Bunny Dental Care experiences?

[kralspace]

I’ve been reading in bits and pieces about having a bun’s front teeth removed here and wanted to ask about your experiences and roughly how much it costs, providing of course you have a vet who is comfortable doing it.

My Toby was rescued by the shelter from someone who let him almost starve to death. His upper and lower teeth were very, very long and curved, intertwined so they pretty much kept his mouth from opening much and 2 were actually growing through his lips. The poor baby was having food placed in front of him and he couldn’t eat it.

I took him to foster and couldn’t bear to let him go back (not that my girl Pringles would have allowed him to leave anyway…lol) ,so we go to a local vet who clips his teeth every 3-4 weeks. Sometimes it goes without a hitch and he just binkies and chows down when he gets home and sometimes you can tell it was more stressful for him.

What is a rough cost estimate to have both the uppers and lowers removed? Do you think your buns do better afterwards with the teeth gone? I’ve been reading how they learn to pull food in with their lips and all so I’m not that concerned about that as much as is the experience of having it done worse than the monthly clipping. Just trying to think what would be best for Toby.

I was reading the articles that were posted on the forum and they were fascinating.

Kathy

 

[Sarita]

North Texas Rabbit Sanctuary has had this done for many rabbits and it’s not cheap – around $800 I believe but if you factor in the cost for the nail trims it may come out the same in the long run.

You do have to cut up their greens for them when they have the front teeth removed.

Dr. Effie does not do this – she does not have the equipment – Dr. Patenburg has done this many times for us and she did our last one.

[kralspace]

that’s true, I pay $12 a visit (some vets wanted $55 each time) so that’s around $144 a year, plus the going and coming to the vet each month. Let’s see, if I could learn to do my own nails, at $12 a rabbit too…..

[Nicci607]

oh noh!! poor Toby!!

how could they not notice that he couldn’t eat?!!???

Get betta!! Toby!!

xx

 

 

[MooBunnay]

I think that because you are thinking about what is best for Toby, whatever you end up doing will be a good decision! I am wondering how a bunny with no front teeth does with hay? As far as I can tell my bunnies seem to cut the hay into littler pieces with their front teeth, but it sounds like Toby has already had some experience using his back teeth more than his front, and would probably be able to deal with not having front teeth better than an average bunny.

[Beka27]

this is something to seriously consider. money aside… i would much prefer to undergo a surgery and be done with it than to have to go into the doctor for an unpleasant procedure every month. i’ve read that you have to cut the hay up into smaller pieces, but depending on where you get your hay, there might already be smaller pieces in it. maybe talk to your vet and see what they recommend…

[kralspace]

You’re right, Toby does very well adapting his eating, he’s very sleek and beautiful.

The first time I saw him at the shelter, they had just brought him in and hadn’t gotten him to the vet yet and it was a shock. He was a dusty gray (as in the hair looked dead) absolute skin and bones and his long twisted teeth looked like tangled spaghetti with 2 of them sticking through his lips. At first glance it looked like his lips had been zip-tied. He just sat in the corner with his eyes closed ignoring everything around him.

They had called me since I had been there several times looking for a companion for Pringles, and asked if I would foster him once they had his teeth clipped and a vet check and how could anyone turn that baby down.

When I went to get him 5 days later, I thought they had given me the wrong rabbit, he was already shedding the dead hair and was sitting up looking around, all he needed was some food.

When I get close to the condo now with their food basket, he’s sitting up on his butt like a dog waving his front paws…lol

[Sarita]

I don’t think they usually have problems with the hay I think it’s more the veggies.

[kralspace]

I do notice he likes the longer strands of hay, sits and winds it in like spaghetti. I tear their veggies, especially the lettuce, into smaller pieces than I do the other buns since I figure he can’t bite off pieces with the teeth mis aligned and he does pretty well.

He’s a sweet boy (and never catches any blame for chewing things…lol)

[Beka27]

that’s a very touching story kralspace. i can see why he just captured your heart.

[Author]

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