Rabbit traumitized by Vet?

[mothergooz]

My friend took her little brown bunny to the vet to have her teeth filed and she claims that the procedure or the anethesia traumatized the rabbit. The bunny had her teeth filed back in September and my friend is claiming the rabbit is still displaying signs of being mistreated.

I don't know all the specifics of how this is done but she says that the doctor used a bigger instrument than needed to keep her jaw open during the procedure. I don't know how she would know something like this and she is insisting the Vet tell her what he did in the procedure (down to the type of file he used to file the bunny's teeth) and the Vet is flat out refusing.

The bunny is acting normal as far as I am concerned but she says I don't live with the rabbit.

Is what she is saying possible? Can anethesia traumatize a rabbit three months later? And if the rabbit was under anethesia would he/she even know they were being worked on?

Also, is the filing down necessary. I've read that rabbits only need their teeth filed down in rare occasions, but she is insisting this is not true.

To tell you all the truth, I'm more worried about her than the rabbit. The rabbit seems fine and she's almost hysterical and talking about calling a lawyer.

Can anybody provide any insight?

P.S. I think she said the rabbit is a Neitherland Dwarf????

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Unless the rabbit has a malocclusion (the teeth don't match up correctly so continue to grow), she should not have had the teeth filed, and the vet should have not agreed to file them.

 

[mothergooz]

Thanks. I was there when she took the rabbit in and the vet did tell her the rabbit didn't need the filing but she insisted he do it.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I never knew rabbits' teeth needed filing. We have wild rabbits in with our chickens (not on purpose). I don't know anything about rabbits...just wanted to say this is interesting.

 

[Bunnylady]

Some people will tell you that short-headed breeds like Dwarfs have chronic jaw tooth problems, even if their bite is perfect. They insist that the rabbits teeth must be filed down regularly, or the animal will be in constant pain, biting the insides of its cheeks, develop abscesses on the teeth, etc. Obviously, the OP's friend has been reading/listening to this sort of stuff. Frankly, I think the purveyors of this kind of "information" have a hidden agenda; that of making animal ownership so onerous that people won't even consider doing something so cruel as to keep an animal in captivity.

 

[Peaches Lee]

The only experience I have had with a small pet getting teeth filed was with a squirrel. The vet used a mask/gas anesthesia, squirrel was wrapped in a towel and the owner held. Sometimes there is an excitement stage where the animal may struggle, because Iso smells awful and breathing that stuff in is of course horrid, but it should be over in less than a minute. I would think that the rabbit is fine if it is drinking, eating, urinating and defecating. I think if there were to be a problem it would have happened quite soon after the procedure. Hope this helps.

 

[mothergooz]

Yes, the bunny is eating, sleeping, drinking, playing and pooping normally. She is claiming that the rabbit has developed some wheezing and red eyes from the anethesia. She is giving it small amounts of Benedryl. The slight redness in her left eye is gone and I've never heard her wheeze.

Can a rabbit have allergies?? That's my guess.

Here's a pic of Maddie, the rabbit we're talking about. She is a real sweetie!

 

[Peaches Lee]

Aw, she is really cute....

 

[venetianblinds]

Hi there, vet tech here. I don't have much experience with rabbits but a rabbit exhibiting the symptoms you're describing don't make sense when it comes to complications after having teeth filed. Your friend may be attributing her rabbit's symptoms to the teeth filing when her rabbit is actually suffering from something else altogether. My suggestion would be to tell your friend to find a different vet, one experience with exotics if not an exotics-only vet, and take her rabbit there. Diagnosing at home and then treating with human medications is not generally a great idea either because there may be something else going on with her little bunny. Hope it all works out!

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I fully agree with the poster above. A reaction three months later would be very unlikely, and generally would not cause those symptoms. Rabbits can be more difficult than other animals to anesthetize, which is why a lot of vets won't do it, but if they make it through the procedure they generally do ok.

I would warn your friend about giving the rabbit human medications without guidance from a vet. Benadryl can sometimes makes rabbits worse by causing hyperactivity. If she does not like the vet she is seeing, she should look into switching to another vet with experience in exotics.