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Forum DIET & CARE Bindi Loo has Molar Spurs (Recovery Day 2)

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    • LittlePuffyTail
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        I’m upset.  I just got back from the vet and Bindi does, indeed, have molar spurs, as I suspected. The vet said they are not too bad but it’s good I noticed them early so we can file them down before they cause any problems. I’m so worried. I hate the idea of my bunny being put under, even for such a short period of time. She does this procedure often and since he’s healthy she doesn’t foresee any problems but there is always a risk with anasthetics, especially for bunnies. But I have no choice so I’m going to make an appointment within the next couple of weeks.

        This is a first for me. I’ve never dealt with any teeth issues before so I would appreciate any input from those who have had this done.


      • Sarita
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          LPT – really, don’t worry. I’ve done it numerous times with different rabbits and it’s a very standard procedure. Bindi will feel much better and won’t choke on his food any longer once he gets the molars filed.

          Your vet is very competent and knows what she is doing.


        • jerseygirl
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            The vet said they are not too bad but it’s good I noticed them early so we can file them down before they cause any problems.

            Well there is the silver lining LPT. At least you know & can get onto it pronto. I agree, Bindi will be in great hands with your vet.

            This actually brings up something I have been wondering about. Maybe Sarita can answer. Are they just sedated or is it full anaesthesia like for a surgery? Also, the length of time they’re out would be shorter wouldn’t it? So less risky?


          • Sarita
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              Jersey, I think it depends on the vet. I’ve had different vets do it different ways and use different medications, etc…I think all of them though have used isoflurane gas.


            • jerseygirl
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                Oh, ok. Thank you.

                I’ve heard my vets mention sedation and thought this was not like anaethesia.


              • RabbitPam
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                  LPT the good news is that now that Bindi has been diagnosed it won’t ever get too bad from now on since she will be checking him regularly.

                  I don’t know what anesthesia they use for teeth, but I know that when Sammy got spayed they used a newer kind that didn’t even make her groggy when she came around and she ate right away.


                • Elrohwen
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                    Hugs. It’s really not scary! When Hannah’s were discovered, the vet offered to do the procedure right then and there, which was nice because I didn’t have to think about it and get nervous. She told me that they don’t even put the bunny under – just kind of knock them out a bit so they don’t move around, but they aren’t full anesthetized. It’s kind of like how dentists can give you “twilight sleep” when they remove your wisdom teeth and they don’t need all of the same precautions of full anesthesia (like being in a hospital, needing a long recovery time, etc).

                    Don’t worry! He’ll be just fine.


                  • MimzMum
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                      Aw sweetie, I know just how you feel. I have been to a few different vets with Mimzy and he has always come through this procedure just fine. You are fortunate that the spurs are not large, Bindi should not be under very long for this then. And that she’s going to file instead of clip…my vet clipped this last time and I was very nervous about it because that can occasionally cause a molar to split to the root. Then the tooth has to be pulled.
                      The one vet who has the awesome surgery where I could stand right there and watch her do the work only put the mask on him from time to time to keep him sleepy. He would begin to stir and she would put he mask back on long enough to put him out again, then pull it away and continue her x-rays and whatnot. It was amazing! ^_^ If my current vet winds up leaving the practice, I may go across town to this other lady, she was exceptional.
                      Hey, maybe this will help with his ears too, you never know! Sometimes even small spurs cause bunny enough discomfort that other things begin to be affected. Let’s hope this clears everything up at once!

                      You and he will be in my prayers for a quick and successful filing. I’m sure he will come through beautifully! ((((((((((((((((((Bindi & LPT))))))))))))))))))))


                    • LittlePuffyTail
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                        Thanks everyone! It helps to hear reassurance from people who have gone through this. I know it’s not like a major deal but it’s the first time I’ve had to put a bunny under aside from speutering. She said they use gas to put them under and that she has all the special equipment and tools needed for bunnies so not to worry.

                        I’m going to call this morning to set up the appointment. I want to make it a day when either Ricky or my Mom can drive us because I hate driving with an animal in the car when I’m stressed out.

