Teeth issue or just being a "big baby"?

[undergunfire]

Benson went to the vet on Saturday and had his (tear) ducts flushed out. Dr. Luna said he flinched when the ducts flushed past his teeth...which leads her to beleive he may have some tooth pain.

At our other appoitment in May, she thought he may have had a teeth issue then, too...because he favored his right blind eye.

Dr. Luna called me today to set up an appointment next Wednesday to put Benson under anesthetic, to get better x-rays of his teeth. Benson is 8.5 years old, so I am very nervous about this.

I told Dr. Luna about how he drooled when he slept, our #1 reason to beleive there is a teeth issue.

Well....


I was watching Benson just a little bit ago and he started SUCKING on his blanket, making a wet spot.

Uhm...is this normal? Should I still go along with getting his teeth checked out?

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Poor Benson, I hope not, but I have no clue.

Anyone?

 

[Chaosqueen]

I'm anything else than sure whether I got everything right. It's hard for me to understand this "specific stuff". Do I understand you right when I say that Benson slobbers and that he has a problem with his tear duct? My 9 years old rabbit does something similar. But he had a difficult operation last week so I want to wait until he recovered before I go to a vet.
The only thing I can say to you is that my little bunny came through the anaesthesia very well. He got gas as anaesthesia, not a jab. I hope you are able to understand me, I don't know wheter all these words fit rightly. Best wishes for your little fighter, he'll come through it!

 

[BlueGiants]

With all the symptoms you've seen, I think it would be good to get a clear xray of the teeth to show any problems. At 8 1/2 years old, he could develop spurs or other issues with back teeth. Better to know what's going on.

Is your vet really good with rabbits? Voice all your concerns and let her address them.

 

[undergunfire]

Cathy (it is Cathy, right?!).....my gut feeling is to still go get better x-rays. I just find it very odd that he sucks on his blanket before he falls asleep? Could it be a sign that his teeth are in pain, so he sucks on the blanket as a pain release? Hrmmm.

Dr. Luna has dealt with rabbits before, so has the other exotics vet there. She has been doing a lot of research at home for me to learn more about what could be wrong with Benson. Before she makes a clear decision, though, she will send Benson's x-rays to Dr. Holmes...who is the Brambley Hedge Rabbit Rescue's vet down in the Phoenix area.

 

[BlueGiants]

I think it's a good move. Let us know what turns up. He could be chewing on the blanket because something hurts and it's soft, like a baby teething.

 

[Maureen Las]

If the vet feels comfotable giving him anesthesia and the vet is rabbit knowledgeable then I would go ahead with it. Gas anesthesia by mask is a lot safer than injectable.

 

[undergunfire]

Dr. Luna will definitely being giving gas, not a shot. Hopefully the issue (if there is one) can be solved, so I can feel comfortable adopting Benson out through BHRR.

 

[Haley]

Ive never had any of my bunnies do either (drool or suck on something) so Im not really sure if its normal or not.

I definitely would agree that some dental xrays wouldnt be a bad idea just in case. Does he eat hay and pellets normally?

 

[undergunfire]

Haley wrote:

Ive never had any of my bunnies do either (drool or suck on something) so Im not really sure if its normal or not.

I definitely would agree that some dental xrays wouldnt be a bad idea just in case. Does he eat hay and pellets normally?

Yes, he loves his hay! He eats his pellets slower then the other bunnies, though.

 

[slavetoabunny]

Sparky drooled a lot when she had molar spurs. She didn't eat as much either (which isn't necessarily a bad thing - she's a pudge).