Dental Diseases in Rabbits and Small Herbivores

Question 1

What are the two main causes of rabbit dental disease?

Answer 1

Inadequate nutrition
Metabolic bone disease

Question 2

List four things you may see on a distant clinical exam of a rabbit.

Answer 2

Presence or absence of epiphora
Obvious incisor elongation
Any grossly evident abcessation
Signs of drooling on mouth of dewlap.

Question 3

Which rodents are the hystericomorphs?

Answer 3

Chinchillas and cavies

Question 4

Describe briefly the five stages of rabbit dental disease.

Answer 4

Grade 1: Normal
Grade 2: Root elongation and deterioration in tooth quality
Grade 3: acquired malocclusion
Grade 4: cessation of tooth growth
Grade 5: endstage changes such as abcessation, osteomyelitis and permenant calcification

Question 5

What are the three treatment options of incisor overgrowth?

Answer 5

Clipping with nail clippers
Burring with a dental drill
Removal

Question 6

List two methods you can use to burr the teeth of rabbits.

Answer 6

Use of a high speed dental drill
Use of a cutting disk

Question 7

List four indications for incisor extraction in rabbits.

Answer 7

Where permenant removal of teeth is advantageous
Particularly younger, stressier rabbits with rapidly growing incisors
Very occasional regrowth
Anaesthetic risk x1 vs multiple handling over lifetime

Question 8

Which teeth should you especially investigate when presented with a rabbit with epiphora and dacryocystitis?

Answer 8

Maxillary incisors and the first upper molars

Question 9

Which rodents are scuriomorph and which of their teeth are the only ones that grow continuously?

Answer 9

Squirrels and chipmunks
Incisors

Question 10

List three crown reduction techniques in rabbits

Answer 10

Clipping
Filing
Burring