Content
One of the main diseases that usually appear in domestic rabbits is dental overgrowth.
In the wild these animals wear their teeth chewing fibrous plants continuously. Unlike wild rabbits, it is common for domestic rabbits to have an excessive growth of incisors, molars or premolars due to a lack of hay and forage intake. The teeth of these animals grow continuously (approximately 1 centimeter per month), and if they are not worn down, they can grow more than supposed and cause serious problems for our pet.
Keep reading this PeritoAnimal article to know everything about abnormal growth of rabbit teeth.
Causes
These are the main causes that give rise to this disease:
- Lack of hay or forage in the diet: is the most common and usual cause. Many rabbits are exclusively fed on industrial granulated feed, which is easy to chew and which only causes a small erosion of the teeth.
- Genetics: some rabbits are born with some malformations of genetic origin (mandibular prognathism). They are animals that have different sizes in the mandible and maxilla, causing a malocclusion of the mouth.
- Traumas or blows: blows to the animal's mouth can cause the tooth to grow in an incorrect position, causing a malocclusion in the mouth.
Symptoms
These are the most common symptoms you can see in rabbits with this problem:
- Anorexia and weight loss: the animal feels pain when rubbing with the tooth every time it tries to eat. You may have a physical inability to chew due to the position of your teeth. He is even unable to take food in his mouth. Its appearance is slender.
- misaligned teeth: cause damage and sores on the gums, palate or lips. Incisor malocclusion is the most common and easiest to detect by owners, the same is not true for molars and premolars. Owners often go to the vet because their pet you are thin or eat little, without first paying attention to the state of your teeth.
- eye problems: in some cases, abscesses in the molars and premolars can lead to increased pressure in the eye, causing it to come out and even injuring the optic nerve. There may also be excess tearing.
Treatment
Take the animal to the veterinarian to first explore the animal's health status. After evaluating each particular case, the animal is sedated and the teeth are cut with a grinding tool.
in some cases, the affected tooth is extracted, especially in older rabbits, and any abscesses that may exist are treated.
Prevention
The main preventive measure to prevent the appearance of this disease is to provide our animal with a complete and balanced diet.
In addition to the concentrate, you should give it forage to chew (hay, alfalfa, field herbs, etc). It is also convenient to check your teeth from time to time and avoid unpleasant surprises.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.