Teeth issue/not eating enough hay

[Ayten]

Hey guys, I was just checking Caspers teeth and I noticed his top teeth have gone abit weird. The edges of his top teeth have gotten a little bit longer and pointy and the middle bit is shorter, sort of looks concave. What exactly will the vet need to do to fix it? is there something I can do here at home for him? What exactly would be the reasons as to why this happened? He is not big on eating hay and i’m thinking maybe that’s why this has happened. I feel so bad, like i’ve failed and i’m really worried about him, he’s one in a couple months and he’s already having a problem like this. When I first got him he use to love eating his oaten hay and now he just picks at it, he waits around for pellets (i only give him a small amount) and vegetables. He’ll only eat his hay if I force him to eat it, by not giving him anything else, it usually take’s him a while to give in and eat the hay. I’ve tried meadow hay but switched back to oaten because I had more luck with him eating the oaten. He’s not big on chewing sticks and stuff either (unless it’s my shoes lol), so i really don’t know what to do. Is there any way I can get him to be more eager to eat more hay like he use to? what type of hay do your rabbits prefer? How can I get him to chew on things for his teeth?

I tried taking pictures of his teeth so you can see. He started getting stressed out, so this one is the best I could do.

[Bam]

Incisor malocclusion in a young rabbit is most often due to genetics –  ie it is not caused by eating to little hay. That makes sense, because rabbits only use their incisors to pull hay into their mouth, not to actually chew the hay. They grind the hay with their molars. 

http://www.mypetsdentist.com/rabbit-incisor-malocclusion.pml

A vet can clip or burr the incisors to the right shape. It’s not sth you should do yourself, because there’s a big risk of causing cracks or in some other way making the problem worse if you’re not experienced/trained. 

I don’t know if your bun’s incisors are “bad” enough to warrant a trim. Anyway, this is NOT sth you caused. 

As for hay, it can be tricky to get them to eat enough. They need it for their tummies and for their molars. My buns like oat, other buns prefer orchard or botanical. All types of grassy hay are equal in fibre, it’s just alfalfa hay you should avoid (too rich for a bun that’s not a baby). You often have to try many types of hay before you find one that your bun likes. 

The incisor-problem might be the reason why he’s not keen on eating sticks or twigs. Or you just haven’t found sth he likes. My buns love apple twigs and willow. If you get fresh twigs, make sure they’re not treated with pesticides. 

[Author]

Messages