                        Is this something that can be avoided (the spurs) or is it just a natural thing for some bunnies? Would coarser hay be a good idea to give them once in a while or does that not affect anything? They get orchard grass so it’s pretty soft and I was thinking of giving them coarse timothy a few times a week, although I doubt they will eat much of it. The orchard is tastier!


                      • Sarita
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                          Molar spurs cannot always be avoided unfortunately. Some types of rabbits like lops or netherlands are more susceptible and aging rabbits as well when they start to lose bone density.

                          Courser hay may help to slow down the process but it probably won’t keep the rabbit from eventually getting spurs. I think it’s more important though to just keep them eating hay if you think that the courser hay isn’t going to be eaten.


                        • Elrohwen
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                            Hannah had spurs when I got her at age 3 – she’s been free of them since. I’ve reduced her pellet amount (she’s getting chubby anyway) and I immediately noticed them both eating more hay. I think there’s always a chance of them recurring, but the fact that he’s gotten them later in life makes me think it won’t be a super regular occurrence.

                            Make sure you’re ready with Critical Care when he gets home. Hannah is a huge wuss and didn’t eat for three whole days after her teeth filing (according to her old owner, she did the same thing after her spay). Hopefully Bindy doesn’t have that issue, but be prepared just in case! I made the mistake of getting her teeth done right before going on vacation, so it was really stressful having the pet sitter force feed her for a couple days.


                          • LittlePuffyTail
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                              My vet mentioned about the Critical Care too. I REALLY hope Bindi is willing to eat on his own after because trying to force feed him is a nightmare!!! It’s almost impossible to get anything in his mouth. I don’t imagine he will be a wuss though, he’s a pretty tough little guy.


                            • MimzMum
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                                My husband latched onto one of our vets (or their assistants) telling us that if we only fed coarse hay to the bunnies they wouldn’t need molar trims. He was determined not to have to deal with the expense. Unfortunately, as Sarita said, some of our bunnies are just prone to tooth trouble, and summarily some can also have nasal problems. Our loppy/Hollands are bred in such a way that they will naturally develop these disorders. Mimzy is the poster-bun for this condition.

                                I think Mimzy has had at least one tooth filing every year of his life…in some cases more than one when the first job wasn’t done right. He eats coarse or soft hays and still has to be checked every few months. Sometimes they are worse, other times not so much. He’s very sporadic.
                                Fiver has had one trim done. He shouldn’t have the same need for frequent trims as Mimzy, but he also hasn’t eaten as coarse a set of hays until recently. I’m hoping it will help, but I don’t expect it to completely cover the problem.
                                Also having wooden objects to chew is supposed to be good for them, but I don’t see that getting back to the molars as much as they chew sticks with their incisors, so I’m undecided on the efficiency of that suggestion. I think chewing wood just helps them not be bored.

                                Pip however has never shown any trouble with her teeth and she has eaten any hay that gets near her mouth, coarse or fine. But she is part palomino, a rabbit that is usually bred for meat, so I don’t doubt we’ll see some nasty teeth as she ages, since this breed of bunny is not meant to live a long luxurious life as a house rabbit. For now though, she files her teeth on my arm twice a day everyday.


                              • Lani
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                                  Oreo just had some spurs filed yesterday and I think I made a bigger deal out of them sedating her than it actually was. Like Elrowhen said, my vet told me that they were just making her kind of sleepy so she wouldn’t move around or squirm. Once they were done, the sleepiness didn’t last long at all.

                                  I do have two suggestions for the critical care. First is, try to get the apple-banana flavored one. I tried the anise flavored one and Oreo *hated* it…ended up all over her dewlap instead of in her mouth. The second is a suggestion my vet gave me, to mix it with a teeny bit of organic, nothing added, banana baby food. This helped a bunch and Oreo now drinks this mixture from a shallow dish like it’s bunny crack.


                                • MimzMum
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                                    Oh yeah…Lani makes an excellent point. *nods* That anise flavored stuff is not appealing to my bunnies either. Licorice is certainly not something I think bunnies eat in the wild. If you can get the apple/banana flavor, go for it…and send me a case, will you? ^_^ j/k

                                    Most of the meds I’ve had to give my rabs lately have all been more like a cat’s favorite flavor. And then the stuff they give my cat would taste better to bunnies…it’s just wrong on so many levels. >_<


                                  • BinkyBunny
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                                       Rucy needed regular trims but as she aged she needed less.  Wasn’t sure why as her diet and toys were about the same.  I think someone here said that it could have been due to the fact she was getting older and maybe her teeth didn’t grow as fast or???.  I always meant to ask my vet about that but forgot. 

