caring for rabbit teeth
Rabbit teeth grow. As long as the teeth are properly aligned and your rabbit has plenty to chew on, you can expect few or any teeth problems.
Teeth alignment is very important. Unfortunately, poor teeth alignment can be one of the reasons that a rabbit is offered as a pet. Actually, offering rabbits with teeth issues as a pet is not the problem; doing so without full disclosure is.
Teeth issues can be dealt with, but not every family is willing or able
to care for them properly.
Rabbit Teeth Alignment
A rabbit's top incisors should overlap the bottom incisors. That is, if the mouth is closed (and the teeth revealed), you should see the top incisors in front.
If the incisors touch rather than overlap, they are called butting teeth (or we say that the rabbit has simple malocclusion). Butting teeth may continue to wear properly and require no further care.
Serious cases of malocclusion are sometimes called wolf teeth. The
teeth, if unchecked, can grow very long, sometimes making it impossible for
the rabbit to eat.
Checking Teeth
Generally, we check teeth by pulling back the skin above the mouth, stretching around from the top of the head. You can also approach your rabbit from the front, but there is more chance of being nipped that way.
You should check teeth before you purchase a rabbit. But you should also check them from time to time since rabbit teeth are known to change alignment over time.
Rabbits sometimes stiffen their jaws when you check their teeth, so make
sure the jaw is relaxed when you make your judgment. Sometimes you may
need to gently wiggle the lower jaw to get the rabbit to relax so that you
can see the actual alignment.
Breeds Prone To Teeth Alignment Problems
Many popular pet breeds such as Holland lops, Netherland Dwarfs, and Jersey Woolies are prone to teeth problems. All "bulldog-headed" breeds have a higher incidence. That should not be taken to mean that the majority of them have teeth problems. Perhaps 3% of my rabbits have ever had any type of teeth problem and fewer than 1% have had enough of a problem that intervention was required.
Some young rabbits will temporarily have simple malocclusion because of different rates of growth for different parts of the mouth at different times. Often the malocclusion gets better or disappears altogether as the head reaches its adult size.
Sometimes it is necessary to clip a young rabbit's teeth during their
rapid growth period to allow the teeth to align properly. So if you
find that your young rabbit has simple malocclusion, it may or may not
be a lifelong problem.
What To Do About Teeth Alignment Problems
As mentioned before, butting teeth may require no intervention at all. But if the teeth are growing long, they need to be clipped and/or filed.
If clipping teeth doesn't appeal to you, your veterinarian may be willing to clip teeth. Mine charges about the same to clip rabbit teeth as to clip dog toenails.
To clip large pieces of teeth, you can use cat toenail clippers - the same clippers you use to clip your rabbit's nails. The teeth are more brittle than you might think and will snap off with the clippers.
The results will be rough. You can use a metal file or a rotary
tool (like a Dremel
For minor adjustments, filing or using the Dremel
Molar Problems
Problems with molars are much more serious than incisor problems. Your rabbit may have frequent mouth-related infections (abscesses), may go off feed, or may drool. Molars should be trimmed by veterinarians. The procedure requires anesthesia. Make sure the veterinarian is experienced with rabbits before allow him or her to anesthetize your rabbit.
Broken Teeth
Rabbit teeth can snap off. Though it doesn't happen often, I've seen it occur more than once. It may appear that the tooth has been pulled out, but often, it has just broken off at the gum line. Within a week or two, the teeth can grow completely back.
In the mean time, you may need to trim the tooth next to the broken tooth to match the length of the new tooth as it comes in.
Chewing Activity
Straw or hay is one of the best things to provide your rabbit, both for
his diet and for helping him wear his teeth naturally.
Chewing sticks are great, too. Not every type of wood is safe for
rabbits, however, so either stick to commercially prepared sticks and toys, or use limbs from
fruit trees if you are certain that they have not been treated with
pesticide.