Tooth clipping recovery

[Bonnie Boy]

Hi everyone! I brought my bunny Bonnie Boy to the vet on Monday when I noticed he wasn’t eating much fearing it was GI Stasis. Turns out it was his teeth. They filed/clipped his molars (incisors were fine) and sent us home with Meloxicam, Trimebutine and Simethicone to take for 7 days because he was starting to develop gas from not eating. He also had a shot of pain killer before leaving the vet that would stay in his system for 3 days and sub-q fluids for hydration. Other than his lack of appetite his behavior before seeing the vet was normal, active and playful. Since we’ve been home he’s not himself, he hasn’t eaten short for a few nibbles of greens here and there and won’t touch his hay. He hides or is just lethargic. He’s been grinding his teeth so he must be in pain Trying to administer meds and critical care has been tough on both of us. He struggles and I cry. It’s rather dramatic and frustrating! I called the vet to see if this was normal after the procedure. They said it could take a few days before he’s back to normal but I wanted to ask fellow bunny moms if they have experienced anything like this? Should I bring him back to vet or tough it out? Any suggestions on pain relief?

Amy suggestions or shared stories to compare are welcome. I just want my baby to feel good.

[jerseygirl]

Aw, poor baby. It can take some rabbits a little while to come back to eating better after a dental. I can imagine he is sensitive about anything going near his mouth, so Im not surprised he’s resisting the CC. Have you tried mixing that up a bit thicker and putting it in a shallow bowl for him to try eat? Or you could soften his regular pellets (if he normally has these) and see if he’ll try those himself.

If you’re really concerned, take him back for a recheck. they may be able give another pain med shot and check in case there was some soft tissue injury from the procedure that is bothering him.

{{{Bonnie Boy}}} !

[Bonnie Boy]

Thank you JerseyGirl! I tried putting some critical care for him on a small plate to lick himself last night but he didn’t touch it. He ate some kale this morning so that was a relief, but still not pooping much and when he does it’s so tiny and stringy. Definitely not his usual output. Still drinking and peeing regularly though so that’s good. He’s still acting really stand-offish. But I suppose if I wasn’t feeling well I’d want to be left alone and would be less energetic too. I just can’t wait till he’s well again and circling my feet. If I don’t see any improvement by tomorrow I’ll bring him back to see the vet before the weekend just to make sure we didn’t miss anything at his last appointment.

So thankful for this group. It’s very comforting to share concerns with other bunny moms.

Hugs xx

[kirstyol]

It always takes Bramble a few days to bounce back from a dental. Having had dental surgery myself a few years ago I totally empathise with him, I didn’t want to eat for days either! Unfortunately you just need to keep going with the syringe feeding and offer him foods that wont be too hard on his teeth, you will probably find he wont go back to pellets right away but may nibble on some salad leaves

[tobyluv]

If you’re going to see if he might eat the Critical Care on his own, in a dish or lick it off your fingers, you can add a little bit of pureed baby food or plain canned pumpkin to the mixture to make it more tempting.

[Hanna Banana]

My bunny Hanna had the same issue a few months ago. Her appetite really went downhill and she was not interested in her veggies after a teeth clipping. I ended up using a cheese grater for her carrots. She started eating those because it was tiny pieces. I also ripped up her greens so it was easier for her to chew. This did the trick for my bun. It took a few weeks for her to get back to normal.
I hope this helps your bun!

[Bonnie Boy]

Thank you everyone for your comments. He is back to his old self! Took about 5 days to bounce back but once he did it was like nothing happened. Not taking any of his binkies for granted… love this guy!! ❤?

[tobyluv]

It’s good to hear that he is back to his old self!

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