rabbit with abscesed tooth

Question
I have a 3 1/2year old rabbit and his left cheek is swollen and when i took him to a vet they told me that its an abscesed tooth and he needs it removed. I have an appointment set for him to get it removed but will the opperation change his behavior? Will he become sad after, or will he become aggressive?
Will i have to change his diet after, or will he no longer be able to eat the treats that I give him?
what are some things that i can do to make sure his recovery goes well?  

Answer
Dear Amber,

The surgery should not change his personality, if all goes well.  I hope these vets are experienced with rabbits, because removing an abscessed molar is not a walk in the park.  If the vet you're seeing is mainly a dog/cat vet, then you MUST seek a second opinion from a rabbit-experienced vet:

www.rabbit.org/vets

It is possible that the abscess can be treated medically, rather than surgically.  Please read this article, including the links:

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

If he does go through the surgery, then ask the vets about whether they think it's also necessary to remove the opposing molar on the other jaw.  Rabbit teeth grow continually, and though sometimes growth is promoted only by the pressure of the two teeth growing, it can happen that the unchecked molar on the other side of the jaw (the bottom?) will continue to grow until it penetrates the socket of the upper tooth, creating a horrible new problem.

Be sure your vets know about this. If they don't, I would seriously consider finding another vet to do the surgery.  

Please also ask the vet about doing a culture and sensitivity test on a sample of the abscess:

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

This will ensure that the appropriate, most effective antibiotic is used to completely wipe out the infection.  Surgery alone is not likely to do this.

I hope this helps get you started.  Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana