Teeth trimming

[Season]

Hello everyone.
I just rescued an adorable male bunny he is approx 4 years old. He has been getting regular trims for his front and back teeth where he was living. He is use to it and does very well when they are done. The rescue told me that the front are done quick with a special tool. The back teeth they said are done for him under sedation he has never been required to stay over or need medications after this.

I have the records and have taken him to a vet by me they are telling me $1000 for the back teeth to be trimmed. I keep explained that it’s not surgery that he has had in the past. I contacted the rescue they said the most should be between 150-250 for the teeth.

I am wondering if this is correct? I am so frustrated and confused at this time. I love this little man already but I can’t do $1000 every couple of months.

would having the back teeth removed completely be an option? Would he be ok without them?

any advice would be greatly appreciated

thank you.

 

[Mariam+Theo]

Rabbits can not have their back teeth removed because that is how they chew. You would have to syringe feed him critical care for the rest of his life. For the money situation, I would bring him in, and ask the vet in person. Maybe get the rescue to call the vet and explain?

 

[Blue eyes]

Does the rescue know which vet had been doing his teeth regularly before? Perhaps they are near enough that you could go to the same vet.

 

[Season]

Does the rescue know which vet had been doing his teeth regularly before? Perhaps they are near enough that you could go to the same vet.

I am in contact with the rescue and they are trying to reach out to have the vet speak with the new vet I am going to.

hopefully it will be helpful. I am just so upset and frustrated

 

[Season]

Rabbits can not have their back teeth removed because that is how they chew. You would have to syringe feed him critical care for the rest of his life. For the money situation, I would bring him in, and ask the vet in person. Maybe get the rescue to call the vet and explain?

Thank you so much. Does the amount even sound right for this?

 

[Mariam+Theo]

Thank you so much. Does the amount even sound right for this?

1,000 does sound like a lot of money for teeth trimming. All that adds up to a ton of money every year.

 

[Season]

1,000 does sound like a lot of money for teeth trimming. All that adds up to a ton of money every year.

When I spoke with the rescue they said that his front teeth are done at a regular visit which should be at most $40 and that the back ones are done less often but he does get sedated and it’s usually between 150-250.
I fell in love with this little guy he has had a tough couple of years and was left at the rescue cause no one wanted to deal with his teeth. When they told me the information I was ok with it but now I am choking on the $1000 I don’t know what to do.

 

[somebunnylovesme]

$1000 dollars is very pricey. It usually costs for the back molars $100-$300. It also depends if on how bad the situation. If there were spurs on the back molars digging into the tongue or cheeks they would charge more for administering medication etc.. and send the rabbit home with more extensive meds. For my rabbit to have a molar trim for it cost $175 with anesthetic, sub-aqueous fluids and medicam for home care.

 

[Season]

$1000 dollars is very pricey. It usually costs for the back molars $100-$300. It also depends if on how bad the situation. If there were spurs on the back molars digging into the tongue or cheeks they would charge more for administering medication etc.. and send the rabbit home with more extensive meds. For my rabbit to have a molar trim for it cost $175 with anesthetic, sub-aqueous fluids and medicam for home care.

Thank you so much. I am waiting to hear back from the rescue and I have another vet appt next Tuesday to see. But right now it’s looking like it might be cheaper to drive an hour and half to the original vet he was going to.

 

[Mariam+Theo]

Thank you so much. I am waiting to hear back from the rescue and I have another vet appt next Tuesday to see. But right now it’s looking like it might be cheaper to drive an hour and half to the original vet he was going to.

Going to the original vet would be best because they have already worked with him before.

 

[Mehidk]

Thank you so much. I am waiting to hear back from the rescue and I have another vet appt next Tuesday to see. But right now it’s looking like it might be cheaper to drive an hour and half to the original vet he was going to.

I would go back to them. As nice as it is to go to someone closer to home, taking him to the vet that originally took care of the teeth would be so much easier instead of starting over with a new one. They have a history with him already.

 

[Season]

I would go back to them. As nice as it is to go to someone closer to home, taking him to the vet that originally took care of the teeth would be so much easier instead of starting over with a new one. They have a history with him already.

Yes I am hoping that we can figure it out. I live on Long Island so I would need to go to Connecticut so hopefully they can work everything out. thank you for all your advice and help

 

[Season]

Going to the original vet would be best because they have already worked with him before.

Definitely agree. Hoping they can help and work everything out.
Thank you for your advice.

