Dental disease affects the majority of pet rabbits and is the leading cause of chronic pain, requiring hay-based diet as the primary prevention and regular dental monitoring.
Rabbit dental disease is the most preventable major welfare problem in companion rabbits: the fundamental cause — insufficient hay in the diet — is entirely within owner control. Molar spurs that develop from inadequate chewing cause mouth ulcers, pain when eating, and progressive weight loss. The welfare harm compounds over months as the rabbit eats less due to pain, loses condition, and may develop secondary gut stasis. Prevention through hay-based diet is simple, cheap, and highly effective — making dental disease in pet rabbits one of the most remediable welfare problems in companion animal keeping.