Wave mouth treatment

[Desiree]

My bunny Tobe a few months back got an eye infection. We took him to the vet for diagnosis and treatment. He was given antibiotics and the infection cleared and hasn’t returned. We were told the cause of the infection was due to his left molars being uneven. They described it as wave mouth. We were told he needs a tooth trimming or this would keep coming back. Well it hasn’t. And Tobe has shown zero signs of pain and is plump as ever. We didn’t get his teeth trimmed because we lost a bunny under anesthesia and vowed to never put another bunny under unless it was completely necessary. We had Tobe tested up and down and even got tests to check heart and other organ function to make sure he could handle the anesthesia. They found no issues. We are still hesitant that he requires surgery. He was not eating much hay and we have taken him in probably 3 different times for that issue alone. I’m sure that’s why his teeth are uneven. However we switched to alfalfa hay for him because he LOVES it and now eats tons of hay. Does anyone know if slight overgrowth can be treated with diet change alone? Both the vets we saw said no. We will be taking him in soon for a check up to see how the teeth are looking. Also does anyone have any advice on when it’s time to get a trim done? I don’t trust my vets completely. I don’t want to let my baby suffer but I also don’t want to put him through something so risky if it isn’t necessary.

[Wick & Fable]

Firstly, if you don’t trust your vet, I suggest finding another one if possible. Trusting your vet is a vital step, almost as vital as finding a rabbit-experienced vet. A healthy vet-owner relationship makes it easier to communicate and discuss treatments. Any tension can cause hesistation to express differing opinions or symptoms, so it’s important you’re comfortable with your vet.

I’m sorry to hear you lost a lovely bun to an anesthetic procedure. Personal experience weighs heavy on the mind, but do keep in mind many rabbits go through anesthetic procedures and recover well. You’ve also done due diligence and making sure Tobe is healthy enough to take it as well.

I am confused on how wave mouth would have caused the eye infection. Did the vet mention this? My thoughts are either the discomfort from it stressed Tobe, lowering his immune system and making him susceptible to it, or the teeth are putting pressure from the inside of the mouth to the interior eyeball… Just my curiosity, because the latter would suggest a molar root problem (elongated roots), which is not necessarily wave mouth. But nevertheless I’m glad Tobe is feeling better.

To an extent, diet can trim teeth, as it does regularly. Rabbit teeth grow constantly, faster than human finger nails, so diet and chewing on safe objects is essential to keep them in check; however there are instances where human intervention is needed in order to assist. For example, a rabbit who did not have access to hay and it’s teeth have become overgrown. Introducing hay at that stage would not help because the rabbit cannot compensate for the overgrowth, so the rabbit receives a trim to get back to baseline, and diet manages it for the remainder of its life. In another instance, a rabbit’s teeth and jaw anatomy may make it impossible to properly grind and maintain all teeth, regardless of diet. Irregular shaped mouths and misaligned teeth warp a rabbit’s chewing movements, so it’s food intake is not filing all teeth- thus, human intervention is needed regularly to address the teeth the rabbit cannot.

At this point, it’s difficult to tell if diet change can compensate for wave mouth. I err to say if your vet recommended a grinding, that’s probably the best route to help your rabbit; however, if you do not trust your vet, getting another vet consult may help validate you on whatever decision you decide to make.

Is your rabbit young? Due to its dense nutrition and high calcium, alfalfa hay shouldn’t be given beyond 5-6 months because the excessive nutrients can cause some problems, including calcium build up in the gut.

Encouraging hay consumption is very important, so if you’d like some tips, it’d be helpful to know Tobe’s feeding schedule and quantities. Generally, non-hay items should be given every 12 hours to encourage the most hay consumption.

Wick gets molar grindings and incisor trimming every 5 weeks. He’s about 1.5yrs old and has had 8 grindings to date. He has recovered well after every single one, and I fully trust his vet as well.

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.

[Desiree]

Tobe is around 4. I have seen 2 vets and I’m going to see a 3rd. His last vet suggested I try the alfalfa. He gets unlimited hay and some pellets 2 times a day. Morning then night. He also gets periodic veggies throughout the day, whatever we have at the house. They couldn’t say for 100 percent The teeth caused the infection. I was told he would need an xray or ct scan to see if it is the teeth. And they wanted to put him under to get those. Hence why we haven’t yet. I guess I need to take him in and see if there is any difference since he was last seen.

[Wick & Fable]

I would say stick to presenting all his veggies once in a day, so he has a good number of hours with only hay as a food option. I don’t think alfalfa is the best choice, since again, it’s really only for younger rabbits. Alfalfa actually has lower fiber content as the other hays (as well as being high protein/calcium), so although Tobe may eat more of it, it will not do the proper gut maintenance his stomach requires at this stage of his life.

Monitoring is best. Keep with the updates if you’d like, and sending you and Tobe good vibes! An xray would be wise to get a clear image of whether teeth maintenance needs to be done regularly or just this one time. If it helps alleviate any worries, neither xrays or routine molar grindings require a long time under anethesia. Wick’s grindings take 10 minutes, I’d say.

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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