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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A How often is tooth trimming supposed to be?:

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    • Lacy
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        Hi, I’m Lacy and new…..I’ve had a lop eared bunny for five years now. He’s pretty tiny. Probably almost four pounds. I’ve taken him to the vet each year for the past three years. The first year (3 years ago), the vet caught some pointy back teeth and suggested teeth trimming. I knew something was wrong with his teeth because he had been occasionally spitting out food. Then the next two years, the vet said my rabbit’s teeth were aligned and not overgrown. I give my rabbit: hay, veggies (I’m a vegetarian), and pellets. The real question is: how come my rabbit doesn’t need another back teeth trimming? Am I doing something wrong? I thought bunnies teeth continuously grow and need trimming or something like that? 

         


      • Beka27
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        16016 posts Send Private Message

          Funny you should bring this up, we’ve had a couple recent threads about teeth trimming.

          You’re right that they’re teeth keep growing, and USUALLY once it’s an issue, it continues to be an issue. Frequency will vary from bun to bun, but it’s not typically a one time thing.

          In one of the threads however, a forum leader (moderator) mentioned that when she adopted her rabbit at a few years old, she needed her back teeth trimmed, and it has not been an issue since. So it’s not IMPOSSIBLE.

          The important thing is that you’re aware of the situation and he is having yearly vet checks. Do you see the same vet that did the trimming on him a few years ago? My advice would be to just stay aware of what he’s eating, make sure he gets plenty of hay (that’s important for all of our buns!), and if you notice any changes, follow up with the vet.


        • Beka27
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          16016 posts Send Private Message

            Welcome to BB by the way!


          • Sarita
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              Like Beka mentioned it truly does vary greatly.

              I’ve had rabbits who have never ever needed tooth trims and I’ve had rabbits who have needed trims monthly or every 2 to 3 months. Many times the dental problem is genetic or due to dental disease (like abscesses).

              I’ve never heard of rabbits who initially needing trimmings (at least for the first 3 years) and then not need them but I guess that’s not impossible :~) And it sounds to me like you are doing something right because you don’t want to have your rabbit need teeth trims on a regular basis if it can be helped.


            • RabbitPam
              Moderator
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                Spockie had never had a tooth problem until he was 6 or 7 years old. When she trimmed them, she thought it would be regularly every month or so. But then his teeth stopped growing, so she didn’t need to continue after that. (He lived to be 8.) My vet told me that geriatric bunnies finally have their teeth stop growing – not at a specific age but generally – after growing continually up until that point, so that’s why it happened that way.

                Hay is still the very best way to control the teeth. Many vets will work with you (financially) if you need routine, aka monthly/2-3xmonth, trimmings.


              • Elrohwen
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                  Like the others said, it’s very individual. Some rabbits need it for life and others don’t. My girl had it done at 3 years old when I first adopted her. She just turned 7 and has had perfect teeth since. I don’t know how much hay she was eating at her first home so it’s possible a change in diet helped, or it’s possible that it was a one time thing and then her teeth were able to stay ground down on their own.

                  The average rabbit shouldn’t need to have their teeth trimmed ever because their teeth are designed to be worn down properly as they eat hay. Teeth trimming is only needed by bunnies who have fundamentally misaligned teeth, who don’t get enough hay, or for other specific reasons.


                • LittlePuffyTail
                  Moderator
                  18092 posts Send Private Message

                    Bunnies usually let you know when they need their teeth trimmed. My bunny Bindi usually loses weight, eats less hay and starts having extra cecals and mushy poop wads when his teeth are bothering him. So I would just monitor for any changes in diet/weight/poops.


                  • HaileyNana
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                      I have a 12 yo Dutch male, Sasha. He’s a handsome old man who’s still getting around the house like he’s 7. His teeth were ground when he was 5 as suggested by my vet. He has recently been sneezing frequently so I took him in fearing an upper respiratory infection, he was treated with enroflaxin just in case. He finished the meds and he’s still sneezing, some discharge in corners of eyes. Vet checked his teeth said the teeth could be the cause. I’m afraid he may die in surgery due to his age.


                    • Bam
                      Moderator
                      16838 posts Send Private Message

                        Hi HaileyNana!

                        This is an old thread, and we ask our members to start new threads, even if the topic has been up before. I will put together a PM to you about how to start your own thread.

                        I’ll then be locking this old thread.

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                    Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A How often is tooth trimming supposed to be?: