3.11 Small mammal dental disease

Rabbit right maxillary dentition

• 101-102 (incisors)

• (no canines)

• 106-108 (premolars)

• 109-111 (molars)

Rabbit left mandibular dentition

• 301 (incisor)

• (no canines)

• 307-308 (premolars)

• 309-311 (molars)

Rabbit total teeth

28

Rabbit causes of dental disease (3)

• Dietary - inadequate dental wear

• MBD (nutritional 2ndary hyperthyroidism)

• Genetic predisposition (eg netherland dwarf small faces - less space)

Where do spurs/outgrowths form on upper and lower cheek teeth of rabbits?

• Upper - buccal aspect (lateral)

• Lower - lingual aspect (medial)

Signs of rabbit dental disease (5)

• Reduced appetite or selective eating (hay consumption reduced)

• Drooling

• Weight loss

• Reduced grooming and perineal caecotroph accumulation

• Pressure on tooth roots → abscessation

  • ocular discharge (if maxillary)

  • facial swellings

Myomorph dental formula

• 1/1 incisors

• (0 canines)

• (0 premolars)

• 3/3 molars

Hystricomorph dental formula

• 1/1 incisors

• (0 canines)

• 1/1 premolars

• 3/3 molars

Why does guinea pig mandibular teeth overgrowth present more frequently with tongue trapping VS rabbits?

Rabbits have more upright mandibular teeth

Why are chinchillas particularly prone to soft tissue damage in the mouth?

Teeth close to tongue and cheek

4 views minimum for small mammal dental X rays

• Lateral

• 2x lateral oblique

• Dorsoventral

• (rostrocaudal)

2 types of malocclusion in rabbits

Wave mouth and step mouth

Species

Chinchilla - large tympanic bulla

Why should cheek teeth never be clipped in small mammals?

Splintering → trauma and pulp exposure

Why is rasping bad in small animals?

Iatrogenic trauma → can slip and hit veins in back of mouth, or move the teeth

2 types of mouth gag in small mammal dentistry

• Tabletop gag (± light)

  • Fewer assistants required, but less flexible and difficult to close quickly

• Traditional mouth gag

  • Extra people often needed for holding, but more flexible and easy to close

3 ways to manage ongoing dental disease

• High fiber diet with hay → abrasion

  • If already severe root disease - painful to chew

  • Avoid museli mixes → selective feeding

• Regular dental checks with treatment

  • generally aim for every 3-6 months for healthy animals

• Severe → ongoing analgesia due to pain

Why should imaging always be done before incisor removal?

Ensure tooth roots aren’t so diseased the skull will basically fall apart right after extraction

Why should incisor sockets always be flushed?

Tooth roots are deep - infections can easily seed

List 4 topical treatment options for rabbit dental disease.

• Manuka honey

  • high osmolarity, low pH

• Topical antibiotics (eg eyedrops)

• F10 ointment

• Lots of flushing - physical movement gets infection out

Name 3 teeth retrobulbar abscesses are frequently associated with.

More caudal cheek teeth:

• Premolar 3

• Molars 1 or 2