Dental disease is the most common cause of illness and death in pet rabbits. Understanding rabbit dental anatomy and how diet and housing affect dental health is essential for preventing suffering.
Rabbit dental disease causes chronic pain that profoundly affects quality of life. A rabbit with malocclusion — where teeth no longer meet correctly and develop spurs that lacerate the tongue and cheeks — experiences significant oral pain that reduces food intake, leading to gastrointestinal stasis (a life-threatening slowing of gut function). The condition is largely preventable through appropriate diet. Hay provides the lateral grinding motion that keeps incisor and cheek teeth worn correctly; pellets and muesli mixes, eaten with a different jaw motion, do not. Owners who provide unlimited access to high-quality grass hay and restrict pellets to a small supplement are providing the most impactful preventive dental care available.