Desperate senior bun mom

[Oogiebearbun]

Hi all, this is my first time posting on this site. I hope I am doing this correctly. I have a 10 year old Dutch female rabbit. These past 3 years have wracked up 15,000 dollars in vet bills due to health issues. First off I want to say, this is my first rabbit and I do not have any rabbit knowledgeable people around me. My vet is helpful, but I always have the worry of if she is being sincerely honest. My rabbit has severe dental disease. She was rescued from slaughter and is the last of her liter mates to be alive. She is spayed. Her dental disease is so severe she has had many teeth removed, is on tramadol twice a day, and her diet is manly critical care through a syringe, green leaf lettuces, hay and pellets are scarce due to pain. With all that being said she is still very active and has a big personality. Which is why I continue to do teeth trims every 2 months as needed, and continue to do these things for her. Her diet is bland due to her getting bladder sludge build up, which we have learned to control and avoid (knock on wood). She has had no other health ailments in her long life. We have always avoided g.i stasis due to me literally being a bunny helicopter mom.

With all the background, we have hit a new level of medical needs... her dental disease as I was told has and will continue progressing. After a dental trim this week, they found her back molars to be loose. I will be saving money for the cat scan to be done in less than a month. The two outcomes could be just an extraction, or abscesses which would involve a much more extensive surgery... at this point in her life, vet visits don’t faze her. But her whole life she has been very slow to come out of anesthesia.

I guess my question is, has anyone every dealt with dental disease this extensive? Has anyone had dental abscesses removed? Again I don’t know if that will even be an outcome. But, is the surgery that extensive? And is it something I should put her through at this stage in life? I know everything sounds extreme but my principal is when she shows she’s ready, I’ll make the decision. Which I hope I do not have to. Or isn’t any time soon. I will do anything I possibly can to give her, her best senior years, as long as she wants me to. I have been an absolute mess over whether I am doing things right or am being to extreme. She is my baby and best friend. I just need some advice about preparing to lose a companion as well.

I know this post is a mess, I apologize.
Thank you so much for reading.

 

[BBBBunny]

Hello
I hope I can help you bounce off ideas. I see you are in NJ and am hoping you have a Rabbit Vet not just any vet. Rabbits need specialists usually exotics. Animals are my career for four decades so I have my own expertise, experiences and knowledge as well as many veterinarians to work with. If it were me, I would seek out another vet for a good look and radiographs of her head. I would be looking to rule out an absess/bone infection, root, structure issue or even something stuck up there since this is chronic. The cause has not been found yet. As far as your other question, forgive me I don’t recall all of your questions but how I see it, if your bunny is still enjoying your company, seeking attention, eating happily etc. and you are managing discomfort as it sounds like you are, than that’s all that matters at this time.

 

[Oogiebearbun]

She does go to an exotic vet. We have had many through her years and this one is the one that had the best reviews. They did tell me they will be doing a cat scan, I’m not sure if that’s the same as radiographs, she had x rays about 4 months ago. I’m currently trying to get money together for the ct scan since it is so expensive. I guess my main concern, for her age is, am I putting her through too much? I’ve had a few different vets give me opinions of she’s too old, leave it alone, or keep doing whatever you can. She had a ct scan done about 2 years ago and her roots eroding her jaw and also just starting to hit her sinuses. So I know that’s a possibility, it has gotten worse. Can loose molars just be from dental disease? Or is it always something more severe?

 

[BBBBunny]

Evidently I read something different in your question and answered accordingly. I believe you have a great question as I do think some kind of cellular nutrient deficiency etc. did play a huge factor. I’m sure they didn’t receive good nutrition and support as it was a meat rabbit mill place. I know a few puppy mill dogs that have teeny nubs for teeth because their parents were so depleted the pups now adults have bone and dental issues that come with being runts or not. Try and contact the University of Miami first or another teaching hospital and see if they have a test for micronutrients or the like if you wish but good nutrition now will not undo what was deprived while in-utero. Perhaps if someone can consult with you with the diagnostics you already have will help you with decisions. ..... Dr K who is an exotic vet in Florida. She was just on TV doing an chronic dental abscess on a bun perhaps she will consult with you after she sees what info you have. I’ve had long distance consults. Sounds like you already know what the bone issue is like and/or if needing reconstruction would even be a possibility would be a good question to ask. Sorry if I am off base again.