DENTAL WOES – CODY

Past Friday, Cody underwent a dental surgery to remove an infected tooth and an abscess that built up along his nasal path. Nobody knew how bad he was until he went under GA for a thorough exam. Thankfully, his foster family noticed him in time and brought him to our trusted vet at The Animal Doctors, Singapore. He is currently recovering well.

We were not kidding when we talk about the difficulties our rabbits face with their ever-growing teeth. With only 4 front teeth visible to the eyes, the remaining 24 hidden in their tiny mouth can get into trouble without you knowing. You need to be observant with their appetite and engage a rabbit-savvy vet to for regular checks using an otoscope.

The other challenge with our rabbits is the extensive damage their teeth can cause to the rest of the head due to its small physical size. Tooth abscess and broken fragments from decayed tooth can actually migrate up the nasal cavity and to the eyes. So in addition to ulcers, dental problems can lead to respiratory disorder and blindness.

Cody is only 4 years old and this is already his 2nd surgery. With the prevalence of overbreeding and inbreeding, genetically weak teeth leading to dental disease is now very common in the young and the old. It’s extremely important for owners to engage a good rabbit vet to monitor and treat the earliest sign of dental disease. Failure to do so can result in unnecessary suffering and premature death.

For more information about dental disorders in rabbits, please consult the following good articles:
http://rabbit.org/dental-disorders-in-rabbits/
http://www.mybunny.org/info/dental-problems-in-rabbits/
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html