The Alphavet Rabbit Page

Teeth Eyes Ears Claws Vaccinations

Teeth

Rabbits have six incisor teeth: four upper and two lower. The second set of upper incisors (the peg teeth) are hidden behind the main visible pair. Incisor teeth are used to hold and cut food, for grooming and for defence. The molar teeth are for grinding the food into a digestible paste.

All these teeth grow continuously throughout life and are worn down by chewing and grinding to eat. Rabbits may also grind their teeth when resting and content.

Malocclusion is where the upper and lower rows of teeth do not meet correctly and therefore do not wear down evenly. The incisor teeth may simply not look straight, or can grow unchecked and curl right round back into the mouth. The molar teeth may also grow unevenly and develop sharp spurs on their inner or outer surfaces which can cut into the tongue or cheeks.

In either case, this leads to difficulty eating, reduced appetite and food becoming wedged between teeth, which in turn can cause gum infections and ulceration. A rabbit with severe dental malocclusion will be unable to eat properly and so will lose weight and may drool saliva. With moderate dental problems, rabbits may learn to use their lips very effectively to gather food.

Visual inspection of the incisors is easy, but a thorough inspection of the molars often requires sedation and specialised equipment. Where a problem is visible in the incisor teeth, it is very important to check the molars at the same time: a defect in one set of teeth may cause or have been caused by a problem in the other set.

Malocclusion has a number of causes, of which diet is the most important:

• A poor diet, low in fibre and silicates and badly imbalanced in Calcium and Phosphorous levels.
• Congenital (i.e. inherited) it is more common in dwarf and lop eared rabbits. Affected animals should not be used for breeding.
• Trauma, where the tooth roots have been damaged so that the teeth grow unevenly. This may be due to physical injury or to persistent pulling at the wire cage.
• Tooth root infection again causing uneven growth.

Prevention: avoid breeding from rabbits that have inherited the condition, provide suitable chewing material such as hardwood blocks to keep the teeth correctly worn down and discourage excessive chewing or pulling at the cage by the use of bitter spray where this is a problem.

Treatment: affected teeth may be clipped short using suitable instruments, but this carries a significant risk of splitting or shattering the teeth, which will be painful and can lead to root injury and further disruption of normal growth. A dental burr or cutting disc is a more accurate and less traumatic way of removing excess tooth but is best done under anaesthetic and can be very expensive in the long run.

In severe cases of malocclusion, where repeated sedation and tooth trimming would otherwise be necessary, whole tooth extraction has now become an accepted procedure. Some care is needed in the post operative period, but most rabbits return to near normal feeding within 2-3 days of surgery. Regrowth of small strips of the extracted teeth can be a problem but this may still be the best option for many rabbits.

Eyes

Eye problems are common in rabbits, especially in the Lop eared varieties. A healthy eye is bright and shiny with dry eyelids. Any discharge, whether clear watery, white, yellow or greenish with or without strings of mucus is abnormal and should be investigated and treated without delay. Also check the front legs for any sign of excessive grooming of the face and eyes. Any excess discharge from the eye will generally result in the fur matting together.

Causes of discharge from the eye include:

Bacterial infections

These infections need rapid and thorough treatment, ideally with antibiotics after bacterial culture and sensitivity testing. They may spread either to the lower respiratory system where they may cause broncho-pneumonia, or cause local abscesses in the jaw.

Naso-lacrimal duct (tear duct) blockage

either with accumulated mucus debris after inflammation, or due to scarring or malformation of the eyelids. Flushing out of the ducts under sedation or anaesthesia only occasionally restores normal function especially where dental disease has been the root problem.

'Dry eye'

inadequate tear production leads to drying of the cornea on the front of the eye and can lead to ulceration. Regular application of eye lubricant drops will help to help to reverse these changes.

Dust

Allergy to and irritation from dust in the hay, dry food, from shredded paper or wood shavings, can cause inflammation of the eyes and secondary infection. Sensible hygiene and the use of non dusty litter, food and bedding will help.

Clean away any discharge visible around the eyes or down the sides of the face to avoid the skin becoming inflamed and infected. Soak the affected area to loosen any crusts, then gently wipe clean or use a fine flea comb to remove debris, and dry thoroughly.

Ears

Ear infections are commonly caused by the presence of the ear mite Psoroptes cuniculi or occasionally by Chorioptes cuniculi. This small insect parasite causes intense itching, head shaking and scratching, with a typical grey-yellow-white crusting inside the ear canals and the inner surface of the ear lobe. There may be quite an offensive smell present.

Persistent scratching and rubbing at the ears may set off a secondary bacterial infection. Hair loss around the ear flap may extend down the neck, the back and even down the legs in a severe case.

Definitive diagnosis is by examining the crusts and discharge with a microscope. This will reveal the characteristic presence of the parasites.

Treatment has to be for all in-contact rabbits, as this infection is easily passed from one to another and back again. The parasite has a 21 day life cycle, so treatment has to be continued for at least that period to ensure that all mites hatched from viable eggs are killed. The mites can live off the rabbit for up to 3 weeks, so it will be important to thoroughly disinfect any hutches of affected rabbits.

Prescription medication from your vet may be as oily insecticidal ear drops that will loosen and break up the crusts and kill the parasites. In persistent infection, there is an Ivermectin based solution used for its anti-parasitic action, repeated 2 or 3 times at 14 day intervals, but this product does not yet have a veterinary license.

Sarcoptes scabiei or Sarcoptes cuniculi, the scabies mange mites, can occasionally cause head mange that may look a little like ear mites. These mites tend to affect the outer surface of the ear flap, nose and sometimes the feet around the claws, causing exudation, crusting and matting of the fur.

Middle and inner ear disease may be caused by infection with bacteria such as Pasteurella multocida (a common cause of respiratory infections in rabbits), Staphylococcus aureus or Bordetella bronchiseptica. Mild infections may show no symptoms at all, but in severe cases there will be problems with co-ordination, abnormal head carriage and twisting of the neck. Treatment can involve drainage of the middle ear and antibiotics but in the end is unlikely to be totally effective.

Claws

As in most species, rabbits' claws are constantly growing and are kept short in the wild by digging tunnels and nests in the earth and scurrying around generally.

In hutches or houses, rabbits' nails do not get the same exercise and wear, and as a result the claws may become very overgrown, leading to discomfort and deformity of the toes and feet. Long claws may easily be caught up and torn away from the quick, causing pain and blood loss.

Claws should be checked regularly for length and trimmed to approximately 5mm beyond the pink 'quick' which has a good blood supply.

If in doubt, ask your vet to check and trim the claws regularly.

Vaccinations

We vaccinate annually against Myxomatosis. This is an extremely infectious viral disease spread by rabbit fleas and one which causes a slow lingering death by starvation and loss of sight and smell.

Teeth | Eyes | Ears | Claws | Vaccinations