# Why is my bunny drooling?



## claramae99 (Aug 7, 2009)

For the last 2 days I've noticed my bunny is drooling. He sits quietly in his cage and seems to be chewing or grinding his teeth. When he gets up, there is a little puddle of drool where he was sitting. His fur on his chest is also damp and getting a little matted. It's been about 2 weeks since his surgery to file down his molars, so it shouldn't be related to his teeth, right? Everything I'm reading from a google search sounds frightening! Like he's probably got a horrible infection or abscess! He wasn't eating too much after the surgery, but he's finally starting back on some veggies and pellets. No hay though yet. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. But please don't tell me to get another vet; ours is the only one who specializes in rabbits and "small animals" in our area. Thank you.

Jennifer


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## slavetoabunny (Aug 7, 2009)

This may not be a serious situation at all. Don't panic. Bunny may just have a tooth spur that needs attention. This exact situation happened with my Sparky. One vet visit (which cost $63) resolved everything. I haven't had it recur in 5 years. Not saying that this is your problem, but a vet visit is in order. The vet really needs to put the bun under anesthesia to closely examine the teeth. Hope this helps.


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## Korr_and_Sophie (Aug 7, 2009)

I would go see your vet. The tooth grinding can be a sign of pain and the drooling can indicate a tooth problem. 
It may be that when you went last time, there were only issues with one side, but now the other side is needing attention. I am not really sure, just a guess. 
It is better to be safe by going to the vet than having it be something serious and you didn't go before it was too late.


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## Pipp (Aug 7, 2009)

claramae99 wrote:


> For the last 2 days I've noticed my bunny is drooling.Â  He sits quietly in his cage and seems to be chewing or grinding his teeth.Â  When he gets up, there is a little puddleÂ  of drool where he was sitting.Â  His fur on his chest is also damp and getting a little matted.Â  It's been about 2 weeks since his surgery to file down his molars, so it shouldn't be related to his teeth, right?Â  Everything I'm reading from a google search sounds frightening!Â  Like he's probably got a horrible infection or abscess!Â  He wasn't eating too much after the surgery, but he's finally starting back on some veggies and pellets.Â  No hay though yet.Â  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.Â  But please don't tell me to get another vet;Â  ours is the only one who specializes in rabbits and "small animals" in our area.Â  Thank you.
> 
> Jennifer



If its only been two weeks, you should be able to take him in for a free re-check. They may have loosened a tooth, disturbed a root abscess, scratched the inside of his mouth or just not caught one of the spurs or left an edge somewhere. 

How old is your bunny? If they don't see anything apparent with a visual exam, they'll have to take x-rays. 

But they shouldn't charge you for the exam, this may not be an error, but it is almost certainly related to the surgery.


sas :bunnydance:


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## Pipp (Aug 7, 2009)

PS: I'm moving this to the Infirmary. 


sas :expressionless:


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## claramae99 (Aug 7, 2009)

Ok, thanks. I'll get a call into the vet in the morning just to be sure. Oh! And Patti, you're lucky your visit was so cheap; cost us $150 for the procedure! Can't afford to do that very often. Thanks again!


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## tonyshuman (Aug 7, 2009)

Is he an inside bunny? Drooling can also be caused by heat stroke. Tooth issues are the usual cause. It might be good to have the vet double check their work, as Tracy suggested, but a dental x-ray may be in order. The tooth roots can have problems and that can lead to drooling, but you can't see it without an x-ray.


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## Pipp (Aug 8, 2009)

claramae99 wrote:


> Ok, thanks. I'll get a call into the vet in the morning just to be sure. Oh! And Patti, you're lucky your visit was so cheap; cost us $150 for the procedure! Can't afford to do that very often. Thanks again!



Just tell them he hasn't been right since the surgery (which is true with such a slow recovery and if he's still not eating hay) and you'd like a re-check. A reputable vet won't charge an exam fee for a quick look. 

You may have have to prod a bit if they say there will be a fee: "Oh, I was told most vets won't charge the re-exam fee in a case like this." 

You paid $150 to fix something that isn't fixed. I may actually be worse if he wasn't drooling and not eating before he went in. 

For the record, I'm an experienced bunny owner, but I won't do molar spurs until it gets uncomfortable for the rabbit because sometimes they'll break off on their own. 

