Mysterious Teeth

[Hannah]

So, Humphrey is acting almost 100% normal again after his recent bout of stasis (one more day with separated litterboxes and food, and then I think I’ll feel comfortable de-compartmentalizing the buns)– he’s eating normally, drinking normally, pooping (99%) normally, grooming normally, binkying, playing with and grooming Otis…

But he seems to have retained the teeth grinding from feeling ill, and it’s making me very confused, because he otherwise does not appear to be in pain. : / It’s not the sort of loud and crunchy, miserable, eyes-squinting teeth grinding he did while he wasn’t feeling well, but more like he’s just… ocassionally chewing the air while doing other things. It’s bizarre. Maybe he’s always done it and I just never really thought about it. He’s also still doing totally normal tooth-purrs when I pet him. He also seems to be doing the weird grindy thing when he’s doing happy things– like, if I talk to him he does it, and if he’s been cuddled with Otis– but not always. It’s almost like he has a long-term “thank god my tummy feels better” tooth purr going on, but it’s just sort of… weird.

Anyone ever seen this before? I’m somewhat concerned, but without other symptoms I don’t know if I should be TOO concerned. Should I raise my concern level, do you think?

 

Edit: For the record, I am planning on bringing Humphrey to his real vet for a routine physical once he’s been normal for a little while (I would like to avoid stressing him out right away again, though), so if it’s a tooth spur issue or something hopefully it’ll be found ASAP. Mostly just wondering if anyone else has a rabbit who does something like that….

[bunnytowne]

When I talk to Cotton  I can see his mouth moving as he is doing tooth purrs.  It is so cute.   Or he grooms the carpet the blanket whatever he is next to.  

He certainly isn’t in any  pain when he does that.  It is a happy thing for Cotton

[Sarita]

Has your vet checked the teeth for possible molar spurs?

[Elrohwen]

It could be teeth issues, though it could also be happiness – one of mine grinds his teeth if he’s relaxed and I talk to him, or if he’s cuddling with his friend.

[Hannah]

I guess that’s the problem– I can’t tell if it’s pain or happiness! I don’t remember him doing it before being sick, but I wasn’t assignig meaning to every action before then, so maybe he did. My mom’s bunny does the “talking to me” teeth purrs, but…. hrrm. I guess I’ll just have to keep watching for now!

As for the vet, Humphrey gets his teeth checked every year and I’ve always been told they look good. He also eats TONS of hay (and cardboard, unfortunately), so he should be grinding them down. The emergency vet checked and said they looked fine, but she wasn’t an actual rabbit vet. I’ll have them checked when I bring him for a check-up (hopefully soon), but until then it just seems… weird! Bunnies!

[Sarita]

How old is Humphrey?

[Hannah]

Sarita– I’m not sure. He was found in the woods as an adult. He was estimated at about 2 years when I got him, which while be 4 years ago as of about 2 weeks after Christmas. I asked the HRN about the age estimation, though, and they said that so long as a rabbit has “good teeth” and is past puberty, they are defaulted to 2 years, so at the absolute minimum he’d be like… 4 years and 9 months, and the max could really be anything. He could be 15 for all I know! However, he has always been assessed as “healthy” at his check-ups, so I sort of doubt that he’s methusalah-rabbit. He’s probably between 5-8.

[Sarita]

Many times as a rabbit ages their teeth shift and they begin to get molar spurs, so while at their last check up they may have been fine, this doesn’t mean that their teeth haven’t changed…definitely worth considering – don’t rule it out. If your vet is very rabbit savvy, and he/she was recommended HRN then he/she should know that about teeth.

[Hannah]

That’s part of why I was concerned, since he is starting to get up there. Yeah, I’m hopefully seeing her (very rabbit savvy, and one of the never-give-up-on-a-bunny types) soon, but I rarely get out of work before she’s close and she isn’t around on the weekends, so I’m trying to find a good date to do it. I think waiting a week after letting him get destressed from illness/being separated from Otis won’t kill him, since he’s otherwise happy as a clam. Thanks for the advice, though!

[Author]

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