BE KIND TO PETS VETERINARY STORIES
DO RABBITS SUFFER FROM TOOTHACHES?
A rabbit has overgrown front teethWritten and narrated by: Natalie.......
Natalie See
Mentor: Dr Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow)
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STORY TELLING USING THE 3D's to sell a product or service
Details
Dialogue
Discovery
All wrapped up in Drama
see below example of the dog with a case study.
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Dialogue
Discovery
All wrapped up in Drama
see below example of the dog with a case study.
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DETAILS
Rabbits do suffer from toothaches. The most common cause is malocclusion.
What is malocclusion? Malocclusion means misaligned teeth. The upper and lower teeth do not meet to cut or grind the hay and other food properly and therefore do not wear out.
In people, (image of your front teeth), the permanent teeth stops growing. But not in the rabbit. His teeth are constantly growing but if they are not worn out by chewing and grinding of the food, they overgrow sideways, foreward or backward. (IMAGES.. see my blog, do not use other people's images.)
Toa Payoh Vets has a case of malocclusion. (Video footage of the misaligned teeth - few seconds). The 4 upper incisors grow inwards towards the mouth and the 2 lower ones grow outwards. They also grow sideways. The 2 lower could have fractured as they looked very short.
ANATOMY. ILLUSTRATION OF THE 6 FRONT TEETH. YOU CAN USE THEIR MEDICAL NAMES MAXILLARY, MANDIBULAR.
ILLUSTRATION. SIDE VIEW OF CHEEK TEETH.
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Owner: "Doctor, my rabbit has such long and twisted teeth. Why other rabbits don't have this problem?"
Doctor: "Your rabbit's upper and lower front teeth do not meet normally. The upper jaw is too (short?) while the lower jaw is longer than normal. Therefore........
Owner:" He cannot eat his hay properly. Pieces keep coming out. What can be done to help my poor rabbit to eat normally?
USE NARRATION TO ANSWER THE 5W'S AND ONE H.
Doctor: "I need to examine the cheek teeth as they may not be worn out normally.
Owner: "How do you do it? Can you see them really?"
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DISCOVERY
1. Malocculsion is a serious condition affecting the rabbit's health. /...lose weight, ileus....
2. Vets need to look for molar spurs when the front teeth are affected. Palpation, otoscopic examination, dental gags........
3. For owners, Two choices of treatment. Trimming every month. Extraction of all 6 front teeth is preferred for the rabbit. Must be in good health to take the anaesthesia.
4. In this case, more expensive treatment...molar spurs. Sometimes dental abscess...cheek tooth extraction....cost more.
5. Prompt attention is best for your rabbit.
What is malocclusion? Malocclusion means misaligned teeth. The upper and lower teeth do not meet to cut or grind the hay and other food properly and therefore do not wear out.
In people, (image of your front teeth), the permanent teeth stops growing. But not in the rabbit. His teeth are constantly growing but if they are not worn out by chewing and grinding of the food, they overgrow sideways, foreward or backward. (IMAGES.. see my blog, do not use other people's images.)
Toa Payoh Vets has a case of malocclusion. (Video footage of the misaligned teeth - few seconds). The 4 upper incisors grow inwards towards the mouth and the 2 lower ones grow outwards. They also grow sideways. The 2 lower could have fractured as they looked very short.
ANATOMY. ILLUSTRATION OF THE 6 FRONT TEETH. YOU CAN USE THEIR MEDICAL NAMES MAXILLARY, MANDIBULAR.
ILLUSTRATION. SIDE VIEW OF CHEEK TEETH.
DIALOGUE (Listen to the owner's voices and remarks in the video and then construct a narrative. I cannot do for you. Some narrative will be ENACTMENT. A Q & A.
Owner: "Doctor, my rabbit has such long and twisted teeth. Why other rabbits don't have this problem?"
Doctor: "Your rabbit's upper and lower front teeth do not meet normally. The upper jaw is too (short?) while the lower jaw is longer than normal. Therefore........
Owner:" He cannot eat his hay properly. Pieces keep coming out. What can be done to help my poor rabbit to eat normally?
USE NARRATION TO ANSWER THE 5W'S AND ONE H.
Doctor: "I need to examine the cheek teeth as they may not be worn out normally.
Owner: "How do you do it? Can you see them really?"
--------------------------
DISCOVERY
1. Malocculsion is a serious condition affecting the rabbit's health. /...lose weight, ileus....
2. Vets need to look for molar spurs when the front teeth are affected. Palpation, otoscopic examination, dental gags........
3. For owners, Two choices of treatment. Trimming every month. Extraction of all 6 front teeth is preferred for the rabbit. Must be in good health to take the anaesthesia.
4. In this case, more expensive treatment...molar spurs. Sometimes dental abscess...cheek tooth extraction....cost more.
5. Prompt attention is best for your rabbit.
How it is developed?