But I watch very very carefully for signs that the spurs are affecting the bunny. 


sas


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## ra7751 (Aug 8, 2009)

Just a side note on your comment about an abscess. Another reason to not believe everything you read on the internet. Certainly an abscess is a major concern and should be properly addressed but like so many things rabbit....there is still a lot of misinformation from the "Village of Yesteryear". I treat abscesses all the time....without any type of surgery. It's usually not the death sentence that it was just a couple of years ago. Problem is that most vets are still in the direct intervention mode.....surgery. In most cases, that isn't necessary and the situation can be resolved using an aggressive drug protocol....and again, unfortunately, most vets are not aware of these protocols. The thing with an abscess, especially a dental issue, is to attack the infection at the core of the abscess before it damages the fundamental structure of the jaw itself. 

This is one of those "just in case" informationalcomments I sometimes post....just in case it is an abscess.

Randy


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## Bunnymom,K (Aug 8, 2009)

Sometimes a tooth spur can be treated with feeding long stemmed grass hay or prairie alfalfa hay (is almost stick like) as the only feed for about 2 days- it files the spur down naturally. If that doesn't work then it's off to the vet.


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## claramae99 (Aug 11, 2009)

Thank you to everyone who offered up advice on what to do for my bunny. Just wanted to update you all on his condition. Finally got him in to see the vet this morning. Somehow, the bunny has managed to keep his weight up. Vet did a recheck on his molars and they look good. He did see some very irritated gums though. Said it looked "like the gingivitis that we humans get", so it could be that they became irritated from the heat of the tool that they used to fix his molars, and there could be a little infection brewing. He prescribed antibiotics for that, and finally did an xray to check the roots out for trouble. Nothing going on there at this point, but his roots are VERY elongated (all the way into his lower jaw, and up into his sinuses. He said this does cause some pain for him, but recommended that we avoid any surgery to extract them. When all was said and done, it cost us another $150. So that's $300 in less than a month! So, we took our little man home with some meds, and a recommendation to get him outdoors for some exercise and hopefully some grazing. I stopped at the pet store and picked up a harness to try. He didn't seem to mind it too much, and although he didn't graze at all, he did get a lot of exercise. So, thanks again to all of you who helped out. I'm so happy to be a part of this community!

Jennifer


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## tonyshuman (Aug 12, 2009)

Why doesn't the vet want to do the surgery? I can see if he's not confident to do it, or if you can't afford it, but elongated tooth roots cannot be fixed by anything other than extraction, as far as I know. They can cause eye and jaw bone problems, and abscesses that are really painful and potentially life threatening. I would ask to have copies of his file, and see if you can find a vet who specializes in dentistry, because I think it's something that needs to be done. Is he too old to recover well from surgery?


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## Pipp (Aug 12, 2009)

tonyshuman wrote:


> Why doesn't the vet want to do the surgery? I can see if he's not confident to do it, or if you can't afford it, but elongated tooth roots cannot be fixed by anything other than extraction, as far as I know. They can cause eye and jaw bone problems, and abscesses that are really painful and potentially life threatening. I would ask to have copies of his file, and see if you can find a vet who specializes in dentistry, because I think it's something that needs to be done. Is he too old to recover well from surgery?



I'm under the understanding that elongated tooth root surgery is a huge undertaking and should be a last resort. If there's no bone involvement, I don't see why it would be necessary. 

The problem isn't the tooth root it's the tooth root abscesses, which hopefully will be eradicated with the injected antibiotics. 

I can't see surgery being preventative, its way too invasive. 


sas :?


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## tonyshuman (Aug 12, 2009)

I thought that abscesses always formed when the tooth roots were elongated, and could form at any time I don't have bunnies with tooth issues though. I just worry that they would cause eye problems and abscesses.


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## Pipp (Aug 12, 2009)

Here's a decent, simple article... 


http://www.petmd.com/rabbit/conditions/mouth/c_rb_tooth_root


*Tooth Root Abscess in Rabbits*


*Apical Abscesses*

Tooth root abscesses in rabbits, formally known as apical abscesses, are defined aspus-filled capsules or pockets within the animal's tooth or mouth. These abscesses are painful for the animal and tend to grow within inflamed areas of the gums, where infection is more likely to spread.