 

[Cloverhouse]

Since he's used to it and tolerates it well, you can save yourself some money doing his front teeth at home. It's not hard. You can use one of those good quality toe nail clippers that are shaped like pliers, or a pair of curved wire clippers. I've had rabbits that needed their teeth done regularly. Maybe watch the vet do it once and then consider whether you would feel competent to take it on.

I don't have any experience with rear teeth issues. That is a crazy amount of money, but around here most vets consider rabbits "exotics" and charge a crazy amount for anything rabbit related.

 

[John Wick]

I am not personally experienced with trimming teeth myself, but I know that many people advise against trimming the front teeth yourself, especially with nail clippers or other types of clippers. I am sure the likelihood of bad outcomes is dependent on skill, but generally speaking, clipping instead of grinding may cause lateral splits down the teeth, leading to air pockets where bacteria can grow and infect the tooth and gum. Again, this is what I've heard from my vets and other owners, rather than personal experience.

One of my rabbits had a year when he was still growing where he did teeth grindings once a month. $1000 is a ridiculous price for it. Even at the most expensive vet, it was only $350, with the cheapest being $125. If a facility is charging $1000, I actually wonder about their experience with the procedure, their pricing margins, and their rate of success.

 

[Niomi]

I fostered 5 rabbits from the same family and they all had teeth problems. For a full dental a few years ago cost $150 - $250. One vet showed me how to trim the front teeth with a wire cutter. She warned me that if the tool was not sharp enough, it could split the tooth in half, causing worse problems. There are people that use a dremel saw, but that takes a special technique to do safely without pain. Sometimes the front teeth are removed if the problem is bad enough, but not the back teeth. Back teeth can get spurs on them, which need to be taken off. If a rabbit eats enough hay, it is unlikely that they will develop spurs.

If this were my rabbit, I would have a full dental done and work on getting my rabbit to eat hay. I would not make permanent decisions like removing teeth until you see how well the dental worked. Your rabbit's teeth may have gotten bad from neglect. The best thing you can do for your rabbit's teeth is make sure he has plenty of hay.

 

[somebunnylovesme]

I fostered 5 rabbits from the same family and they all had teeth problems. For a full dental a few years ago cost $150 - $250. One vet showed me how to trim the front teeth with a wire cutter. She warned me that if the tool was not sharp enough, it could split the tooth in half, causing worse problems. There are people that use a dremel saw, but that takes a special technique to do safely without pain. Sometimes the front teeth are removed if the problem is bad enough, but not the back teeth. Back teeth can get spurs on them, which need to be taken off. If a rabbit eats enough hay, it is unlikely that they will develop spurs.

If this were my rabbit, I would have a full dental done and work on getting my rabbit to eat hay. I would not make permanent decisions like removing teeth until you see how well the dental worked. Your rabbit's teeth may have gotten bad from neglect. The best thing you can do for your rabbit's teeth is make sure he has plenty of hay.

Rabbits that are the best hay eaters in the world can still develop issues with their back teeth. Malocclusion can happen in older rabbits due to arthritis. Also malocclusion, misaligned teeth can also be due to genetics.

 

[Niomi]

Rabbits that are the best hay eaters in the world can still develop issues with their back teeth. Malocclusion can happen in older rabbits due to arthritis. Also malocclusion, misaligned teeth can also be due to genetics.

So true. My poor fosters suffered from genetic problems, which could be seen on an x-ray. A veterinarian dentist was consulted with the last remaining rabbit. We were told that he could help the poor rabbit, but if the rabbit did not start eating hay, it wouldn't do any good. Rabbits can have good teeth that go bad from not eating hay, so I would want to rule that out before doing a more aggressive treatment. This is a rescue, so I am guessing that much of his history is unknown. Season makes no mention of why the rabbit is having back teeth problems, so I was just guessing that it is an unknown cause.

 

[somebunnylovesme]

So true. My poor fosters suffered from genetic problems, which could be seen on an x-ray. A veterinarian dentist was consulted with the last remaining rabbit. We were told that he could help the poor rabbit, but if the rabbit did not start eating hay, it wouldn't do any good. Rabbits can have good teeth that go bad from not eating hay, so I would want to rule that out before doing a more aggressive treatment. This is a rescue, so I am guessing that much of his history is unknown. Season makes no mention of why the rabbit is having back teeth problems, so I was just guessing that it is an unknown cause.

Then there are rabbits that never have a piece of hay etc.. and are on a only pellet diet that never have teeth issue. Not even in their old age.

 

[Niomi]

Then there are rabbits that never have a piece of hay etc.. and are on a only pellet diet that never have teeth issue. Not even in their old age.

Genetic may have a lot to do with it. But there is no way Season can do genetic testing to find out what the outcome of a dental is going to be.