Hi,
I think it's a very accurate drawing. That is a condition called malocclusion...basically it means that the teeth don't line up properly. Since a rabbit's teeth are open rooted....they grow all the time. Contrary to what many believe...it's not how hard something is..it's how chewy something is that keeps the teeth worn down....but that only applies to teeth that properly occlude. It's the tooth on tooth contact that actually wears the teeth down....the teeth wear each other. These teeth are very hard....a piece of wood is going to do absolutely nothing to help wear these teeth down. It is possible that the problem is genetic....but with lateral malocclusion like this, the possibilty of a fractured jaw at some point in this rabbit's life has to be considered. We see broken jaws in baby squirrels that fall from their nest....it is a death sentence since they can't be released.
There are a couple of options here. You can trim these teeth every few weeks. You can use small side cutters (cutting pliers) but there is a high risk of cracking and/or shattering the tooth and that can lead to a worse occlusion issue or even an infection in the gum and that can lead to an abscess. This also makes a very ragged looking tooth. A high speed dremel can be used to grind the teeth down....this usually requires sedation since the noise is frightening and if the tool slips....it will make a huge gash. This method is much better than clipping. It won't have to be done as often since a closer cut can be made down to the gum line....and have a nice smooth cut. The best method is to extract all the offending teeth....and by your drawing, that appears to be all six incisors (four on the top and two on the bottom). Short term, this is a painful and stressful procedure. Long term....it is the best thing. After our first incisor extraction, I thought I might have made a poor decision. Even with the most aggressive narcotics, it was still a painful procedure. Things improved dramatically after 72 hours. We know now that we made a good decision as Noah no longers needs sedation every few weeks....a huge money saver and more importantly, Noah doesn't have to endure surgery every few weeks.
But to answer your direct question with a direct answer....it is much more serious than chewing wood...and in fact, chewing on wood would be of very little, if any, benefit in this situation.
Randy
In any event, I don't feel confident in having them perform the extraction, based on the feedback I've received when talking to them.
