dental bun

How do you know if you have a dental bun??
What does it mean?

4390evans wrote:How do you know if you have a dental bun??
What does it mean?

Sometimes they won't eat because they can't if they have molar spurs as they can dig in the cheeks. We have a few dental buns and we can tell when they are ready for their dentals as they start 'mouthing or chewing' as we call it. It's as if they are eating something but they are not.

If you think one of your buns needs a dental it's wise to get it checked out at the vets

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Dental_diseases/Differential/D_problems1.htm

Daisy is a dental bun. His jaw is mis-alligned and this means his teeth over-grow as they dont grind down properly.

This is very painful for him as they start to cut his cheek and tongue. He then stops eating and goes into GI stasis.

Like maysie said if you think one of your buns is having dental issues you should get them straight to the vet.

Some of the signs are clumpy fur under the chin (a sign he has been dribbling) head shaking, a runny nose and not eating.

Rabbits can also grow extra bits onto the outside of their back teeth due to a diet low in fibre - some buns don't eat enough or any hay. When these little sharp bits grow they dig into the soft tissue on the inside of the rabbit's mouth or its tongue. It is very painful for them to chew so you might see them eating less. Other signs can be dribbling or a wet chin.

Because it is very hard to see the back teeth in a conscious rabbit - they can use a device called an otoscope but the rabbit needs to co-operate and some hate this - they usually check the rabbit out under general anaesthetic.

The sharp bits are then ground down or burred so that the teeth don't damage the inside of the mouth. Unfortunately, if this is because of a genetic problem or poor diet, it often reappears. The interval between dental visits depends on the extent of the problem.

It is always very important to ensure that your rabbit has a diet high in fibre and to make sure they always have access to as much hay as they can eat.

what age can it start?

It can start early if the problem is inherited.

Do you think you may have a problem hun?

Please let us know how you get on love. I am so sorry to hear about little bun.

Hugs

Jo xx

Bruce had his first dental at about 6 months. He has a misaligned jaw and gets spurs to the tongue side of his teeth. He just stops eating when his teeth need doing. At one point he had 4 dentals in a year but this changed when we moved here and he has got better access to grass of differing lengths and quality. I have noticed the buns seem to spend some time eating the long grass and then more time on the scrub grass and his dentals are now down to 12 monthly. This has convinced me of the need for variation in the fibre provided so my buns also get a variety of length and textured hay.

Maysie and Katie have given good advice.

Dolly needed a dental this time last year, thankfully she hasnt needed one since, but I know to keep an eye on her now and get them checked regularly.

I just wanted to add. The only sign that Dolly needed a dental was because she was loosing weight. She lost it very gradually and i didnt notice until she was underweight

Just want to stress how important it is to weigh buns regularly. I do it at least once a month now, more frequently if there has been problems. My parents think im mad, but it really is the best way of catching things early. I hate myself for not noticing Dollys tooty peg problem

I dunno, gizmo sits and grinds when he is on my shoulder. I didnt think that there was a problem just wondered, but the more I read Im wondering if he has?????? he is 4 weeks old is it possible?

Buns also grind when happy.

oh well thats nice to hear. They have a check up in 2 weeks time so im sure the vet will let me know thanks xx

I was going to say they grind their teeth when they are happy/content.

I'm used to Tigger and Jeeves grinding their teeth when I give them head rubs, but in the past few months they've been grinding their teeth when they flop out. Vets said their teeth are fine so they're simply really happy and content when they're all out!

The happy teeth grinding is called teeth purring.

NickieM wrote:The happy teeth grinding is called teeth purring.