Caring for Your Rabbit’s Teeth – Basic Tips for Your Bunny’s Dental Health

Rabbit teeth grow, and they grow throughout his life, not just when he or she is a kit. Taking the time to take care of your rabbit’s teeth can prevent serious problems down the line;

Proper Rabbit Tooth Alignment

Ideally, a rabbit’s teeth should have top incisors slightly overlapping the bottom set. If the incisors touch instead of overlap the rabbit is considered to have “butting teeth”. If they are given something hard but safe to chew on, the problem often takes care of itself as the teeth wear down into a better alignment. Longer teeth, called “wolf teeth” can keep growing until they resemble fangs, making it hard for the bunny to eat. Such teeth should be examined by a vet for possible clipping.

Clipping Rabbit Teeth

That may sound a little strange but clipping rabbit teeth is a very common practice. Experienced rabbit breeders are perfectly comfortable doing it themselves; a rabbit’s teeth are quite brittle and toenail clippers are adequate for the job. A file is then used to smooth the jagged result. However, as most rabbits are often jumpy and unpredictable in these kinds of situations a beginner will do best to visit a vet to have their rabbit’s teeth clipped. Most will charge the same as they do to clip a bunny’s toenails.

Molar Problems and Broken Teeth

A rabbit that has molar rather than incisor problems should be examined by a vet for treatment. Molar problems can cause abbesses and make it difficult for the rabbit to eat anything. Molar clipping should be handled by a professional only as it often requires the use of anesthesia. Broken teeth are less of a problem, as they grow back very quickly, in a matter of weeks.

Chewing for Good Dental Health

The best way to help your rabbit maintain good teeth is to make sure he has plenty to chew on, helping him wear his teeth naturally. Hay is helpful but the addition of chewing sticks is a good idea. As some woods are toxic to bunnies it is best to stick to the commercially prepared ones that can be found in most pet supply stores.

Related posts:

1. Tips for Succesful Litter Training.- House Breaking Your Indoor Bunny   Just like cats, most rabbits can be fairly easily...
2. Basic Tips to Consider When Breeding Rabbits 9 Tips for Better Breeding Both the buck and doe...
3. Mommy and Me: Is your Rabbit caring for Her Babies Properly? For the inexperienced, the way a mother rabbit behaves around...
4. Bunny Proofing Your Home – How to Help Your Bunny Safe, Happy and Healthy Indoors If you intend to keep a rabbit in the house...
5. Adorable Angoras- A Basic Introduction Angora Rabbit Basics Angora Rabbits are cute and cuddly, and...

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 at 2:02 pm and is filed under Rabbit Care. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.