Belle and her never ending teeth problems

[ChandieLee]

Hey guys. It's been awhile since I've posted here.... it's a very bittersweet thing; Belle has been doing well up until now. She is still eating and drinking and everything, but I can tell that her back teeth are starting to bother her. I know she'll be needing a visit to the vet's office, however, I am completely broke as I live on my own now and every time I bring her to the vet's office to have her teeth worked on, it ends up being pretty costly. I'm not giving up hope though. I was thinking, and I was hoping that maybe I could have some opinions, that I may look into getting her teeth pulled because in the long run, it will be very good for her, having no more tooth problems and very cost effective for me.
I know this is a very controversial subject and I've done some research on it. Some say that it is a wonderful option while others say that it's dreadful.
I was wondering if the wonderful people on RO could give me their opinions and insight on this subject?

As always, thanks.


Chandra

 

[Flashy]

Hey

Good to see you about

How often does Belle need her dental doing?

I have several (8?) dental buns and know the financial and emotional pressure. What I don't know about though is extractions, other than the fact that you have to take out the opposing tooth/teeth too because they have nothing to grind down against.

Hopefully someone who has been through this will come along and give some useful info soon.

 

[tonyshuman]

I know Randy has said that having teeth pulled was the best thing for his malocclusion buns, but those were incisors, not molars.

I think it really depends on the bunny whether it will work or not. How old is she? How quickly did she recover from her spay? How badly do the regular trimmings, and time leading up to needing a trimming, affect her?

 

[ChandieLee]

Belle has to have her teeth shaved down every 2-3 months. She's about 2 and half, she recovered from her spay in about a week. Belle gets pretty bad when it comes time to do the trimmings; she stops eating and drinking on her own, she stops going to the bathroom and becomes really lethargic and downright miserable. After the trimmings, she it takes her a couple of days to completely act like herself again.


My vet has told me that sooner or later, I may just have to let her go as Belle is suffering because of all of this continuous problem, and quite a few people (like my family, boyfriend, etc.) seem to agree. They think that I'm being unfair towards Belle. But she doesn't seem unhappy; after every trimming, she's always back to her normal self: happy, hungry, diva-ish. I never thought I was making her suffer...
That's why I'm looking for a second opinion, and more options. :\

 

[ra7751]

We have buns that have had all 6 incisors removed and some molars. If they are a constant issue, it is much better for all concerned that they be extracted. Keep in mind that with open rooted teeth, you have to do double extractions....the opposing tooth on the opposite arcade also has to be extracted. It is a difficult surgery that not all vets are up to doing. The last time we did a dental, we used a dental block that seemed to really reduce the pain. The use of narcotics, at high end dosing, is something we use for several days post-op. With incisor extraction, the only feeding modification is that the greens need to be torn into small pieces. With molars, depending on the ones and the number removed, feeding may have to be either something like Critical Care or Critter Be Better....or a homemade pellet/hay/greens slurry.

Randy

 

[tonyshuman]

It sounds like she would recover pretty well from the surgery, since she's still quite young. However, some bunnies do not recover well from the pain of having their teeth extracted. Also, feeding could be quite difficult, as Randy mentioned.

 

[Flashy]

Until you've made the decision to have them extracted it might be worth trying to work out how long in between dentals she needs, exactly, and then booking a dental before you see the signs, so say maybe three days before you know she shows signs because that may help and ease the recovery and the stress on her body.

 

[ChandieLee]

Thanks for all the input guys.

Feeding her critical wouldn't be a problem, for me, but I'm worried it may stress her out completely. :\
And I'm not really sure what a dental block is...?

Belle usually bounces back quickly, but this would be a major surgery for her and that concerns me. Also, I've read that there's a possibility that her jaw can break during surgery and that also concerns me. :\

I've also tried working out how long in between dental work she needs, but it's hard. Belle goes in every 2-3 months; she doesn't always show symptoms. It's kind of like she doesn't show that she's in pain until the last minute, which I understand, because rabbits are prey animals.

I plan on contacting Tufts Animal Hospital here in Mass. to see if I can get a second opinion.
Apparently I have alot to think about.
I see I have alot to think abo

 

[tonyshuman]

I *think* it's a type of anesthetic where they block the nerves that go to the mouth from feeling anything during the surgery, like an epidural anesthetic given to women who are giving childbirth. That way they don't experience the large amount of pain that can come with a dental surgery. But that's just my conjecture!

