DENTAL WOES – VELLA

Last week, Vella underwent an invasive surgery to removed a fast-growing abscess that was growing near her right jaw.  This was her 3rd dental surgery and it really pain us to see her going through these surgeries, one after another. We hope to share her story so no one has to go through what Vella did.

Vella was once a breeding rabbit where she was severely neglected. She was never given hay and never brought to the vet. When we rescued her in December 2014, we found most of her teeth were overgrown and some had sharp spurs that poked through her gum. Our trusted vets performed a series of dental surgeries to help improve her condition but unfortunately, her teeth remained diseased. Her dental woe has became a chronic problem that will linger for life. To date, Jackie has spend almost $4,000.00 on her surgical bills and we do anticipate more treatments to come.

With the rabbit’s tiny mouth, it is often not easy to detect dental diseases. But with 28 ever-growing teeth, we really need to diligently monitor them. To prevent dental issues, the best remedy is to give plenty of hay and make sure they eat them (at least their body-size worth). Long stalky hay such as Timothy first-cut and Oat Wheat Barley blend are best to grind down the teeth and prevent spurs. If your rabbit is not a good hay eater, you will need to be extra care to monitor for signs. These include decrease in appetite, weight loss, teary eyes, drooling, abnormal lumps around jaw area, loud grinding noise from teeth as well as increase in mouth/tongue movement can suggest dental discomfort. If you do observe any of these signs, please bring your rabbit to a savvy vet for a health check.

For more information about dental disorders in rabbits, please consult the following 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

For our recommended diet and rabbit-savvy vet list, please consult our website at www.bunnywonderlandsg.com/tips.