                                      Before I had to have her teeth trimmed about 3 – 4 times a year I think (trying to remember), and then it lessened to about once or twice. I wish I could remember if she was sedated or fully put under.  For some reason I do remember her being sedated.  

                                      As she got into her senior years she never had a problem with being sedated or being put under, but becuase of her age, bloodwork was done. 

                                      Rucy was always pretty sore for a couple of days afterwards. And my vet also recommended using Critical Care for a couple of days after. Rucy would try to eat, but you could tell it was very uncomfortable. I also had pain meds too.  I guess it really depends on the severity and how each bunny reacts.  But Rucy always recovered very quickly. 

                                      Quick recovery vibes for you bunny and hugs for you. 


                                    • Lani
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                                        Posted By MimzMum on 05/06/2011 08:23 PM
                                        Oh yeah…Lani makes an excellent point. *nods* That anise flavored stuff is not appealing to my bunnies either. Licorice is certainly not something I think bunnies eat in the wild. If you can get the apple/banana flavor, go for it…and send me a case, will you? ^_^ j/k

                                        Most of the meds I’ve had to give my rabs lately have all been more like a cat’s favorite flavor. And then the stuff they give my cat would taste better to bunnies…it’s just wrong on so many levels. >_<

                                        I just spat water all over my computer And I agree about the strange flavoring. Most of Oreo’s meds dont seem to be bunny appealing flavors. Clearly someone in those pet medicine labs needs to work on better flavors


                                      • LittlePuffyTail
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                                          I always found licorice flavored Critical Care to be a really stupid choice. It has a very strong, strange smell and Bindi hates anything new and weird. He snubs all “weird” food and smells. I will ask my vet about getting the apple/banana (and I will also try the baby food trick!). If she can order it I will get some. I like to have lots on hand anyways, just in case because my vet doesn’t usually stock it so I need to wait for her to order it in if I need it. Mimz- can you not get the apple/banana where you are? Because if I can get it I can certainly send you a bag.


                                        • LittlePuffyTail
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                                            Made an appointment for next Wednesday the 18th.

                                            Right now I’m concerned about his ears as well. One of them looks really red. I want to make sure he’s 100% before he goes in for this procedure. I’m going to talk to my vet today and ask if she thinks I should have his ears checked first.


                                          • MimzMum
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                                              I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that once the teeth are put right the ears will follow. I do wonder if one has anything to do with the other?
                                              They’ll probably go ahead with the teeth despite the ears, LPT, I don’t think it will cause him any problems.


                                            • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                Made a mistake. It’s Tuesday not Wednesday. I called my vet about his ears and she said to put the usual drops in 1x a day in the ear I’m concerned about until his appointment and while he’s under she will flush and clean his ears out really good.


                                              • MimzMum
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                                                  Well the only thing that ticks off for me is that my Griffy cat had his ears cleaned during his dental too and he had that nerve paralysis in his face. Not saying this to worry you further, but just giving you a heads up to be sure they’re very careful combining the procedures. It may be that only cats have difficulty getting their ears cleaned, and there won’t be any trouble for Bindi.

                                                  One less day to fret over the procedure, that’s good! ^_^


                                                • BinkyBunny
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                                                    Best wishes and sending “easy Filing vibes!” Keep us updated.


                                                  • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                      Just dropped Mr. Loo off at the vet this morning. It’s so hard leaving him there. It’s not so much that I’m concerned about the procedure as it is I don’t like leaving him there, scared, without his Mama!

                                                      I know they will take great care of him. I love my vet and one of my best friend’s works there. They know how special he is to me!

                                                      I’m also worried about what he’s going to be like when he comes home. I’m really hoping he will be willing to eat. Trying to syringe feed him is extremely difficult. I was excited to hear that they will be sending me home with Banana Critical care instead of that horrible licorice stuff.

