd suggest phoning your vet and requesting to pick up some more of it.

https://www.vgr1.com/metacam/

https://www.veterinary-practice.com/article/meloxicam-as-analgesic-for-rabbits

An example of dosage. My 1.7kg elderly rabbit was on 0.5ml (of the 1.5mg/ml suspension) twice daily, long term for her arthritis.

Thanks so much for the advice. We got extra meloxicam now from the vet, and started 2x per day.. she looks good, less teary eye in the morning vs before.


here's another thing i want to seek advice...

I observe this evening that Pochi is snoring / breathing heavily, as per videos.. I know she snores when she sleeps many times and her eyes shut.. but in these videos, she's relaxed and probably kind of napping.. question is, is this something i need to be worried about?

I'm concerned as the sound is quite loud this time.. she knows i'm observing her too.

 

[JBun]

Snoring can be normal for some rabbits, while they are taking a nap. But snoring can also be a sign of a respiratory infection, particularly if this isn't something your rabbit normally does, or if the snoring is normal but unusual in some way, such as snoring sounds while the rabbit is awake and hopping around. You'll need to determine if this current snoring, is abnormal from what your rabbit normally does and sounds like.