*Symptoms and Types*

Some common signs include:


Oral cavity 
Loose teeth 
Abnormal teeth or bite alignment (cheek teeth elongation) 
Overgrowth of the incisor teeth (used to grasp and bit food) 
Oraltissueswelling, especially along the soft tissues 
A preference towards eating softer foods 
Loss of weight, can be extreme 
Obstruction of the tear or nasalducts 
Respiratory irritation (e.g.,sinusitisand rhinitis) 
Signs of pain or discomfort, which may include inability or lack of interest in moving,lethargy, hiding, hunched posture or depression
*Causes
*
There are many different reasons anabscessforms under a tooth or near a tooth's root. For example, an infection can occur in cases of tooth or dentaldecay. However, rabbit abscesses are unlike those that form in other animals, like cats and dogs. They do not rupture on their own and drain infrequently. Rather, they tend to puncture theboneof the rabbit, often requiring surgical treatment.

The most common cause of tooth root abscesses in rabbits is tooth elongation. This is a chronic and common condition because rabbit teeth tend to grow constantly -- at the rate of nearly one-half an inch every month. The cheek teeth can then become spiked and erode, or gradually wear into the soft tissue near the teeth, allowing abscess-causing bacteria to enter into the gums. Tissue damage can also lead to the formation of an abscess.


Other causes and factors contributing to tooth root abscesses include:


Infection withpyogenicbacteria (e.g., Streptococcus spp., Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella spp. and Peptostreptococcus micros) 
Trauma to the teeth or roots, including clipping of the teeth or cutting the pulp when trimming teeth, which can expose them to bacteria 
Acquired teeth elongation, which can occur from an exclusive pellet diet 
Suppression of the immune system, which can occur from the overuse of topical or oral steroids
*Diagnosis*

Diagnosis involves ruling out other conditions contributing to tooth decay. A veterinarian will look for signs of dental disease and swelling in the mouth, and may take a culture to identify a possible infection.


*Treatment*

Treatment can be done on an outpatient basis, unless the rabbit has large abscesses or wounds which may get infected. Some animals may require long-term pain therapy and management, consisting of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs forinflammationcontrol and to help reduce pain. (Needle aspiration can be used to help drain excessive fluids.)

In severe cases, the animal will need to undergo surgery to remove affected teeth. Many times, extraction is time consuming because rabbits have curved tooth roots. However, if such a procedure is done, the veterinarian will prescribe medication, including antibiotics to help reduce bacterial infections and pain.


*Living and Management
*
A well-balanced diet is a vital part of management, as it helps prevent tooth decay. This means feeding the rabbit low-carbohydrate and low-fat foods, and enough water to keep it hydrated.

The veterinarian will re-evaluate the rabbit every one to three months to trim its teeth and search for any cavities or oral growths. Be aware, chronic pain is a potential side effect of this condition.


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## claramae99 (Aug 12, 2009)

Yes! The vet had the same thinking as Pipp. Feels that it is too invasive at this point, since there were no signs of trouble brewing on the xrays. Want's to see us back every few months (or when there are signs of trouble) for a check up. Was really more concerned with the bunny's "gut motility" which is surprisingly fine even though he's not eating much hay. So we continue to watch his droppings and teeth for now.

Jennifer


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## claramae99 (Aug 12, 2009)

OOps! Forgot to mention that his incisors are fine; just the molars are affected.

Jennifer


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## Flashy (Aug 12, 2009)

I have a bun with elongated tooth roots (or an elogated tooth root) and it showed itself with a blocked tear duct. With him I don't treat him any differently, he has the same diet as the others, no meds and all I do is watch for his behaviour or signs of a problem.

I would suggest you get used to how his jaw feels on both sides and feel him regularly so that if an issue is brewing you may be able to feel it as the shape of his face changes, which may be before you see any other indication of a problem.


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## tonyshuman (Aug 12, 2009)

Oh, ok. I didn't know that long tooth roots didn't negatively effect some bunnies. If Tracy has a bunny with them, who's fine, and your vet feels this way, that's fine. 

I feel my bunnies' jaws monthly when I do the nail trims and other well-bunny stuff. That's something I would recommend in order to keep an eye on it, and also make sure her eyes seem normal.


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## Flashy (Aug 12, 2009)

Claire, I didn't know until Star decided to get his that they could be ok with them. I thought, like you, extraction was the best course of action.

I think its a longer term, more chronic and harder to deal with condition than generally spurs can be, but equally they can be happy for a significant period of time before it becomes a chronic problem (and by that time it is then generally an incredibly chronic problem, from what I understand). Its yet another one of those 'each day at a time' problems where you know they are there but can't do anything about it at the moment.


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