Rabbit unable to eat hay after routine molar spur trim

[DeeNtheBuns]

Hi Everyone,
My 5 year old neutered male bunny, Luke, gets molar spur trims every 2-3 months. We go to the same vet, who has over 30 years experience, he uses isoflorane gas and clippers/file. I wish he used a Dremel drill to buzz them but he doesn't and neither do any other vets around here.
Luke had a molar trim last Tuesday and is still not able to eat hay. He's normally back to eating hay within 2 days. He had tried but the piece of hay just wobbles and twirls around like he can't grasp it with his teeth, then finally falls out of his mouth. He is very unhappy during the day, refusing even his favorite bananas, oats and raisins, but perks up at night- last night he was eating pellets and greens ripped in small pieces. He can also eat fresh grass from my yard that I wash and bring to him, but usually refuses to. It's Sunday and my vet isn't open until tomorrow. I've been syringe feeding Critical Care and giving meloxicam, ranitidine, metoclopramide and simethicone. His poops are barely bigger than pin heads and now he has not pooped since last night. I stopped feeding him Critical Care after only 13ml because I could feel that his belly seemed full and was making some noises. My worst fear is complete GI stasis. My guess is that his teeth were not trimmed evenly and he's unable to grind his hay. I don't think a cut in his mouth from the trimming would result in this much trouble.

Has anyone had a bunny who went for a molar trim and needed to go back for an additional trim a few days after? Or a bunny that had complications like this following a trim? I'm really worried about the little guy. His wife, Lola, is also so concerned she's barely eating and she's normally the greediest bunny I know. Thanks for any replies and sorry for the long post!

 

[JBun]

His bite may need adjusting. If the molars don't make the right contact then they can't grind properly, and it can also hurt the jaw joint to chew when the bite is off. Until you can get back into the vet, I would just continue to give supplemental feedings of the critical care as needed depending on how much he is able to eat on his own. If he seems to be having any difficulty with pellets then soaking them in warm water and making a mush can sometimes help.

 

[DeeNtheBuns]

Hi JBun,

That's exactly what I'm thinking, that his teeth aren't quite meeting up so he can't grind his hay. I'm hoping that it's just an easy fix, maybe one molar being a bit higher than the others. I do feel like using a Dremel drill would make it easier to shape the teeth and control the amount taken off, but my vet doesn't use one so that's that. He's great otherwise, and I love that he does Luke's teeth while I wait and lets me take him home right after. Luke and Lola, his wife, get strange when they are separated from each other. In the past she had gotten rather nippy with him and it was so sad because he wasn't feeling well. He put her right in her place though lol. This time she's being really nice, grooming him and laying with him.

Lukie just ate a whole plate of greens and did some poops- small ones, but that's OK!! Wow I am so relieved. He still must go to the vet tomorrow unless I see him eating hay normally tonight, but it's a great sign that he's eating and pooping. Also means that I don't have to syringe feed- yay! I only force feed if the bunny is not taking in enough food on their own to keep their GI system going.

Thanks again for the reply,!

 

[Hoda soliman]

Hello my bun has the same exact problem as you..after his dental yesterday he’s unable to eat hay..the poor boy would try but he would only swirl it in his mouth and drop it. the only thing he seems to eat is soaked pellets.. I was just asking for an update.did your bun get better and eat hay on their own or did they have to get another dental???