malocclusion, an affordable permanent treatment

Question
QUESTION: Breed: Im not sure but when i got him he had blue grey eyes and now he has grey eyes, is all white and quite large. No temperament as well.

Male, 3 years old, he isn't neutered or spayed, his both indoors and outdoors, no wires in his "area" hes put in a room with a solid floor and has a carpet and hay to sleep on.


My rabbit has had a case of malocclusion three times now in his back teeth the this year.

The first was treated, i took him to the vet and almost fainted at the bill ($350), the second i changed his diet to strictly hay, compressed hay cubes and gnawing things it went away and he was lively once again.

Now a few months later my rabbit has been showing the same symptoms as before.

What do i do?
I cant afford his dental work every 2-3 months.

ANSWER: Hi Olivia:

Tooth malocclusion in rabbits is a genetic disorder.  This trait was passed down to your bunny from one of its parents.  It is not diet related and diet cant fix it.   Changing the rabbits feed to hay will not control the problem (as you learned) and a hay only diet will ultimately lead to other problems from a nutrient deficiency.

When a malocclusion occurs in the rabbits front teeth, it's very easily managed by regular clipping of the teeth, which you can do at home.

When it occurs on the back teeth, its a much bigger problem.  Your choices are to have the vet trim the teeth while the rabbit is under anesthesia every few months as you've already done or have the problem teeth extracted (pulled out).  Extraction is the only permanent solution and ultimately, much cheaper than having a dental treatment every 3 months for the rest of your bunnies life.  It is very easy to modify the rabbits feed so that its a mash which he can eat without back teeth.

While the malocclusion might seem like more of a nuisance than a serious problem - it can be fatal.  Since the teeth leave the gums at an angle, they form pockets at the gum line where things such as feces, feed, hay, etc. get stuck. Without regular cleanings, these materials will get stuck, get under the gum line causing an infection, then turn to an abscess.  If the infection gets into the bloodstream, it can actually cause organ failure and the rabbit could die from it.

Many people in this situation choose to have the rabbit humanely put to sleep as the cost for regular dental trimmings or an extraction is out of their budget.

Whatever you choose, I wish you the best for you and your bunny.  I realize this is a very difficult situation to be in.

Lisa L.
BunnyGal.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Lisa,

I would like to thank you so much for your reply it very much helped me, especially with feeding him as he has started to eat more now.

I have tried to contact a local vet and unfortunately they do not specialize in rabbits and i had decided not to proceed with the was wondering if i do allow them to extract the back teeth would there be a chance of them growing back?

I cant help but worry about what the procedure is and Im also worried about the medication or sedative/pain killer they would use since they are not specialists, i understand rabbits are very fragile and mine has lost a fair bit of weight because of his teeth.I was hoping you could share some insight so to ease my worries and double check with my vet.

Thankyou

Olivia

Answer
Hi Olivia:

First, I would like to apologize for the delay in answering your question.  I had clicked on an image which was in a question asked by another person and the image was actually a link to a virus which disabled my computer for the past week. I lost EVERYTHING I had.  Both sad and frustrating. I'm back, with a new and virus free computer and ready to start helping again. :)

If the teeth are removed, they will not grow back.  Rabbits do not have a second set of teeth.

The procedure to have the teeth removed would likely cost well over $1000.00, which for most is not affordable.  After that, your bunny would need to be on a very special diet and would need supplements for the remainder of its life.

Rabbits are hind-gut fermenters and need both short-chain and long-chain fiber to maintain a proper level of healthy gut bacteria and intestinal flora.  Once the teeth are removed, the rabbit will be unable to chew the food that offer the types of fiber it needs. There is also risk of putting the rabbit under anesthesia.  Normally the anesthesia is given by a mask over the nose/face, but since the surgery would require the mouth to be open, they would have to administer the anesthesia by IV, which has risks.

I realize how much you care for your bunny and you want nothing more than for him to be happy and healthy, but unfortunately he is a victim of poor breeding and has bad teeth as a result.  You should truly consider having him put to sleep so he can be in place of peace and no discomfort.
Life is all about the quality of life and if your bunny is unable to eat properly and has teeth that are continuously grinding together to the point where he's losing weight, then that's not a good quality of life.  This is a case where there are no good options available.

I wish I had something more positive I could tell you, but my responsibility is to always be honest, no matter how hard it is sometimes.  I hate having to give sad news :(

Best wishes; I know you'll do what's right for your bunny.  You've done a wonderful job caring for him.