Rabbit possible swallowing of broken teeth

Question
Hi there Dr. Dana.

I've read the "The internet is not a place to look for during an emergency" thing, but it's all i can do at the moment.

This morning, i've noticed that our 6 weeks old rabbit has an overgrown right incisor tooth (or whatever it is called)... And was planning on taking her to a general vet for possible clipping. But minutes later, it just snapped off while she was biting a bar on her cage. I failed to find the broken piece since it was full of hay. If ever she swallowed it, what could be the implications and what can i do to help her? she's acting a little strange. she's sleeping in a position not she used to do anymore.

i am really very worried. thnx!

Answer
Dear Ryan,

If the piece was rather long, then it's very unlikely she swallowed it.  She would more likely have mouthed it for a while, and then spat it out.  I'm betting that broken piece is still out there, hidden in the hay somewhere.

If she *did* swallow it, the main danger would be choking.  If the piece was very sharp, there's the outside chance it could injure the stomach or intestine.  But it's also quite possible that it will pass through uneventfully.  Just be sure she eats plenty of hay and wet greens to buffer anything sharp.

You can use these protocols to see if she's feeling sick:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sickbun.html

and if you are really worried,  you can take her to a rabbit-savvy vet:

www.rabbit.org/vets

who can radiograph her abdomen to see if there is a tooth fragment big enough to potentially cause harm.

But my guess is that she's a little sore from snapping off the tooth, and that the fragment wasn't swallowed.  I hope that's all it is.

Dana