Dentistry

Q: What Are The Types Of Dentistry You Perform On Exotic Pets?

Scale And Polish Dental Float – Correction Of Cheek Teeth Correction Or Removal Of Incisor Teeth In Rabbits Removal Of Tooth Root Abscesses

Dental disease is commonly seen in exotic pets. Unlike dogs and cats, the signs can vary species to species, and they can be subtle. If left untreated, it can cause discomfort and severe health issues.

For this reason, regular dental checks are recommended for rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets and dragons. Regular cleanings for the likes of ferrets and bearded dragons is also recommended to prevent and remove plaque and tartar build-up.

At The Unusual Pet Vets, we have specialised equipment that allows us to perform a range of dental procedures on exotic pets to prevent dental disease development and treat impacted, overgrown, infected and abscessed teeth.

What Exotic Pets Do You Perform Dental Procedures on?

We perform dentistry and dental surgery on rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, ferrets, and some reptile species such as bearded dragons.

How Do You Identify if an Exotic Pet Needs Dentistry?

Dental disease can often be diagnosed by an intraoral examination (looking inside the mouth) by an experienced exotic vet. A specialised speculum or otoscope is used to look inside the pet’s mouth.

In some cases, dental disease is not always obvious during an intraoral exam, and in these cases, radiographs (x-rays), CT, or an examination under general anaesthesia may be recommended. This will help identify how advanced the dental disease is, which will allow planning for the treatment and dental procedure.

What Are the Types of Dentistry You Perform on Exotic Pets?

Scale and Polish

This process involves the ultrasonic scaling of tartar off each tooth and then polishing them. This procedure is often performed to prevent the progression of dental disease. Both ferrets and dragons (especially bearded dragons) can benefit from an annual scale and polish.

Dental Float – Correction of Cheek Teeth

This is commonly performed on rabbits and guinea pigs when there is a formation of sharp spikes or spurs on the cheek teeth, or the teeth have grown to be too long and growing in the wrong direction. In general, these must be corrected with a specialised dental bur while under anaesthetic.

Correction or Removal of Incisor Teeth in Rabbits

Malocclusion of the front incisor teeth is usually a result of problems with the cheek teeth, or the rabbit being born with abnormal jaw alignment, which leads to problems with the way the teeth oppose each other.

If there are only mild changes in the shape and curvature of the incisors, then correction as well as solving the primary cheek teeth problem (if present) may be all that is needed. Once the incisors are not meeting, they are not helping the animal and as they can grow quickly, they often require trimming every 3-4 weeks. Often once this occurs, it is best to remove them as this offers a more permanent solution.

Removal of Tooth Root Abscesses

Tooth root abscesses are often seen as firm lumps on the lower or upper jaw. Treatment generally requires the removal of the bony abscess and the tooth. Depending on the tooth involved, this often requires a surgical approach with a drainage hole left to allow for the flushing of the abscess. Injectable antibiotics and regular revisits are often required postoperatively.

It is important to note that depending on the severity of the dental problems your exotic pet displays, intervention may need to be ongoing and lifelong. For some patients this means regularly dental corrections anywhere from every 4 weeks to every 12 months. This can often be predicted with radiographs or a CT scan, but sometimes only time will tell.

Other Services

Beak Corrections (Beak Trims)

A bird’s outer beak is made of keratin and grows continuously much like our fingernails. Birds generally wear down their beak naturally and do not usually require regular beak trimming. However, there are some cases where birds develop an abnormal beak, or their beak becomes overgrown, and correction is necessary to prevent health conditions.

If not corrected, an overgrown beak can prevent birds from performing daily tasks such as climbing, preening, and eating, as well as developmental problems, nutritional deficiency, illness, or it can also be due to trauma or injury.

If you are concerned about your bird’s beak, please get in touch with us.

Sterilisations (Desexing or Neutering)

Sterilisation (otherwise known as desexing or neutering) is recommended for many exotic pets. There are many health and behavioural benefits from sterilising your exotic pet. It is an important preventative health care measure and prevents any unwanted and unexpected pregnancies.

We recommend that rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs and rats should all be routinely desexed to prevent a range of issues. In some cases, sterilising your reptile or bird is also indicated for the prevention of some diseases.

For more information, please contact your local Unusual Pet Vets team.

Surgery and Anaesthesia

Surgery is often necessary for a range of problems that occur in unusual pets. While any surgery or anaesthetic has risks, exotic species often have a higher anaesthetic risk than dogs and cats. We minimise the risks of anaesthesia as much as possible to ensure a comfortable, safe, and smooth procedure for your pet.
All our practices have specialised exotic animal anaesthesia and surgical equipment to treat animals as small as 20g. Weather your pet requires a routine surgical procedure or emergency surgery, you can trust that your exotic pet is in safe hands.

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