I don't think I would do the total extraction until absolutely necessary. What about getting veterinary pet insurance for her (www.petinsurance.com)? Would they not cover it because of "pre-exisiting"?

 

[ChandieLee]

I actually tried signing up for Care Credit, and I wasn't eligible for that. :\ I don't think I'd be eligible for pet insurance either, but I know it doesn't hurt to try.

I've done some more research on extractions for rabbits, and the more I read about it, the more I really don't want to do it. It sounds like it would be way too stressful and painful for Belle. Since the majority of her back teeth keep growing points, I'm pretty sure all of her teeth would have to go. I don't think I can put her through that.

 

[Flashy]

I'm not sure about over there, but over here dentals are not covered under pet insurance, so it may be the same over there.

Putting your bunny through any procedure is a tough decision. Just listen to your gut instinct about what you feel is best for Belle and you won't go wrong.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Dr. Jason here in Vegas is really good. Stew II has bad teeth, both incisors and molars--they have him on permanent schedule, every 8 weeks, so it only costs me $35. Considering what they have to do, it's a lot cheaper than any other vet. Like you, we have to watch our expenditures. So, after I explained it to them, plus he knows all our fur babies are rescues, they told me what could be done.

 

[ChandieLee]

I wish Belle's vet was that understanding. :\ The last time this happened, I called her and told her my situation. I asked her if I could bring Belle home the same day as the procedure and do all the after-care at home, but of course, she said it depended on whether Belle was eating and going to the bathroom... so she ended up staying there for three days... giving me a $450 vet bill, which I couldn't even afford. :\
I'm so severely stressed at the moment. I don't know what I'm supposed to do; I can't afford those vet bills anymore, and I know that she'll need this done every two months or so and I just can't afford them anymore. I don't qualify for pet insurance or care credit. I just feel so defeated. I know I'll probably have to re-home her and Necro since they're bonded, but how do you find a forever home for a rabbit that has continuous, expensive problems?
I have been agonizing over this for the past few days.

 

[Flashy]

Oh what a horrible dilemma to be in.

Are there any other vets in your area? Have you tried contacting your local shelter and seeing if they can recommend anyone cheaper? Chances are that actually she took longer to get better because she wasn't at home, and you might find that if she recovers at home then she does it better and faster and the whole thing works out extensively cheaper too.

Maybe try seeing if anyone on here can take her? Do you have shelteres or rescues over there that specifically take those with disabilities or long term, chronic issues?

If you do decide to rehome them you need to be honest about the cost and how often she needs it doing, and also offer to take them back if they find they can't handle it (then start again and find another home, it just means you can ensure she gets a good home, not passed to someone neglectful).

 

[ChandieLee]

There are other vets in my area, however there are problems with that as well. In my town, I've found that there are two rabbit savvy vets, both expensive. There are others in this state, but as I don't drive, I wouldn't be able to get there. Earlier this year, I brought Belle, with the help of my father, to a vet that's about 45 minutes away from me and it was only a little over $200 there. Now that i live on my own, and the fact that my father has to take on a second job and having no time on his hands now, I will not be able to get back out there. There is one shelter here in Worcester, but I don't think they're a non-kill shelter, not too mention, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be adamant on keeping Belle and Necro together, causing stress for both of them. I was also just looking at the House Rabbit Network website and they don't take in "public rabbits." They did have a page on how to re-home your rabbit, but that wasn't really helpful. As we already know, it is going to be extremely hard to re-home her and Necro because of this ongoing problem. Not too mention that Necro's front teeth have to be clipped every couple of months as well. It's not expensive as it only costs about $15 to do every time, but still, people are wary about taking on rabbits with these continuous problems.
I think bringing them to a shelter would be my last resort. If re-homing them is my only option, then I want to try my best to find them a good home. I'm already heart-broken just thinking about it.

 

[tonyshuman]

Huge hugs to you. I'm sorry that their health issues have become more than you afford. You may want to contact Ali, Jadeicing, as she's part of a rescue (3bunnies) that's somewhat in the area.