kayelleess
New Member
Ten days ago, I adopted a male, 11-wk old Holland Lop from a breeder. The breeder didn't realize until I went to pick him up that the rabbit had developed malocclusion in his front 2 teeth (incisors). Instead of the top teeth overlapping the bottom, the bottom are in front of the top. I decided to adopt the rabbit anyway, for no cost.
The breeder demonstrated how easy it is to trim the teeth with a simple cutter tool. It took about 1 minute and the rabbit didn't struggle (so, assuming he didn't feel any pain). The breeder said he would only need this done once every 6 weeks or so, and could easily be done at home in conjunction with trimming his nails. She assured me it was no big deal. After some online research, I know people warn against cutting the teeth yourself, but I cannot afford to go to the vet every month to have them trimmed (I live in a very expensive area) - so if I am unable to trim them myself I will have to give the rabbit back to the breeder so she can rehome him.
There's a lot of conflicting information out there about rabbit malocclusion. I'm wondering if any of you have any personal experience you'd like to share. Have you had a rabbit with malocclusion? Did you trim the teeth yourself? Did it get better or worse with time? Did you find anything that helped the bunny (particular chew toys, or food)? Did you find that the malocclusion affected his behavior or temperament? Have any of you had the rabbits' incisors removed to make it easier on the bun?
I've had the rabbit for 10 days, and his teeth are already growing back pretty quickly so I need to figure out what to do. I just want him to be safe and happy, and if I really really shouldn't attempt to trim them myself, I need to return him to the breeder. Thank you all!
The breeder demonstrated how easy it is to trim the teeth with a simple cutter tool. It took about 1 minute and the rabbit didn't struggle (so, assuming he didn't feel any pain). The breeder said he would only need this done once every 6 weeks or so, and could easily be done at home in conjunction with trimming his nails. She assured me it was no big deal. After some online research, I know people warn against cutting the teeth yourself, but I cannot afford to go to the vet every month to have them trimmed (I live in a very expensive area) - so if I am unable to trim them myself I will have to give the rabbit back to the breeder so she can rehome him.
There's a lot of conflicting information out there about rabbit malocclusion. I'm wondering if any of you have any personal experience you'd like to share. Have you had a rabbit with malocclusion? Did you trim the teeth yourself? Did it get better or worse with time? Did you find anything that helped the bunny (particular chew toys, or food)? Did you find that the malocclusion affected his behavior or temperament? Have any of you had the rabbits' incisors removed to make it easier on the bun?
I've had the rabbit for 10 days, and his teeth are already growing back pretty quickly so I need to figure out what to do. I just want him to be safe and happy, and if I really really shouldn't attempt to trim them myself, I need to return him to the breeder. Thank you all!