Successful conservative management of a bilateral temporomandibular joint dislocation in a pet rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Background: Treatment for temporomandibular joint dislocation in rabbits is poorly documented. Case description: A 1-year-old male rabbit was presented for a 5-day history of anorexia following a traumatic incident. On physical examination, mandibular prognathism was noted. The rabbit could not move its jaw and masticate. A skull computed tomography (CT) revealed a bilateral temporomandibular joint dislocation. A closed reduction was attempted but was unsuccessful. We opted for conservative management and placed an esophagostomy tube to provide nutritional support. Four weeks later the rabbit was able to eat pellet. The esophagostomy tube was removed six weeks after the initial presentation. Regular dental trimmings were performed every 5 to 6 weeks to manage the secondary dental malocclusion. Fourteen months after the initial presentation, a recheck CT scan showed reduction of the temporomandibular joint dislocation on both sides. Conclusion and case relevance: Here, we report a successful long-term management of traumatic temporomandibular dislocation in a rabbit. This case illustrates that also in case of unsuccessful reduction of a bilateral temporomandibular joint dislocation, conservative management using an esophagostomy tube for supportive feeding could be a viable option.