Dental work under anaesthesia is routine in rabbit and guinea pig care, because back teeth simply cannot be assessed or treated properly in a conscious, stressed animal, but routine does not mean you should agree without understanding the plan. A good practice welcomes questions, and the answers tell you a great deal about how species-savvy the team is.
Questions about the problem and the procedure
Start with what has actually been found. Ask which teeth are involved, whether the issue is spurs, overgrowth, misalignment or something deeper, and what the vet expects to do once your pet is asleep and the mouth can be examined fully, since the plan sometimes changes with a clear view. Ask whether imaging of the tooth roots would add useful information for this case, what the realistic outcome is, whether this is likely to be a one-off correction or the start of regular dental management, and what happens if they find a tooth that cannot be saved. It is also fair to ask how often the practice anaesthetises rabbits or guinea pigs and who will monitor your pet throughout, because experience with small prey species, their airways and their sensitivity to stress and temperature genuinely matters to safety.
Questions about preparation, monitoring and pain relief
Ask about food beforehand, and listen carefully to the answer: rabbits and guinea pigs are generally not fasted the way dogs and cats are, because their guts need to keep moving and they cannot vomit, so a practice that tells you to bring hay and keep feeding as normal is speaking this species' language. Ask how your pet will be kept warm during and after the procedure, since small bodies lose heat quickly, how breathing and heart rate are monitored, and what pain relief is planned for during and after, because dental pain directly suppresses eating, which is the one thing recovery depends on. Ask too about gut support afterwards, what will be sent home, what each item is for in plain terms, and exactly how and when to give anything prescribed, following the labels the practice provides rather than advice from anywhere else.
Questions about recovery and warning signs
Before you agree, picture the first evening at home and ask about it specifically. When should your pet first eat, what should you tempt them with, and what does normal output look like in the first day? Which signs mean phone immediately: no eating, no droppings, bleeding from the mouth, drooling that worsens, a cold and unresponsive animal, or swelling around the jaw? Ask when eating trouble stops being expected recovery and becomes a problem, what the follow-up arrangement is, whether a nurse will phone to check in, and what the out-of-hours route is if you are worried at night. Also ask what the findings mean for home care afterwards: diet changes, hay presentation, chew opportunities and how often teeth should be rechecked for this animal.
Writing the questions down beforehand and noting the answers during the conversation means nothing important is left to a stressed memory, and KinsLe's Pet Passport keeps that dental plan and aftercare record with your pet's history for every future visit.