about



















advice

my rabbit's teeth are really long. its because he has an overbite, so his teeth dont wear down.

i have tried giving him every chew block that exists, he ignores them. i try putting some honey on it, to no avail. i give him veggies, he wont eat them. uggh. all he eats is rabbit pellets.

my vet reccomended hay: doesnt help. and we have been taking him to the vet every two months to get his teeth filed down, each visit costing 100 dollars. we simply cant afford this anymore.

i was thinking of getting his four front teeth pulled out completely, so we wont have to worry about taking him to the vet every two months. has anyone had this done on their rabbit/guinea pig before? how much does it cost?

and yes i am aware that i will have to grind his food, but he will still have his back teach to chew with. (especially because all he eats is pellets and hay, he doesnt have anything to bite with is incisors like carrots and hard foods)

thanks!

I once had a gerbil with the same problem. However, gerbils teeth can easily be clipped down with kitty cat toe-nail sisscors at home, thus avoiding expensive vet visits.

Incisor removal surgery in rabbits is more complicated than simply pulling the teeth. Because rabbit's teeth are constantly growing the socket needs to be scraped after the tooth is pulled to ensure there is no regrowth. Even when done by an experienced vet, there is sometimes the chance of regrowth.

Most of the time, it would be bennifical for you(and your bunny) to get the surgery. Though your rabbit wont have any incisors, he'll compinsate by picking up food with his lips. With the removal of his teeth, he might even be more willing to eat cut up veggies, rather than /just/ pellets. He will also find it much easier to clean himself. So, to me, it does sound like the best option for both you and him.

The surgery should cost roughly around $250... but every vet is different. Just make sure that you go to a good vet, one that you can trust completely. Also, make sure to purchase the post-op medications to prevent infection.

If you have any further questions, I'm sure your vet would be more than willing to answer them for you. They would, after all, be the best source of information.

Good luck, to both you and your lil' guy.

[view]


(Rating: 5) thanks so much!! i have talked to my vet about clipping them at home, but she said that its very easy to get cracks that run all the way up the teeth and into the gums, causing infection, plus he wont let me approach his mouth. its mostly breeders that do that, and it doesnt matter if the rabbit dies, they have like forty more and no emotional attachment..
anyways thank you so much for the information!!!

<<< Previous Advice Column
Next Advice Column >>>

eXTReMe Tracker