A rabbit’s teeth are constantly growing and it is crucial that the normal process of chewing wears down a rabbit’s teeth. When the teeth are not worn down, they overgrow. The top incisors grow inwards towards the mouth and the bottom ones grow outwards. This can lead to the rabbit at risk for jaw infections causing pain and discomfort.
Why is it important?
If left undetected, your pet will eventually stop eating. Rabbits need a continual supply of roughage moving through their digestive system to prevent gut stasis. Even 12 hours without food can cause serious digestive disorders and further health complications like death. The rabbit dies if he is not treated as he becomes malnourished and dehydrated over time.
How it is diagnosed?
Malocclusion is diagnosed by the physical examination of the rabbit’s mouth and X-Ray of the jaw and tooth root. The treatment will depend on the severity of the malocclusion.
Reasons for Malocclusion?
Rabbit malocclusions can be either hereditary or acquired. Hereditary malocclusion are observed more in dwarf breeds due to their shortened heads and jaw developments. However, majority of malocclusion are acquired when the teeth are not ground down properly over time and are often due to poor feeding practices. It’s recommended the majority of a rabbit’s diet comprises hay (80%), with a limit to vegetables (10%), fruits (5%) and pellets (5%).
Preventions for Malocclusion?
Malocclusion can be easily prevented by the correct diet advised by veterinarians. Hay is a crucial ingredient in a rabbit’s diet as it helps trim the constantly growing rabbits teeth. Routine health check every once to twice a year ensures that the rabbit’s teeth are not overgrown. When abnormal growing of the teeth is observed during vet visits, the teeth are trimmed before it gets overgrown.
Treatment for malocclusion?
The overgrown teeth are being trimmed by the veterinarians.
In severe cases, surgery to remove the affected teeth may be an option. Any tooth with deep pockets, mobility and purulent debris is subject to extraction, especially if an abscess is present. Extraction of the overgrown front teeth will have prevented the development of molar spurs and dental abscess which are expensive treatments.
In this case, the extraction of the 6 front teeth enables the rabbit to eat properly. Rabbits without their incisors use their lips and tongue to pick up food and move it to the back of their mouth, where it's ground by the molars. However,
Rabbits cannot live without any teeth. Therefore, it is important to detect malocclusion earlier or even better to prevent it. Is it crucial to remove the teeth or trimming is sufficient and a better choice?
Other dental problems (Is it needed to include molar spurs?)
Molar spurs are sharp edges developed by the overgrown molars. They are present when the incisors are overgrown and causes difficulty in chewing the food properly. The inability to grind the food properly leads to the sides of the molars to get worn out abnormally.
The developed sharp edges cut into the inside of the cheeks causing cheek ulcerations and entrapment of the tongue, making it difficult for the rabbit to move its tongue to eat properly. Molar spurs causes incorrect positioning of the molars, leading to bacteria entering the roots of the molars causing dental or jaw abscess.
Complications of dental problems are very painful and expensive treatment. Therefore, it is very important to bring your rabbits for regular dental exams every once to twice a year. Prevention is always better than cure.
The 4 upper jaw teeth are known as maxillary incisors and 2 peg teeth) were overgrown and grew sideways. The 2 lower jaw teeth (2 mandibular incisors) were overgrown and broke off. Therefore, it appeared very small.
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STORY TELLING USING THE 3D's to sell a product or service
Details
Dialogue
Discovery
All wrapped up in Drama
-----------------
BE KIND TO PETS VETERINARY STORIES
DO DOGS SUFFER FROM TOOTHACHES?
A dog has carnaissal tooth abscess
Dr Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow)
DETAILS
Dogs do suffer from toothaches. I will say that the most painful one must be the carnassial tooth
abscess. The canine carnassial tooth is the 4th premolar tooth. When there is chronic gingivitis or tooth fractures, the bacteria destroys the periodontal ligaments attaching the tooth to the gums. Bacteria destroys the tooth and forms a carnassial tooth abscess. An abscess is a collection of pus.
Dogs do suffer from toothaches. I will say that the most painful one must be the carnassial tooth
abscess. The canine carnassial tooth is the 4th premolar tooth. When there is chronic gingivitis or tooth fractures, the bacteria destroys the periodontal ligaments attaching the tooth to the gums. Bacteria destroys the tooth and forms a carnassial tooth abscess. An abscess is a collection of pus.
Carnassial tooth abscess is a common disease in the older dog that has poor dental care. It is very painful. The presenting sign is a festering facial wound below the eye. Pus and blood seep out daily like an active volcano spewing hot lava and ash daily. Home remedies like antibiotic powder and silver cream or antibiotics are ineffective. Most owners think this is just a traumatic wound. But this open facial wound never heals, despite medication and cleansing as shown in this case of a 4-year-old Pomeranian seen at Toa Payoh Vets in 2007.
