HRS Article: Rabbit Teeth Problems
Q. My rabbit Dusty has been needing his teeth clipped on a regular basis. He is 3 years old now. My vet cheerfully does this for me, but I am wondering if it makes sense to extract these front teeth? Is there anything I should consider, such as his age? He is otherwise very healthy.
A. Dusty sounds like he has malocclusion (the teeth don’t meet properly) of the incisors. This problem can be caused by genetics (especially in short faced breeds like lops and dwarfs), trauma and chronic tooth root infection. The incisors of rabbits grow throughout his/her life and if the teeth don’t wear properly on each other they will continue to grow. Overgrown teeth not only get in the way of a rabbit picking up his\her food, but the tips of the teeth may grow into the lip or gums which is very painful. In addition, the molars may become malocclused which can result in painful tooth spurs and mouth ulcers. If the overgrown incisors are not kept trimmed, the bunny is unable to eat and can literally starve to death.
Short term treatment for incisor malocclusion is to trim the teeth every few weeks for the rest of the rabbit’s life. Some rabbits tolerate this well while others become very stressed during the procedure. Incisors are very brittle and if proper instruments are not used to cut them, they can splinter and crack well below the gum line opening the door to potentially serious tooth root infections. The best tool for tooth removal is a dental burr or a grinding disk on a Dremel drill. The use of dog nail trimmers to trim teeth can easily result in fractures and infection. Many people find it difficult to trim the teeth themselves which necessitates a trip to the veterinarian or other experienced person. Repeated trips can be costly. Even when the malocclused teeth are trimmed, they are not used by the rabbit. Instead they use their prehensile lips to pick up food.
Tooth extraction is fairly straightforward. The method your veterinarian may use for anesthesia and extraction may vary. There is usually minimal bleeding during the procedure. Some veterinarians prefer to keep the pet overnight while others will release them the same day. This may depend on the condition of the bunny and the speed of his or her postsurgical recovery. Occasionally a pet will need to be syringe fed for a day or two. Pain medication may be prescribed for a day or two after surgery. Amazingly enough, in our experience, most rabbits are eating solid food again within six hours of the procedure! Afterwards rabbits can eat everything that they ate before. You may have to tear greens into chunks, and many rabbits can’t eat carrots even if they are cut up. Hay does not have to be broken up and pellets are easily picked up by the lips. Do not cut food into tiny pieces as this size is very difficult for them to pick up. There should be no reason to feed a liquid diet. You should be vigilant about brushing your pet and keeping the anal area clean. He or she will no longer have those front teeth for grooming.
While postsurgical complications are uncommon, they can include regrowth of the teeth, infections of the tooth roots and anesthetic complication. The incisor roots of the rabbit are very long (more than twice the length of the visible part of the tooth) and soft. With removal, the root may not come out in its entirety. Usually within six weeks it has grown out again and a second removal can be done. Tooth root infections after surgery are rare, but can be managed with cultures and appropriate antibiotic therapy. Advantages of the surgery to the rabbit and the person, far outweigh any potential rare complications. We have seen lethargic rabbits that couldn’t keep weight on get a new lease on life when their abnormal incisors were removed.