                                                      They are going to call me this afternoon to tell me when I can pick him up.


                                                    • Sarita
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                                                        Vibes to Bindi!


                                                      • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                          Just got a call from the vet; Bindi made it through the procedure fine. I can pick him up in 3 hours.


                                                        • Sarita
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                                                            That’s great!


                                                          • Elrohwen
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                                                              Yay! Go Bindi!


                                                            • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                                So Bindi is slowly getting back to normal. Still pretty quiet and not really eating hay yet. Yesterday was pretty rough trying to get him to eat. It was almost ot the point of me bringing him in so they could force-feed him the critical care. It was impossibe; I just couldn’t get him to eat any. I tried everything and it was much harder because I was by myself all day. If Ricky holds him I can usually feed him a little bit. It was so frustrating because he can’t take his pain meds on an empty stomach.

                                                                I managed to get him to eat some Baby Lettuce Mix.. It was kind of funny because  he didn’t want to eat pellets or veggies or anything healthy. Just papaya, banana and flower petals. He thought he would take advantage of being allowed to eat lots of junk. And he would only eat what I hand fed him.  Today he ate all his veggies and a bit of pellets.

                                                                He has pain meds for 3 days (Metacam). The vet gave him some antibiotics to do 2x a day for about a week as a precaution because his gums were bleeding quite a bit. Once the vet got in his mouth she found his teeth were quite a bit worse than she initially thought. He has to be re-checked in 3-5 months. Hopefully this was a one time deal! It was very stressful on both of us and not cheap!

                                                                It was so sad to see him; his little cheeks were all swollen. I feel so bad when my babies have to go through something like that.


                                                              • Sarita
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                                                                  Glad he’s doing better. It does take awhile for them to eat normally – I imagine their mouth is sensitive. I have to take Bobby in for his 6 month dental exam the beginning of June. I don’t really stress about it anymore because I know it’s a necessary evil and it makes them feel better.


                                                                • Sarita
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                                                                    How could you tell his cheeks were swollen? He has those chubby lop cheeks already.


                                                                  • Elrohwen
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                                                                      That’s good that he’s eating something! Hannah didn’t eat a thing for three full days and we kept her going on critical care until she felt like eating again. We were close to taking her to the vet, but they said there was really nothing else they could do other than the force feeding. Otherwise she was acting normal (not sulking or acting in pain) and she eventually got better.

                                                                      It sounds like he’s getting back to normal though! If you ever need it, I have a great method for feeding CC by myself that doesn’t involve picking up the rabbit (because Hannah is impossible to pick up and much more cooperative on the ground)


                                                                    • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                                        How could you tell his cheeks were swollen? He has those chubby lop cheeks already.

                                                                        They were even chubbier. It sort of looked like he couldn’t close his lips.

                                                                        If you ever need it, I have a great method for feeding CC by myself that doesn’t involve picking up the rabbit (because Hannah is impossible to pick up and much more cooperative on the ground)

                                                                        Yes, please!!! It would be helpful to know!


                                                                      • SugarbearNPepper
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                                                                          LittlePuffyTail- Hope Bindi is feeling much better today!!


                                                                        • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                                            Bindi is pretty much back to normal now. Even saw a mini binky this morning. He finished all his meds yesterday so maybe that’s what the binky was about.

                                                                            Going to get back to work with the bonding sessions tonight. I think Bindi misses Storm. Every time I open Bindi’s cage he tries to go over to see Stormy. Stormy is pretty indifferent.


                                                                          • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                                              Dang double posts.


                                                                            • Elrohwen
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                                                                                So here’s my force feeding and medication technique that works really well for Hannah:

                                                                                Kneel on the ground and position the bunny between your thighs. It helps if they’re facing a wall or the pen so there’s less chance they can run forwards. Squeeze them a little to hold them still, and close your feet behind you so they can’t back up. Use one hand to hold down the shoulders, and use the other to stick the syringe in the side of the mouth and squeeze. I can get food into Hannah before she even notices what I’m doing and I don’t have to spend 10min chasing her around. It might be trickier with smaller buns, but I haven’t needed to use on Otto yet.

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                                                                            Forum DIET & CARE Bindi Loo has Molar Spurs (Recovery Day 2)