Pet rabbits are commonly underserved by veterinary care because owners underestimate their health needs and veterinary expertise in rabbit medicine is unevenly distributed.
Rabbit veterinary welfare suffers from multiple compounding problems: owners who perceive rabbits as low-maintenance do not seek preventive care; general practice vets who see few rabbits have limited expertise in their specific needs; and rabbits themselves hide illness until it is severe, making early detection difficult. The result is that many pet rabbits die from preventable conditions that were never detected or treated. Dental disease in rabbits is a particular welfare concern — their continuously growing teeth require a hay-based diet for natural wear, and dental malocclusion causes pain that animals hide through continued eating despite difficulty. Gastrointestinal stasis — the slowing or stopping of gut motility — is a veterinary emergency in rabbits that owners must learn to recognize. Finding a rabbit-savvy veterinarian before illness occurs and establishing annual health checks with weight and dental assessment is the most important preventive welfare investment.