DIALOGUE
“I am sick and tired of cleaning this wound for the past many weeks,” Mrs Jaswant Singh pointed to the wound below the Pomeranian’s left eye. “I pour antibiotic powder and also gave antibiotics, but the wound keeps discharging dirty blood daily! My cat could have scratched my naughty baby causing this wound or something sharp had poked into his face!”
“This wound is a result of a tooth root infection,” I took out the Hills’ illustrated drawings of this common dental disease in dogs in Western countries. It is easier to show than to tell. I lifted the dog’s left upper cheek, but the carnassial tooth showed thick tartar and an inflamed gum. No pus and blood leaking out from the gums. “The permanent cure is to extract the rotten carnassial tooth. Antibiotics will not resolve the problem.”
“Just get on with the tooth extraction,” Mrs Singh showed me her dog’s discharge stain in her silk black sari with big red flowers. “My saris are very expensive as I buy them from New Delhi in India, not from the shops in Little India here! My baby keeps soiling them. I have to clean the soiled bed, sofas and mop the floor to remove her discharges for the past weeks! I have no maid to help me.”
“This wound is a result of a tooth root infection,” I took out the Hills’ illustrated drawings of this common dental disease in dogs in Western countries. It is easier to show than to tell. I lifted the dog’s left upper cheek, but the carnassial tooth showed thick tartar and an inflamed gum. No pus and blood leaking out from the gums. “The permanent cure is to extract the rotten carnassial tooth. Antibiotics will not resolve the problem.”
“Just get on with the tooth extraction,” Mrs Singh showed me her dog’s discharge stain in her silk black sari with big red flowers. “My saris are very expensive as I buy them from New Delhi in India, not from the shops in Little India here! My baby keeps soiling them. I have to clean the soiled bed, sofas and mop the floor to remove her discharges for the past weeks! I have no maid to help me.”
“Hey, wait, wait, wait,” Mr Singh interjected. “Are you sure our dog suffers from carnal, cunning or whatever?” As this was their first visit to Toa Payoh Vets, the husband eyed my diagnosis as money-making.
“This doctor is talking nonsense,” Mr Singh whispered, not too softly in his wife’s ear. “The tooth and the wound are so far apart and separated by the sinus bones. How can infection travel so far? He must be nuts and out to make money from us!”
“I can take an X-ray to show you that the root or roots of the carnassial tooth is infected,” I said when Mr Singh turned towards me. “No need to do it,” the husband put up his hand. “Thank you very much. We will let you know if we want you to pull out the tooth.”
“This doctor is talking nonsense,” Mr Singh whispered, not too softly in his wife’s ear. “The tooth and the wound are so far apart and separated by the sinus bones. How can infection travel so far? He must be nuts and out to make money from us!”
“I can take an X-ray to show you that the root or roots of the carnassial tooth is infected,” I said when Mr Singh turned towards me. “No need to do it,” the husband put up his hand. “Thank you very much. We will let you know if we want you to pull out the tooth.”
Around 2 months later, Mrs Singh consented to the dental extraction. There is the root canal and associated treatment, but it will be expensive. I extracted the loose left carnassial tooth and the first molar.
DISCOVERY
ADVICES TO DOG OWNERS: In the blink of an eye, 6 years passed by when Mrs Singh had her Pomeranian treated for bad teeth. “My dog’s facial sore healed within 10 days,” Mrs Singh reminisced. “Hence, I do not see you.”
ADVICES TO DOG OWNERS: In the blink of an eye, 6 years passed by when Mrs Singh had her Pomeranian treated for bad teeth. “My dog’s facial sore healed within 10 days,” Mrs Singh reminisced. “Hence, I do not see you.”
She did not get her dog’s teeth checked yearly as advised by me. Her dog had not suffered another carnassial tooth abscess in the right side but now had several loose and decayed teeth extracted.
Carnassial tooth abscess is also known as malar abscess or oro-nasal fistula. Some vets do mis-diagnose this disease as allergies or infected traumatic wounds. A spot-on usually accurate diagnosis is made if there is a festering non-healing facial wound below your dog’s eye. Dental extraction is the least expensive effective treatment. Yearly dental check ups will prevent most of your dog’s teeth from decaying so that your dog has teeth up to old age.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Phone 6254-3326, 9668-6468, judy@toapayohvets.com, www.toapayohvets.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Phone 6254-3326, 9668-6468, judy@toapayohvets.com, www.toapayohvets.com
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| General anaesthesia for dental works. Periodontal Disease. 4th premolar and lst molar teeth are encrusted with thick tartar. There is inflammation of the gum area - chronic gingivitis |
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| Image 2. Rotten 4th premolar and lst molar teeth extracted and are shown to the owners |
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| Image 3. No more oro-nasal fistula since the dental extraction 6 years ago |
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