If you own a pet rabbit, it is likely that it has had dental problems.A survey of veterinarians found that 75% of the rabbits they treat have dental issues.It's possible that your rabbit will have dental problems in its lifetime if it hasn't already.There are a number of ways that you can reduce your rabbit's chances of getting dental problems.
Step 1: Feed your rabbit a diet that is close to wild rabbits.
The diet of wild rabbits does not cause dental disease.There is a high risk of dental disease for rabbits that eat a commercial mix with little or no vegetables or hay.Feeding a diet that represents what wild rabbits eat is the key to preventing dental problems.Good quality hay and fresh grass are the ideal foods.Good quality hay is the closest substitute for fresh grass in rabbits.This hay has been dried slowly in the sun and has a green color as well as some of the flat-bladed leaves.When you open the pack, it should smell like a summer meadow.
Step 2: Quality hay should be fed.
Poor quality hay is dull looking and has a yellow color.Some rabbit owners feed their rabbits hay that is dull brown grey and smells musty and dusty when you open the pack.Poor quality hay is not good for anything other than bedding.
Step 3: Allow your rabbit to feed on hay.
Hay should be provided at all times.There should always be enough for the rabbit to eat.
Step 4: Feed more vegetation.
Fresh vegetables, weeds and wild plants are high in calcium and can be fed to your rabbit.The ideal weeds are dandelions, brambles and tree leaves.A selection of fresh vegetables should be offered daily.If you give the rabbit the same vegetable every day for several days, it could overload the system with certain minerals.This is prevented by the simple act of varying what you give.
Step 5: Limit your rabbit's food intake.
When it comes to teeth, a commercial diet has a limited place on the menu.The rabbit can eat its daily allowance with minimal chewing if it is fed rabbit pellets.The teeth keep growing even though this doesn't grind them down.The result is long teeth and spurs.You should only give a small amount of food to rabbits.Extruded foods look the same, instead of a muesli mix.The rabbits eat the tastier parts of the mix, which are the least healthy and have the lowest calcium content.Weak bones and bad teeth can be caused by this.
Step 6: Make sure your rabbit gets enough shade.
In order to convert calcium into healthy teeth and bones, sunshine is required.There is a link between a lack of exposure to sunlight and dental disease.In an ideal world, the rabbit would be given time to eat on fresh grass every day, so that it could get some fiber and sunshine.
Step 7: It's a good idea to make sure your rabbit is chewing as much as normal.
A rabbit needs to chew for 70% of the time it is awake to keep its teeth in good shape.If the rabbit doesn't chew enough, there will be problems.If the teeth are growing faster than they are worn down, they become over long.It's perfect to balance the rate of tooth growth with the grinding down of teeth.The open roots of the rabbit's teeth means they grow continuously.The down teeth are worn out by chewing.The rabbit would wear their teeth down to useless pegs if the teeth were not closed in a few years.The answer is to have the teeth grow all the time and replace the dentine that was worn away by chewing.In order to get the maximum benefit out of a low nutrition food it needs to be grinded up a lot in the mouth before being swallowed by a wild rabbit.The damaged cell of the herbage can be exposed to the digestive juices to get the maximum benefit.
Step 8: Look for signs of dental problems.
Look for symptoms if your rabbit has slowed down.A Wet Chin: Dribbling or drooling is due to the pain associated with moving the tongue to swallow.The rabbit likes to dribble.Any rabbit that is losing weight needs to consider dental problems.The rabbit will be less likely to eat if its teeth are painful.If the rabbit becomes a messy eater, scattering food, or leaving partially chewed food on the floor, this can be a sign of dental discomfort.A thick, white discharge from the eyes is a sign of dental problems.The tear ducts can be compressed by the overgrown roots of the teeth in the mouth, which can prevent tears from draining from the eye in a normal way.A rabbit with a sore mouth is less likely to groom, thus its coat will become dull and unkempt.Jaw or Cheek Abscesses are caused by long tooth roots becoming infections and breaking out at the surface.
Step 9: Look at his teeth.
Rabbit teeth get overgrown in a number of ways.The gnawing teeth at the front of the mouth are called Overgrown Incisors.These can interfere with the rabbit being able to eat.In extreme cases, the teeth can grow into the lips.The back of the rabbit's mouth is where the overgrown molars are located.The rabbit can't fully close its mouth if the molars grow too long.Sharp spikes, or spurs, on the edges of the teeth are caused by wear on cheek teeth.They can cause bleeding if they dig into the cheek or tongue.The spurs can be so long they can stop the tongue from moving.The roots of teeth can grow so long that they can cause dental problems.The tear ducts can be compressed if the upper roots grow upward.
Step 10: There is a rabbit with dental problems.
Problems that exist need professional action as they won't go away on their own.There are procedures to remove sharp spikes and over long incisors.The veterinarians will shorten over long teeth.It is very difficult to do anything about overlong roots because they are inside the skull.Poor access to the back of the mouth makes it hard to remove molars.This is one reason why dental issues in the rabbit can lead to a poor outlook.The most preferable option is to prevent the problems from happening in the first place.