Checking Rabbit Molars

[Nara mk]

I’m sorry everyone for bombarding you with all my topics, it’s just that the vet is clueless when it comes to rabbits and I have no other option. Please be patient with me/forgive me 

Anyway, I’m taking my two buns to the vet and I will ask her to check their molars because she hasn’t yet. I’ll print out this article for comparison http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html but I have a couple of questions:

First, is there a special otoscope for checking the molars or is it the same as the one used for ears? Second, does she have to lay them on their backs to check? Because I’m not sure if my rabbits will just give in  (they’re stubborn lol).

Thanks everyone, you have no idea how much help you guys are to me <3

[Vincent]

Basically if you pull back their gums and press their jaws togethet amd their teeth line up straight without any over hangs or slants or any broken bits and they eat hay and pellets and everything with out any problems then they should have healthy teeth

You csn do this whold they are sitting flat and just bend down to their level so you can see

[Nara mk]

Posted By Vincent on 6/19/2017 10:53 PM

Basically if you pull back their gums and press their jaws togethet amd their teeth line up straight without any over hangs or slants or any broken bits and they eat hay and pellets and everything with out any problems then they should have healthy teeth

You csn do this whold they are sitting flat and just bend down to their level so you can see

Yes I check their front teeth this way, they line up perfectly. They eat hay and greens, no pellets. But I read somewhere that they could have problems in their cheek teeth even with healthy front teeth (and because I’m one helluva paranoid bun mum), that’s why I think a check up would be best.

[LBJ10]

An otoscope is needed to see if there are any points developing on the molars. Problems with the front teeth often coincide with other dental problems, but it isn’t unheard of for rabbits to have well aligned incisors and bad molars. Is there a reason you want them checked? Are any of them having trouble eating? Eye discharge? Etc.?

To answer your questions, my vet uses the same otoscope that she uses to look in the ears (if she’s just doing a quick look at the molars). There are different sized attachments and she uses a larger one. No, she does not put them on their back. If she can, she will restraint them right-side up and simply tilt their head back to look in there. Keep in mind that not all bunnies will allow a vet to get a good look. In fact, a lot won’t. So if she needs to, whether to get a better look or said bunny simply isn’t cooperating, then she will sedate them first.

[Vincent]

Ah true, my bad. My vet used some sort of scope thing to check the back teeth so I’m not sure how to check them otherwise. Hopefully someone else has some idea about that

Sorry about the mix up!

This site goes into some detail about overall mouth checks

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-9/oral-health.html

Mentions feeling along the sides for lumps but says that most of the teeth are to far back to check properly without a otoscope

Edit: Someone beat me too it with posting about it but I hope the site helps anyways

[sarahthegemini]

My vet uses an otoscope to check them. It helps to get them in a bunny burrito first!

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