Rabbits & General Anesthesia

[BrittsBunny]

I was informed by my veterinarian that Wrangler needs to have one of his molars filed down. I am hesitant to just schedule an appointment because my rabbit is a senior (approx 9-yrs-old and a dwarf breed). So I am going to be seeking a second opinion.

Have any of you ever had a rabbit put under general anesthesia for a procedure? Any complications? Death? I know that there is always a risk.

Wrangler has no problem eating (from what I can tell) and is as happy as can be. He has had a couple of GI stasis episodes in the past and I know that can be a result of dental issues.

I certainly would hate to have him go through such a procedure if he truly did not need it. I am on the fence.

 

[Watermelons]

Has bloodwork been done to check on vital organ function? Its usually wise to check blood results to see if older animals systems are up to par and can handle the anesthetic. Otherwise anesthetic itself isnt all that dangerous especially if the animal is well maintained during (ie proper oxygenation, et tube, iv fluids running, kept warm, etc)
As for the tooth itself you need to find out why the vet wants it removed. Whats wrong with it?

 

[BrittsBunny]

The vet doesn't want it removed, he just wants it filed down because it has supposedly a sharp point.

 

[JBun]

If you don't feel confident with this vets assessment, a second opinion might be a good idea. I have read of instances where a less experienced vet gave a diagnosis of molar spurs, then the rabbit was checked by a rabbit specialist that said the teeth were fine. If you have a better rabbit vet you can see, then it would be worth taking your bun to that vet instead. Even if the second vet verifies spurs, if you go ahead with a dental, I would want the best vet possible doing it, especially where an older bun is concerned. Definitely would have blood work done before any GA on an older rabbit.

I have a 9 yr old bun that was spayed at 7 yrs, and coming round from the GA was difficult for her. At one point I thought she had died as she didn't respond to me right away, and took a bit of jostling to get her to respond. So older buns can have a harder time with it. For myself, if my older rabbit developed spurs but was still eating just fine and maintaining a healthy weight, I don't think I would have a dental done right away. I think I would try other things first, to see if I could get the molar to wear down naturally. Things like apple branches and leaves. I've also read of orchard grass hay being beneficial for dental problems in rabbits due to it's high silica content. I read one ladies account of her bun having dentals done every two months. Then on a recommendation, changed to orchard grass and had gone 10 months without another dental being needed. So I would probably try that first if I was in your position. Then if my bun started losing weight, wasn't eating as well, or showed signs of pain or difficulty chewing, I would look into going ahead with the dental right away.

 

[Azerane]

I agree with JBun on that it may be able to be worn down naturally. Bandit's recent annual check-up showed that he was starting to develop a spur on one of his molars, but the vet said it should be fine if I made sure the next lot of hay I got was nice and course (the stuff I had been feeding was a bit fine). So if you get a second opinion, ask how well developed the spur is, if it's worth trying a natural wearing down first.

If you do go ahead with surgery, I agree with definitely getting blood work done first to check organ function.

 

[BrittsBunny]

Well I went and got a second opinion from university exotic specialist and he said that Wrangler's teeth appear to be in good shape. Which of course means no dental and one happy momma!

Overall the vet was very impressed with Wrangler's health, especially considering how old he is, which also makes me proud.

Can't say it enough that I am incredibly glad I went and got a second opinion. SO relieved:bunnyheart

Thank you Watermelons, JBun, and Azerane for your responses to my thread.

 

[Azerane]

Yay for Wrangler That's great news.