BENJAMIN - PHYSICAL EXAMINATION

We thought that perhaps Benji had a problem with his mouth, which is why he was dribbling and was having trouble eating.
It could also account for the fact that he wasn't cleaning himself properly

We decided to admit Benjamin for the day to have a general anaesthetic to allow us to give his mouth a thorough examination. Benji regularly has his front teeth trimmed and their condition seemed reasonable but it is difficult to see the molar teeth when the rabbit is awake and trying to eat your speculum as you are trying to examine the mouth.

N.B. Some rabbits have problems with their front teeth (or incisors). To the right is a picture of a rabbit with overgrown incisors which do not meet properly. In a young rabbit it may be appropriate to completely remove these incisor teeth but this can be difficult once rabbits are more than a few years old and regular trimming may be required.

We looked into Benji's mouth using a special instrument called an otoscope (an instrument we would normally use to look into the ears of dogs and cats). We could see that Benji's molars didn't meet very well from top to bottom and that he had sharp spurs cutting into his tongue and cheeks and making his mouth sore.

So what do we do next? Click HERE for a treatment plan