I'm a very tiny bunny. I'm actually a dwarf, a Netherland Dwarf. It's unfortunate that people like to breed animals smaller and smaller because they are cute. I'm cute alright, but my mouth is too small for my teeth! Ouch! The vet says that very small bunnies and very large bunnies often have teeth problems. That's what happens when animals are bred to the extreme! There are always health and/or personality issues.
My back teeth grow three to five millimeters a week! I have to eat hay just about constantly to keep them worn down. If I don't, then "points" grow; points are like little thorns that grow on my teeth inward toward my tongue, scratch my tongue, and then it hurts to eat, so I eat less, and then my teeth and the points grow more. When I quit eating I have to be force-fed - an event that is not enjoyed by anyone.
However, there are some things we've learned about force-feeding. Number one is patience. I can't eat it all at once! Just a dab at a time and then a little rub on my cheek will get me to lick and swallow. We make up this paste from a powder we got from the vet - it's ground up hay with vitamins and minerals. I lie on my back and the syringe comes in from the side - don't squirt it straight down my goozle or I'll choke! Come in from the side just behind my teeth and about the middle of my tongue - if you put it on the front of my tongue I'll spit it out. Take your time, talk to me, rub my cheek, and don't give me too much at once.
Bunnies can kick so hard that they will break their back; whenever you hold a bunny make sure that you hold her rump so that her back is curled a little bit and she can't kick it out of whack. Notice how my back is firmly supported and my feet are in position where I can't kick.
"I really don't think this is a good time for pictures! You are so dead when I'm done here."
"I'd better get to washin'!"
The vet also x-rayed my mouth. I had one tooth that had an infected root; it had to be extracted. My mouth is so small that my jaw gets really sore after teeth operations, so we force-fed morning and night until my teeth quit hurting so bad. But even after that my teeth are growing too fast and I have to go in and get them trimmed about every 6 weeks! ACK! We are desperate for a solution! The vet said that we should try Orchard Grass since it's coarser than Timothy Hay, and that I should eat veges with lots of silica, such as mustard greens, radish tops, and kale. I was also getting too much salad - and filling up on that rather than hay. It's imperative that I eat lots and lots of hay, day and night. For my size, I should get one salad a day that will fit in your hand and just one little carrot - carrots are high in carbs and are like treats to bunnies!
My teeth hurt for a long time before we found a vet that identified the problem: Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital in Bothell, WA. Now that I'm not in pain I'm a whole lot nicer! And now I
love to be petted! I love to have my ears rubbed, and I especially love to have my jaws massaged. I'm told it's very nice not to have to explain the unusual bunny-teeth-shaped markings when getting a mammogram.
If you are looking for a bunny vet make sure you get one that will pry open the bunny's mouth (with a tool) and look at her back teeth! We wish we had found Avian & Exotics years ago. They are the best! And we are very, very grateful. Thank you Dr. Ferguson, Dr. Maas and the most excellent staff!
