Rabbit teeth trimming

[LauraD]

I'm sure this is one of those topics that gets brought up a lot here, so I'm sorry, but I'm having some long rabbit teeth issues!

My rabbit has been having her teeth clipped since mid/late 2010, and I was assured this was a perfectly fine way to go about fixing long teeth, however, I've been told recently (with a change of rabbit vets) that one should never do that as it can allow a direct path for bacteria to enter the bun and teeth are super susceptible to yuck like this.

WELL, we have been battling (and really, i mean battling!) infections and teeth troubles for 2 years now, so we were going to go about the route of trimming her long teeth via sedation and filing like our new vet suggests (they only will do it this way) It would be almost 100 bucks to do this (36 for the file itself and 56 for the sedation). If this is something I have to do multiple times a year, I don't think I can rustle up the money!

How does everybody else have teeth trimmed? Does anybody file without sedation?


I would appreciate any input from you guys!

 

[naturestee]

Are we talking incisors or molars? Molars should be done by a vet with the rabbit under sedation, otherwise it's too hard to see what you are doing and to avoid accidental injuries.

Incisors can sometimes be trimmed by a non-vet if they have been shown properly. Filing/burring them is usually the best option, because clipping them can put stress on the teeth and possibly damage them or cause additional pain. Keep in mind that filing/burring can also cause damage to the rabbit if he moves- which is a good argument for doing it under sedation. For incisors that are very misshapen or have root problems, it may be better for the rabbit to have them removed surgically.

 

[CosmosMomma]

Cosmo has a really bad malocclusion so I have to get his teeth trimmed every few months. Just recently I got his trimmed for the first time as his top teeth were turning into tusks, and his bottom teeth were curling under too. Unfortunately Cosmo is a wiggle worm, so when the vet went to clip his teeth, he kind of knocked a tooth loose and made him bleed.

The vet wasn't very gentle with him and he just came in, clipped his teeth, and left, So I'm going to be switching to a more friendly vet who's gentle with my boy regardless of the cost.