Rabbits and small mammals have unique dental anatomy, where their teeth continue to grow throughout their lifetime, at a staggering rate of 1cm per month, not visibly because they are all worn away by chewing. When the dental alignment changes however, due to factors like a lack of fibre in the diet, infections, injuries or genetics, the teeth no longer meet and the teeth become visibly overgrown, resulting in a condition we call malocclusion of the teeth.
Dental disease, can be missed and need to be diagnosed early to ensure the best success in management. Therefore, at Pet Doctors St Lukes, we assess dental conditions in a consult with a special instrument to look at not only the incisors but the molars. We often follow this up with a general anaesthetic dental exam, including a visual assessment, and endoscopic assessment by a camera, and 6 view head x-rays to examine the dental root and jaw health.
We also have specialised anaesthetic protocols that have been proven to be extremely safe for rabbits and small mammals. We also have specialised anaesthetic monitoring equipment to assess multiple parameters whilst your pet is under anaesthesia to ensure it is as safe as possible. Following such procedures we have dedicated rabbit and small mammal hospital wards including incubators and appropriate diets to ensure that your pet is back up and eating as early as possible.
These are all the extra care we give to rabbits and small mammals to ensure these tests are performed adequately, results are interpreted properly, and treatment plans are made appropriately.
