QuestionHello. I have another question about my rabbit, Simon, who recently suffered from GI stasis. Once he started losing weight, I got aggressive about feeding him (syringe and TONS of greens), and he is now doing a lot better. I gave him bene-bac, and he seems to be getting back to his old self. EXCEPT that he doesn't seem to want to eat, and seems to be in pain sometimes (tilts his head to the side and closes his eyes and seems very still and tense). I took him to the vet already, and she took his x-rays and gave him pain medication, but otherwise didn't seem to help much (though even that was a blessing at the time...he was very sick then). She said she was an exotic pet doctor, but didn't seem very confident in what she was doing, and didn't do very much to check Simon out.
I have read what you have said, and am starting to believe you about a molar problem (sorry, it is just that it is no small inconvenience to take him to the vet again, for more money, and especially so far away). He has a wet chin now, and chews slowly. He also is very frantic about me coming to the cage, and has started punching me. So I called the NEAREST vet from the www.rabbit.org/vets site (94 miles away), and they said they could do teeth trimming, but without anesthesia, because it can be "tricky" with rabbits. I don't see that this is a good thing; from what I've read, you can't really do a good job without putting them under, and in fact, can do a great deal of damage to the soft tissue. Is this vet a good idea, or should I look for another?
Thanks,
Heather
AnswerDear Heather,
I will eat my hat if he doesn't have molar problems. And it sounds as if they are BAD ones. Please don't wait to get this treated, and find a vet who will use anesthesia to get deep into the mouth--not a vet who thinks rabbit anesthesia is "tricky" (it's not! And if they aren't any good with rabbit anesthesia, then I'd really doubt they were good with tooth filings!)
Please check the vet listings at
www.rabbit.org/vets
If you love Simon, and I know you do, you'll do this without delay, before the problem becomes very serious. It sounds as if he has a very bad molar problem that needs to be addressed NOW.
Dana