her bottom teeth come infront of her top teeth .. she hasnt eaten in a few days (probably due to a very bas abscess which is to be drained soon by the vet) but i was just wondering if this could be the case. they seem rather long but do not stick out of her mouth. is this normal or could it cause her problems as they do not aline properly .. thankyou!! xx
yes your rabbit has a disease called malliclusion. i once had a rabbit with malliclusion and he ended up going to auction: (he pulled his tooth out out on the wire of his cage ... unfortunately there is not really a way to treat maliclusion. your rabbit has advanced maliclusion rather than simple maliclusion. simple maliclusion is when the top teeth and the bottom teeth meet head on. advanced malliclusion is when either the teeth are severly out of alignment or the rabbit has an underbite like yours does. in advanced malliclusion the teeth are so messed up that they do not wear properly. in a normal rabbit bite the teeth hit each other and wear each other down. rabbits teeth are constantly growing so if they are not being worn down they will grow so long that it will stop the rabbit from eating. in this case, they teeth must be filed or clipped down once a month so they do not get in the way of the rabbit eatin. malliclusion can also lead to abcesses in the mouth and many diseases related to the rabbit not eating. one way to solve the problem of malliclusion is to just pull the top teeth out. your malliclusion is not as bad as some, the worst is when all teeth are completely out of aligment and all wonky. you will probalby not have to have your rabbits teeth pulled. however the teeth will not wear properly and you will have to have them trimmed or do it yourself once a month. you should have it done by avet because if you don't you can accidently split the tooth up to the root causing infection, which will lead to the rabbit stopping eating altogether . obviously haveing the vet trim the bunnys teeth once a month will be expensive which is why many rabbit owners don't take on the responsiblity of this. if you are ready to take on the expense of keeping this rabbit than good for you. many people don't. just keep in mind the consiquences. often the costs outweigh the benefits but if you are willing to take on the responsiblity go for it.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
Picture of advanced maliclusion:
http://www.raising-rabbits.com/images/ra ... Another picture of advanced maliclusion similar to what your rabbit has:
http://www.cottontails-rescue.org.uk/ima ...
Yes I think it would. The vet can cut long overgrown teeth down with plyers and if you know what you are doing, you can cut them yourself. (But I wouldn't advise this unless your vet has shown you how to do this carefully). Make sure she eats plenty of hay (or hay cookies if she prefers) as this helps to grind down rabbits teeth. The vet will help you further.
DO not trim your rabbit's teeth if you can avoid it!!! This can result in splitting! Get her lots of hay and greens, make sure she has plenty of water in a dish, not a bottle. Dental problems make drinking from a bottle almost impossible. Feed her a lot of oats. It can probably chew oats more easily than pellets and they'lll fatten her up.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com She likely to be dehydrated, so make sure her water bowl is full at all times. Also, see if you can FILE down her teeth, never cut! Rabbits' teeth are designed to be filed. After the teeth are shortened, however you decide to do it, make sure she still gets a lot of oats. They're good for her. And lots of greens! Most rabbit owners underestimate the value of greens and hay to rabbits! Not only will it help file down their teeth, but it's a very important source of valuable fiber which your food is likely lacking. Most pet owners don't realize how much fiber rabbits need. When picking greens, be SURE they'ree okay for rabbits, do your research! Oats, too.
They need to be clipped down and you can do this yourself (with another person to restrain the rabbit).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTD_6miRG ... A rabbit that stops eating is in serious trouble. You may need to syringe water and/or jarred baby food veggies into her to get some calories in her if she doesn't resume eating after her teeth are clipped. Don't delay, this is an emergency.
yes its a problw. i dont own a rabbit, but they are similiar to chinchillas. their teeth do not stop growing and need certain chew toys to file down their teeth. if it gets too bad, you need to take the rabbit to the vet where they will cut the teeth. this has always seeed so hostile to an animal to me. to have their teeth chpped down ewww. but aparantly, it doesnt bother them one bit. with growing teeth, you could be looking at a disease called maloclusion. in chin cases, this could be a death sentence. so just be proactive and take said steps to avoind problems down the road. have fun with your little buddie
