Teeth Problems

Momto3boys · Oct 29, 2010

Most of you probably never read my post about one of the pet stores here (well it's over an hr away) and their rabbits. I know the guy quite well since hubby buys alot fo his saltwater stuff from this guy but his small pets are always in bad shape.

Well a few weeks ago he had 2 Holland Lops in a 20 gallon tank with NO food or water, both bunnies were begging everyone that walked by for food, it was so sad, once I got looking at the brown and white one I noticed his bottom tooth was sooooo long that he he couldn't close his mouth

I was in tears but the retard girl that was working there wouldn't get off the phone, I left and called the SPCA the next day, called 3 times nobody answered, even called their emergency # and nobody answered and nobody returned my calls....grrrr

Anyways we went there today, well we had to go to that town because hubby was getting something someplace else and I wanted to go check on the bunnies. I was shocked to see that they were both there and had food and water (no hay though), the owner was there this time and I told Craig I was going to ask about the bunnies to see if he would be honest about the teeth problems. He told me they were $29.99 each but the brown and white one has bottom teeth problems that need to be trimmed, he told me he would give her to me for free :shock:I was shocked that he was honest.

Now I didn't take her. For one thing she is sooooooo bonded (you should have seen them cuddling) with the other bunny in there I would have had to get both, and another I don't know enough or have any experience with teeth problems.

Once trimmed will they stay normal as long as they have the proper stuff to chew on (like hay for instance) or will they constantly have teeth problems for the rest of their life? She was eating, drinking and there was no tears around her eyes, she wasn't drooling and she looks completly healthy besides the one bottom tooth (only one tooth grows long).

I'm more curious thany anything, I really am not ready to add another bunny, I would like to get Snickers fixed and trained first..but I thought I would ask.

Luvmyzoocrew · Oct 29, 2010

Teeth problem could be from a number of things, genetics, bad and improper diet and lack of chewing things to wear down the teeth properly, an injury to the jaw making the teeth misalligned. Having said that it is not a death sentence for a rabbit who has Malocclusion and the rabbit can live a happy healthy life, or it can be riddled with problems due to the teeth.

There are ways that this can be dealt with, if it is due to improper diet then a good diet with lots of variety cold do the rabbit good. If it is not diet then taking the rabbit for regular teeth trimmings will help. Then there is the possibility of having the teeth removed, the surgery and recovery have its risks but a rabbit can live without the front teeth or even without all the teeth.

I had Sooty who had Malo and had to go every 4-6 to have his teeth trimmed, I did learn how to do it but didnt do it for very long cause it was hard for me and stressed "ME" out to much,lol. I did look into getting his teeth removed but he didnt tolerate the anesthesia well so we didnt go through with it. He lived with me for 1 1/2 years with me and eventually had to be put to sleep for something that didnt relate to his teeth.

The rabbits future is good with an owner who is willing to make the commitment financially and the time commitment in keeping up with teeth trimming and being watchful for other problems resulting from the teeth.

That is so sad that they are letting that rabbit sit there and no one has taken it to the vet to have the teeth issue looked at, and that they are going to possibly sell the rabbit with that type of problem to an unsuspecting owner who is not ready for that type of commitment

Momto3boys · Oct 29, 2010

Thanks Fran, I actually remembered that Sooty had teeth problems :hug2:

I don't know what to do, I can handle it financially but I don't know if I can handle it emotionally. His teeth was normal today, he said he was trimming them himself.

I don't know what to do :cry2

Luvmyzoocrew · Oct 29, 2010

well i hope if he is trimming them himself he has learned what to do. Trimming them yourself can be done but you have to be shown what to do and how to do it. Also with Malo you have to have them checked out for their back teeth also , if the front teeth aren't aligned then the back ones can get points on them causing abscesses in the back. With the back teeth they have to be put under and have them filed, with the front ones they don't necessarily have to be put under. some will argue and say that they should, and some say you can just get them clipped, you have to weigh the stress on the rabbit, the risk of everything.

I dont know what to tell you Brandy,lol.

Having Sooty with the teeth problems I was a lil stressed about it because i was always worrying about him getting abscess , or something happening when they were getting clipped. He handled the traveling to and from the vet really good so that wasn't a concern for me. I was not going to have him put under for his teeth because the anesthesia was too much of risk in my opinion where others would say it is too much of a risk not to,lol.

You must let us know when you get them,lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!