Clinical and radiologic diagnosis in dental disease in pet rabbits

Abstract

Rabbits became more and more popular pets these last few years. For assuring their good health and wellbeing both the owners and the veterinarians are equally responsible. Sudden change in diet or inadequate nutrients, poor husbandry or stressing factors can all cause complex systemic pathologies to appear that often start at the oral cavity and the teeth. The aim of this study was to identify and apply the most accurate methods of approach, restrain, examination and diagnosis in dental disease in pet rabbits. This study included 19 rabbits, one of them clinically healthy and 18 were identified with dental disease. The patients had multiple affections but we categorized them according to the primary disease. 6 of them presented with pathologies of the incisors (31.57%), 10 had issues starting with the premolars (52.63%) and 2 with the molars (10.52%). The highest rate was 52.63% represented by the ones that presented dental disease at the premolars. The most met pathology in this study was odontogenic abscess formation in 11 out of 19 cases (57.89%), in most cases the abscesses appeared secondary due to periodontal infections. Knowing the specific features of the oral cavity, of the approach and the restraining methods as well as the clinical and imagistic diagnosing can assure proper management of dental disease in pet rabbits.

Keywords

• rabbits, dental disease, restraint, radiologic examination, management