advice and help on my bunny wheezing?

[bunnybunnybunny]

my bunny has recently recovered from an URI and after a month or two I found out her right eye has been watery and crusty from the dried up eye juice and also when she gets excited the noise of like a wheezing/whistling plays out of her nose,, I had a vet check on my bunny and they said due to her having overgrown teeth when she was young (from improper care of previous owner) her back teeth has also overgrown a bit more than normal and it has reach her nasal? which makes her eye watery and also wheeze and there is nothing to do except advising for her to eat more hay than usual and also they told me they do trim the back teeth if it overgrows more and give them a call but the price is so expensive for me that I might have to sell my kidney for it /jk but any other advice you can give me to help her less irritated and also to help her crusty eye?

[DanaNM]

If the tooth (or tooth roots) have gotten long enough to affect the eyes and sinuses, unfortunately she will need some dental work to correct the problem. At this point eating more hay won’t help.

Prices for dental procedures can vary, do you know if your vet is very confident with them? Perhaps you could get a second opinion to get another quote?

You can help the crust by applying a warm compress, but that will just help sooth and remove the gunk. The teeth will need to be dealt with to really cure the problem.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[bunnybunnybunny]

thanks, I will try using a warm towel and see if it works and I could try calling the vet tomorrow but what type of questions should I ask them about this?

[Bam]

Did the vet do dental x rays to confirm she has overgrown tooth roots?

Sometimes runny eyes and a stuffed nose mean the URI that has come back or never was fully eradicated. Its not rare for a URI to need several weeks on antibiotics to resolve.

There is no home remedy for overgrown teeth. All you can do is try to get her to eat more hay and give pain meds (meloxicam). If you have access to fresh grass that’s pesticide free, you can give that. Fresh grass wears the teeth and most buns think its yummier than hay. Start with small amounts though, so her tummy doesn’t object.

[bunnybunnybunny]

yes, they did two x rays one from the top and side,, they said thankfully the jaw alignment is alright but my bunny teeth root has overgrown by a little and from the scan maybe like a 2 cm estimate? but it is hitting her nasal spot which causes her eye to get watery and I don’t really think her URI is back again because she doesn’t have any runny/stuffed nose and also them saying her overall condition is alright but just her teeth that needs extra observation on

[LBJ10]

Depending on how the roots are, the condition may or may not be treatable. Sometimes you just have to treat the symptoms and manage as best you can. The condition in that scenario is chronic. Did the vet confirm tooth roots to be the problem via x-ray?

I do agree with Bam that you should rule out a recurring URI.

[bunnybunnybunny]

yes, the vet did two x-ray scan one from the top and one on the side, they gave closer observation saying my bunny teeth root has overgrown just a bit but it is hitting her nasal spot which causes her eyes to get watery,, would her overgrown teeth root affect her in the future? The vet told me her overall condition is fine though and she does not have any runny or stuffed nose just like a really soft wheeze/whistle when she is excited and sometimes there is no noise at all,,

[LBJ10]

But her teeth are good? I have experience with “perfect” teeth and overgrown roots. It isn’t a common condition in rabbits though. Typically, a rabbit with tooth root problems has other tooth-related problems like overgrown teeth, spurs, etc. This condition is much more common in chinchillas. Unfortunately, they seem to do a lot worse with it. Aside from extraction, there is no cure for tooth root elongation once it occurs. However, progression can be slowed with proper diet (hay) so the teeth wear properly. Long term maintenance also includes treatment of the secondary symptoms. Pain medications are often prescribed. Tooth roots in the sinuses can also lead to infections, which are just treated as they occur. Eye discharge can become more or less chronic.

NOTE: If the rabbit has other tooth problems, they need to be addressed (filed, etc) first. Misaligned teeth and uneven surfaces cause a lot of problems… but they also cause tooth root elongation to progress.

[bunnybunnybunny]

well i am not so sure about that but my bunny had overgrown front teeth when she was young (1 month old) and got I it trimmed at the vet once she’s in my care and her front teeth has been doing fine till now,, i recently added more hay than usual so hopefully it helps wear it down or do you think I should just ask the vet to trim her back teeth before it gets worse,, my bunny had no past mouth infection or anything that shows her mouth hurting inside and even when she had URI she did not drool and has always been eating well so well she stole my salad when I was washing the dishes,, for her eye discharge i have been cleaning it with a damp q tip to remove her crusts but it would crust up again in 30 minutes or less lol

[bunnybunnybunny]

hope this shows but here’s how my bunny eyes look like,, first eye which is the right side is crusty and the second pic is her left eye which is normal

[caption id="attachment_1955039" align="alignnone" width="1280"] crusty eye[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1955040" align="alignnone" width="1280"] normal eye[/caption]

[DanaNM]

If untreated it will continue to get worse and cause more problems.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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